If you are a Christian producer or writer, In Jesus' Name Productions may be a source of funding and support for your Christian film project. This section was developed to help you determine if your script is a good fit for In Jesus' Name Productions, and if so, the process to have it considered by us.
Section 1:
What kind of movies does IJNP want to make?
To help you decide if your project is a good fit for In Jesus’ Name Productions here are some standards by which we will be reviewing your project.
1. If a movie is about a life transformation we prefer the story to be based on or inspired by true events.
True-life stories are true-life testimonials about God. Fictional answers to prayer and life transformations lack power when compared to a real person touched by a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
We will also consider purely fictional stories, yet not for the purpose of showing life transformation, but for addressing greater biblical truths, apologetic topics, or Christian worldviews whose scopes are best addressed through fictional works.
2. We look for scripts that are “seeker sensitive.”
We would like scripts that speak to unbelievers who are open to and interested in learning more about God (i.e. “seekers”). The unbeliever must be able to relate with it and the story should lead people closer to God and a personal relationship with Him in some way.
At the same time, we would like believers to be encouraged and even challenged in his or her faith. Stories should inspire a believer to walk closer with God and desire Him more.
3. We expect scripts to be excellent in their mechanics and story structure.
Your script should meet industry standards in its formatting and presentation, as well as have a solid structure to the story itself. The story and the writing should keep us engaged from beginning to end. Many books are available on how to do this well. Some excellent ones are:
The Hollywood Standard by Chris Riley
Story by Robert McKee
Great movies have great story structure. Achieving great structure requires a lot of hard work. Many screenwriters have found writing a 10-20 page treatment to be a very useful step in ensuring their scripts have great structure. Hence, IJNP prefers writers submit a treatment to us prior to a full script. While we do not require treatments, a treatment allows us to focus on the merits of your story and its structure before we focus on your full screenplay.
4. We seek Four-Dimensional Characters
A four-dimensional character includes all the elements of great three-dimensional characters but also includes a fourth dimension - the spiritual dimension. We seek writers who are insightful into the human spiritual condition both before and after Christ. We seek writers who understand the depravity of mankind, the bondage of sin, the need for salvation, the miracle of salvation, the growth of the believer from carnality to full devotion of a disciple, to a living sacrifice willing to lay down ones life for others.
5. We expect scripts to honor God and be biblically accurate.
The core of your story should honor God and point to Him, in some way. This might be overt (direct references to faith and Christ) or it might be embedded in the theme of the story. This doesn’t mean that you can’t show sin. Some of the greatest testimonies refer to a person coming out of sin. While sin can be shown it should never be glorified or used to entertain. Sin must be shown as a destructive force that enslaves and hurts people.
We expect all scripts to be biblically accurate and aligned with the “What We Believe Statement” for IJNP.
In general, we prefer scripts with an expected MPAA rating of PG-13 and below. While it is unlikely we will make R-rated movies, we will consider any project where the writers genuinely believe a higher rating is necessary to achieve maximum spiritual impact for God (e.g. "The Passion Of The Christ").
6. We are looking for movies that deal with universal themes and meaningful topics.
The themes and topics of your movie should have spiritual weight. The movie itself should not preach about these themes, but the themes should be present in the heart of the movie and explored naturally through the story and characters. Keep in mind, a movie is not a sermon and should not come across like a monologue or “preaching.” Your movie should be a great story, worth telling.
7. We want movies with emotionally satisfying endings.
When people walk out of the theatre they should be deeply satisfied with what they have experienced. This does not mean the ending must be happy, but it should come to a meaningful or thoughtful conclusion.
Section 2:
Criteria for submission
Screenwriters should meet the following criteria in order to submit your work.
- You should own or have the option to the rights to the story you are submitting to us.
- We will accept treatments or scripts. Treatments should typically be 10-20 pages and scripts generally no longer than 120 pages.
- We prefer electronic submissions in PDF format.
A Word to Novelists:
If you have a novel that you feel is cinematic and meets the criteria for our films, then we ask you to go through the same submission process as the screenwriters. If we are interested, we will ask you to submit a 10-20 page double-spaced synopsis of your novel that highlights the story and characters that you feel would work best in a film version of your story. Please do not send the full novel unless requested.
Section 3:
What to expect from the process.
If you have read the above information and still feel that your screenplay is a perfect fit for IJNP, and you meet the criteria for submission, then we invite you to submit your script or treatment to us. Here is what you can expect from the process.
Before we can review your submission, you will need to sign and fax us a copy of our Release Agreement. You may request this from us by filling out the form at the bottom of this page.
Fax the form back to In Jesus’ Name Productions at: 703-229-6000
Once we have received this signed Release Agreement, you will be invited to complete our Script Submission Form, where you will tell us a little about your movie.
Your Submission Form will then be reviewed by the Film Development Team at IJNP. You will be contacted if we are interested in your movie and you will then be invited to submit your treatment or script for consideration. We do prefer to see a treatment of the story. However, we will review complete scripts if a treatment is not available.
If you are part of a writing team, please choose one member of the team to be the primary contact.