Executive Producer Spencer Shaver Denver Talks About the Challenges in the Christian Film Industry

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Executive Producer Spencer Shaver Denver Talks About the Challenges in the Christian Film Industry Executive Producer Spencer Shaver Denver Talks About the Challenges in the Christian Film Industry

Spencer Shaver Denver is the Executive Producer at Skyward Artists Group, a Colorado-based firm that specializes in Christian-themed documentaries. He has curated quite the resume, working with industry heavyweights like PBS, FoxSports, and ESPN to score music for a variety of T.V. and film productions.

Most recently, Denver executive produced the 2018 Lost Temple documentary; a deeply profound narrative on the history of Temple Mount in Jerusalem and its archaeological, political and controversial origins. The film explores the existence of a series of structures that supposedly stood on Temple Mount centuries ago, taking into account expert testimonies and new historical evidence that has come to light.

Having accumulated a wealth of knowledge in the industry, Spencer Shaver Denver shares with budding producers the challenges of creating Christian films.

“Christian films are inevitably controversial,” Spencer Shaver Denver explains, “even if they weren’t intended to ruffle any feathers. This is why it’s harder to get them at par with secular films and have audiences approach them the same way.”

The producer admits that the industry has witnessed a welcome surge in recent times. In 2014, the number of Christian documentaries released outnumbered comic-book superhero movies, and created a financial splash at box offices across the globe. However, certain issues still exist against the backdrop.

“For starters,” Spencer Shaver says, “many mainstream evangelical groups and Christian critics regard films of this nature as egotistical, going even so far as to suggest that they hurt religion. This thinking largely undermines these films before they can even make it out the gate and prove their individual worth.”

The producer also highlights the pitfalls that Christian filmmakers tend to be subjected to.

“Christian filmmakers sometimes fall victim to egotistical castle building. This is a concept where filmmakers resort to extreme fantasy and preposterous coincidence, all in an attempt to push forth their worldview on the audience. We need redeeming films that don’t try too hard to prove a point. Present the facts and let the chips fall where they may.”

What does the producer foresee for the future of this industry?

“This subset of the industry is at a curious crossroads,” Spencer Shaver Denver goes on to say. “I do think that these will start streaming more widely on platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. There also isn’t a lot of variety in the Christian film industry at the moment as far as genres are concerned. It would definitely be interesting to see more comedy, sci-fi and hey, even horror Christian films.”

More on Spencer Shaver Denver

Starting out as a martial arts instructor in 1995, Spencer Shaver Denver used his phenomenal business vision to break ground in the corporate world in 2003. His core Christian beliefs have helped him develop philosophies in life and business. Denver turned that dedication into a professional consulting firm in 2009.

The consultant has helped countless business owners from all over the U.S. leverage new and exciting opportunities and take their businesses to staggering new heights.

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