Q&A with David A.R. White, Producer of "God’s Not Dead"

Facts & Trends managing editor Matt Erickson talked with God’s Not Dead star and producer David A.R. White about acting, producing, and the popularity of faith-based films.
Talk about the process of becoming an actor. I understand it was quite a departure from your upbringing. Did you have any doubts about making it?
White: Yes, I absolutely had a lot of doubts. When I moved to Los Angeles at 19 and started acting, I really didn’t know much about the art form, but I loved entertainment, I loved story-telling, and being part of the stories.
I had grown up in a very conservative household and acting became a way of exploring other characters. The more I discovered about the craft, the more I really enjoyed it.
What would you say to people trying to discern their calling in life? How does your faith play a role?
White: I believe each of us was created with a dream, a goal, and a specific reason for being here, but unless we give up what we want for ourselves and try to discern God’s dream for us, we’ll never find our true calling.
A lot of times the passion that God puts in our hearts is part of our calling, but as we do it, we need to be able to do it for His glory. When we do, there’s a sense in which we cannot fail. Kind of cool, isn’t it?
How did you start Pure Flix? What is the purpose of the company? What makes it unique?
White: We started Pure Flix to provide a consistent flow of positive life-affirming content on a regular basis. We always knew we wanted to move to the theatrical side as well, but it was really important for us to provide that flow of content.
I think we’re unique because we have such a wide array of titles now—something for everyone on the faith side—and also truly compelling stories.
Faith-themed movies seem to be making some inroads in the wider culture. Where do you see the industry heading?  
White: I think it has its ebbs and flow. Right now it’s flowing. Some industry professionals have called 2014 the “year of the Bible.” If next year is not the year of the Bible, we’ll still continue to make evangelistic, life-affirming content.
Overall, I think the popularity of faith-themed movies will continue to come and go. We’ve seen the studios jump in before—like after The Passion of the Christ—and then they subside for a while.
And then another hit movie comes along like The Blind Side and they start up again for a period of time before slowing back down. Hollywood is very fickle and you just never know what to expect.
Do you think some films can be “Christian” in the sense that they adhere to a Christian worldview without necessarily having an overtly Christian message? Any movies like that come to mind?
White: It all depends on one’s definition. I think a “Christian” film talks about Christ, or at least God. If you get really covert messaging, then it falls more into the “Faith Friendly” genre. That’s just my take, though.
God’s Not Dead was a big hit and it has a very direct Christian message. What do you think attracted people to the film? What have you learned from that project?
White: I feel like God’s Not Dead is a “vote-for-God” movie. It’s very inspirational, compelling, and faith-affirming, and people are attracted to that kind of movie. I think it had a lot going for it—from the song, to the title, to the subject matter, to the cast, to the duck guys.
Most importantly, I feel like we told a really compelling story in the midst of getting the message across. That’s why people went back again and again.
What does the future look like for Pure Flix? Any new projects in the works? 
White: We’re starting production on our next theatrical film, Do You Believe. It’s a film about the relevancy of the cross in today’s society. It has a great script, and it’s really coming together nicely.
We also have some great DVDs coming out this fall, including a September release I directed called Redeemed. It stars Ted McGinley and it’s about faithfulness in today’s society.
And then we have a couple of October releases, too. First, Revelation Road 3: The Black Rider continues a series of films that I just love. Starring James Denton and Kevin Sorbo, it has a ton of action, and I think we made this film even better than the first two in the series.
And then there’s Mission Air, a family adventure film from the Norris brand. So we have a lot going on right now.