To Save A Life

If you’ve heard of the new inspirational movie “To Save a Life,” it might be due to the promotional efforts of a Tulsa firm that specializes in marketing such films.

If you’ve seen the film in a local theater, you are part of spreading a message aimed at young people who sometimes feel they have run out of options in their challenging lives, said Marc Harper of Outreach Films.

He admits to initially having concerns about the spiritual film dealing with themes including teen suicide and “cutting,” a form of self-injury.

But then he found the subjects being discussed in pop culture “everywhere, on TV, in songs,” and he realized why.

“Teens need this message, because many of them face tougher circumstances than we faced in growing up,” said Harper, 38, who has directed the national marketing campaign for “To Save a Life,” along with Outreach partner Kyle Thompson.

“From my experience in the past working with teens at First United Methodist Church, I thought they would really embrace the themes of the movie, and they have.”

Working from a south Tulsa office the past two years, Harper and Thompson (as Outreach general managers of marketing and sales, respectively) promoted two movies produced by a Georgia church program: “Facing the Giants” and “Fireproof,” the 2008 surprise that went on to gross $33 million and starred Kirk Cameron.

“We look for movies that are inspiring, that are rewarding on more than a movie level, but also a spiritual level,” Harper said, “but not necessarily as what some movies have been referred to, as evangelical movies.”

When they find one, that means taking the film to several U.S. cities for screenings to gain feedback from youth counselors, teens, teachers, and in this case, suicide-prevention groups.

Harper works out of Tulsa to create a grass-roots U.S. promotional campaign, while Outreach Films head Scott Evans, in California, serves as executive producer of “To Save a Life,” which was distributed through Samuel Goldwyn Films.

For Harper, duties included everything from advising on the script to organizing more than 400 nationwide screenings between September and November to create word-of-mouth buzz in advance of the film’s Jan. 22 release.

He’s quick to say that he can’t do it alone. “We have a neat group of (a dozen) young people working out here, helping to call other youth workers and groups around the country. It’s not just Kyle and I making it happen.”

“To Save a Life,” which had a reported budget of less than $1 million and has grossed about $3 million, tells the story of Jake, a star high school athlete and his girlfriend who find their lives spinning out of control when Jake loses a childhood friend to a suicide.

Advance audiences gave the film strong marks, Harper said, and youth groups have reported strong connections with teens.”

That’s a really rewarding type of entertainment to be involved with when it’s touching people on that level,” he said.

“We’re looking for the right films with the right message, and we want to focus on those that we think can inspire the most people in our audiences.”

Read more from this Tulsa World article at www.tulsaworld.com

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Leaders: Use This Resource

From To Save A Life Leaders:
Teens are hurting. They’re bombarded with challenges and choices their parents never had to consider. Pressures blindside them daily as they face choices that will impact their lives forever. There’s an urgent need to bring teens help and hope. That’s our motivation behind To Save A Life—and we need your help.

Our dream is for students to see To Save A Life with their friends and then live differently on their campuses. We want every high schooler in North America to have the chance to see this movie—then discuss its characters and themes in a safe setting.

Join other groups, teens, and youth workers to help make this the biggest outreach for teens ever—an effort that could change high school culture forever!

Learn more at http://tosavealifeleaders.com/usethismovie/