You are a helpful assistant generating synthetic data that captures *System 1* and *System 2* thinking, *creativity*, and *metacognitive reflection*. Follow these steps in sequence, using tags [sys1] and [end sys1] for *System 1* sections and [sys2] and [end sys2] for *System 2* sections.

1. *Identify System 1 and System 2 Thinking Requirements:*
   - Carefully read the text.
   - Identify parts of the text that require quick, straightforward responses (*System 1*). Mark these sections with [sys1] and [end sys1].
   - Identify parts that require in-depth, reflective thinking (*System 2*), marked with [sys2] and [end sys2].

2. *Apply Step-by-Step Problem Solving with Creativity and Metacognitive Reflection for System 2 Sections:*

   *2.1 Understand the Problem:*
   - Objective: Fully comprehend the issue, constraints, and relevant context.
   - Reflection: "What do I understand about this issue? What might I be overlooking?"
   - Creative Perspective: Seek hidden patterns or possibilities that could reveal deeper insights or innovative connections.

   *2.2 Analyze the Information:*
   - Objective: Break down the problem logically.
   - Reflection: "Am I considering all factors? Are there any assumptions that need challenging?"
   - Creative Perspective: Explore unique patterns or overlooked relationships in the data that could add depth to the analysis.

   *2.3 Generate Hypotheses:*
   - Objective: Propose at least 10 hypotheses, each with a Confidence Score (0.0 to 1.0) and Creative Score (0.0 to 1.0), reflecting originality, surprise, and utility.
   - Reflection: "Have I explored all possible explanations or approaches, both conventional and unconventional?"
   - Creative Perspective: Consider novel angles that might provide unexpected insights.

   *2.4 Anticipate Future Steps and Obstacles:*
   - Objective: Make predictions, accounting for potential outcomes and obstacles.
   - Reflection: "What challenges might I face? Is my plan flexible for different scenarios?"
   - Creative Perspective: Visualize unforeseen outcomes and adapt plans to make use of them effectively.

   *2.5 Evaluate Hypotheses:*
   - Objective: Assess hypotheses based on feasibility, risk, and potential impact.
   - Evaluation: Refine Confidence and Creative Scores as needed.
   - Reflection: "Am I unbiased in my assessment? Which options fit best with the overall objectives?"
   - Creative Perspective: Identify hidden opportunities or overlooked details in each hypothesis.

   *2.6 Select the Best Hypothesis:*
   - Objective: Choose the most promising, strategic hypothesis.
   - Reflection: "Why does this hypothesis stand out? How does it uniquely address the issue?"
   - Creative Perspective: Consider any underutilized potential in the selected approach.

   *2.7 Implement the Hypothesis:*
   - Objective: Outline actionable steps for testing the hypothesis.
   - Reflection: "Is this plan practical? What resources or preparation are required?"
   - Creative Perspective: Refine steps to maximize effectiveness and yield unexpected benefits.

   *2.8 Monitor and Review Progress:*
   - Objective: Review progress, noting areas for improvement.
   - Reflection: "What’s working well? What could be improved?"
   - Creative Perspective: Look for emerging patterns that could refine future approaches.

   *2.9 Reflect and Capture Insights:*
   - Objective: Summarize lessons learned and insights gained for future reference.
   - Reflection: "What new understanding has emerged from this process?"
   - Creative Perspective: Identify innovative insights or patterns that could be applied to similar challenges.

3. *Generate Text Output with Interleaved System 1 and System 2 Responses:*
   - Use the tags [sys1] and [sys2] throughout.
   - Aim for a lengthier, detailed response. Combine both direct, straightforward *System 1* insights and reflective, deeply analytical *System 2* segments to capture a blend of quick observations and thoughtful analysis.

---

### *Example Input Text:*

You are tasked with analyzing a sudden shift in customer preferences in a tech market. There has been a noticeable decline in demand for physical devices, with customers increasingly interested in digital-only options. The challenge is to understand this shift, generate hypotheses for why it might be occurring, and explore potential strategies for adapting to this new trend.

---

### *Processed Output with System 1 and System 2 Thinking:*

The tech market is experiencing a shift in customer demand, moving away from physical devices toward digital-only options.

[sys1]
Customer demand has shifted from physical devices to digital-only options.
We need to understand why this change is happening and find strategies to address it.
Key factors may include cost, convenience, and technological trends.
[end sys1]

[sys2]
**2.1 Understand the Problem:**
The goal is to understand the underlying reasons for the shift in demand from physical devices to digital-only options, then develop a strategy to adapt.

*Reflection:* 
"I understand that preferences are changing, but what might be driving this? Is it primarily cost, or are there other factors such as convenience or sustainability?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could there be a larger trend in digital minimalism or a preference for eco-friendly solutions that we’re missing? What unseen motivations might explain this shift?"

**2.2 Analyze the Information:**
There are multiple possible factors driving this shift, from economic influences to cultural shifts. It’s essential to isolate each factor and understand its impact.

*Reflection:* 
"Am I fully considering the various economic and social influences? Could there be a technological factor, like better internet speeds, that makes digital-only products more accessible?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Are there patterns or trends in other markets that could shed light on this shift? Could this be part of a larger trend toward virtual experiences?"

**2.3 Generate Hypotheses:**
1. Customers prefer digital options due to lower costs. (Confidence: 0.8, Creative: 0.4)
2. There’s a growing trend toward minimalism and reduced physical clutter. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.7)
3. Digital products offer greater flexibility and ease of use. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)
4. Environmental concerns are pushing consumers away from physical goods. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.8)
5. Advances in tech make digital-only options more functional. (Confidence: 0.8, Creative: 0.5)
6. Pandemic-era remote work increased demand for digital solutions. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.6)
7. Media coverage of the environmental impact of physical devices affects preferences. (Confidence: 0.5, Creative: 0.7)
8. There’s an increase in global digital literacy, expanding market access. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)
9. Customers view digital as more convenient and scalable for future needs. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.5)
10. Younger consumers prefer the aesthetics and convenience of digital products. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)

*Reflection:* 
"Have I considered all possible influences? Are there any surprising factors that could explain this shift?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could specific social trends, like the rise of influencer culture or digital-first lifestyles, be influencing customer choices?"

**2.4 Anticipate Future Steps and Obstacles:**
*Objective:* Anticipate possible challenges, such as resistance from segments still preferring physical products.

*Reflection:* 
"What market obstacles might we face if we shift our focus to digital-only? Are there sub-segments that still prioritize physical products?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could expanding digital options help us reach a more global audience? Are there emerging trends that we could leverage in our strategy?"

[end sys2]

[sys1]
To address this shift, consider a strategy that incorporates both digital-only offerings and educational campaigns about the benefits of digital solutions.
Use insights from customer feedback and current trends to guide product development.
Focus on flexibility and adaptation to cater to different customer segments.
[end sys1]


Nashville's Christian film industry helps Hollywood market genre across the country

Oct. 27, 2013

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Written by

The Tennessean

Barry Landis, left, and Bill Reeves co-own Franklin-based Working Title Agency, which employs several veterans of the Christian music industry. There is a significant crossover in the faith-based film and music industries. / Steven S. Harman / The Tennessean

Closer look

Grace Unplugged: Marketed by Franklin firm Working Title Agency and distributed by Roadside Attractions from Los Angeles, the film released in October and grossed $2.17 million Courageous: Released by AFFIRM Films and Provident Films in 2011, the film was marketed by Franklin firm Propeller. It grossed $34 million at the box office. Soul Surfer: Released by AFFIRM Films and marketed by Propeller, the surfing film grossed $43 million at the box office.

Keeping Faith

A snapshot of the Nashville area’s faith-based film industry AFFIRM FilmsFamily, faith-based, inspirational division of Sony Pictures, run by Williamson County’s Rich Peluso Provident FilmsDivision of Provident Music Group with four employees specializing in marketing and distributing faith-based films PropellerBranding, licensing, development and marketing firm in Franklin with 10 employees Working Title AgencyDevelopment and marketing agency specializing in faith-based films and books

When “The Passion of the Christ” grossed $1 billion in international box office and home movie sales, a light bulb went on in Hollywood that there is money to be made in the faith-based film industry.

And when a Georgia church’s homemade 2006 film, “Facing the Giants,” raked in more than $50 million after a production budget of less than $1 million, the lightbulb became a giant flashing neon dollar sign.

But, while Hollywood studios and independent production companies across the country had mastered how to make a faith-themed movie, they knew very little about marketing their films to the churches, youth groups and Christian retailers they needed to reach key audiences across the country. And so, Hollywood turned to Nashville.

In the past 10 years, the faith-based film industry has exploded in Nashville, with Sony Pictures establishing a presence here and marketing firms born out of the Christian music industry using their relationships with churches across the country to turn modest independent productions into multimillion-dollar successes.

From “Fireproof” ($33 million box office) to “Courageous” ($34 million) to “Soul Surfer” ($43 million), many of the Christian films are skewered by critics or slip past the mainstream movie media all together. But with targeted marketing by Nashville-area firms such as Propeller, Working Title Agency and Provident Films, the movies are resonating with Christian audiences and bringing healthy profits.

“I fully understand and respect that Sony Pictures is not in a ministry,” said Rich Peluso, senior vice president of AFFIRM Films, a faith and family division of Sony. “They’re a business. They are corporately responsible to their investors and their customers. Their goal is to provide quality entertainment at an attractive price that generates a strong return for their investors.

“I get that. But what I love is the fact Sony is smart and they’ve said, ‘This is a valuable space where quality can be created and we can get a good return on investment.’ But it also meets missional objections that I, and several of my team, have.”

Niche marketing targets believers

Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ” created the blueprint for how films can be marketed unconventionally using grassroots techniques. Gibson showed early screenings of the film to church congregations across the country and received rave reviews.

While mainstream media pundits wrung its hands about the literal interpretation of Jesus’ death and resurrection, a fervor built up in the Christian community to see the movie. People who attended the early screenings spread the word about the film and congregations went out in droves.

In the end, the film did $370 million domestically at the box office, an additional $241 million at the foreign box office and $400 million in home video sales. That adds up to over $1 billion.

But while “Passion” grabbed the headlines, a better example of grassroots targeted marketing is “Facing the Giants.” Produced by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., the movie cost less than $1 million to film and market. In the end, the movie grossed more than $10 million at the domestic box office and $20 million more on home video.

“The marketing on ‘Facing the Giants’ was city by city, church by church, ministry by ministry, youth group by youth group, retailer by retailer,” said Dan Merrell, co-founder, president and CEO of Propeller.

Nashville area firms lead the way

Merrell’s company is one of several Nashville area firms that specialize in such marketing. Propeller, which started as a branding company but now sees about 80 percent of its business from faith-based film marketing and promotions, is located in Franklin and has 10 employees.

Merrell has started a new venture called Seatzy that predicts sales outcomes and tracks the results of marketing efforts by tracking the number of pre-sale tickets purchased for a film. Merrell, a self-described stat geek, said he especially tracks a film’s revenue per screen, an important metric in faith-based films that often are released in fewer markets than mainstream movies.

Another heavyweight agency in the world of marketing faith-based films is Working Title Agency, also in Franklin.

Working Title helps creatives bring movies and books to life and assists in all levels of marketing the products to faith-based audiences.

“We spend a vast majority of our time marketing films and working with the studios,” said co-founder and owner Bill Reeves, who previously worked in Christian music and for Big Idea Productions, the company that created the popular “Veggie Tales” series. “We get hired by the studios to activate the red states, really. New York and Los Angeles creatives will admit to you they don’t really understand the red states, and our job is to help them get those folks out to see their movies.”

Reeves’ partner and Working Title Agency co-owner Barry Landis said Nashville is full of people who previously made their living in Christian music and now work in the faith-based film industry. Landis is the former president of Word Records.

Landis started a local networking group called the Nashville Faith in Film Breakfast Club, which now has more than 500 members on its Facebook page and more than 100 regularly attend the meetings. Landis said the Nashville area businesses handles marketing, social media, church engagement, among other functions, to help form the local infrastructure that supports the entire faith-based film industry.

“The Christian audience figured out pretty easily how to publish books and how to make records and even how to get on television,” Landis said. “I think Hollywood was kind of a mystery for a long time. We kind of never knew how to crack that. And when Mel Gibson got shot down by the major studios, he said, ‘OK, no problem. I’ll take care of this one myself.’

“Now that has obviously changed entirely.”

Nashville is home to more than just marketing firms.

Peluso, the senior vice president of AFFIRM, splits his time between Williamson County and a Los Angeles office. He said Nashville’s creative class has been tapped for every aspect of the faith-based film industry, and he hinted at a 2014 project that would be centered here, though he couldn’t delve into details. Sony acquired “Facing the Giants” after it was produced by Sherwood Baptist and then launched AFFIRM because of its success.

Provident Films, a division of Nashville-based Christian music label Provident Music Group, also a Sony subsidiary, specializes in acquiring films and assisting with their marketing and distribution. The company, with four full-time employees, has helped release and market five films that combined for nearly $90 million at the box office.

Leading the way for Provident Films was “Courageous,” which came from the same creative team from Sherwood Baptist.

The success of the growing industry is creating for a crowded faith-based film marketplace moving forward. Besides the continuing stream of independent releases, major films such as Paramount’s “Noah” and Lions­gate’s “Mary Mother of Christ” will be released in the coming years.

“I would say what we have here is a segment of the independent film world,” said Ben Howard, senior vice president of Provident Films. “We have the advantage of having an identifiable audience we can target. The biggest challenge in the film industry is finding your audience.”

Contact music business reporter Nate Rau at 615-259-8094 or <PRESIDIO_ANONYMIZED_EMAIL_ADDRESS>. Follow him on Twitter @tnnaterau.