Christian Video速 Magazine
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January 2010 VOL. 3, NO. 1
8 Greg’s Toolkit
Two in One
by GREGORY FISH
10 Article
Reflections on Night at the Museum by MARK CARROLL
14 Article
Signal-to-Noise Ratio by STEWART REDWINE
16 Article Doubt
by MARTIN BAGGS
Editorial 3
19 Article Cover Story 38
Small-Screen Media on the Big Screen
by JAY M. DELP
Christian Video Award Winners! by STEVE HEWITT
21 Article Article 24
The Pressure of the Real World Set in a College Environment at Covenant Productions by DAVE MELTON
28 Article
Visual Story: The Third Wave by CLYDE TABER
31 Article
Producing on Public Access Television
Media Ministry in a Missional World by DURAND ROBINSON
Article 26
Making Ministry Happen by JASON OTIS
Article 33 EFCA
by TROY GRONSETH
by JUDY BROOKHART
Christian Video® Magazine
January 2010
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from the desk of the editor
by STEVE HEWITT
Thanks to All of the Participants in the 2009 Christian Video Awards…
Christian Video Magazine is published monthly by Christian Video Magazine, Inc. Editor-in-Chief Steve Hewitt – steve@ccmag.com Production Daystar Digital Design Mike Hewitt
We want to thank everyone that participated in the 2009 Christian Video Awards, and hope that you will take some time to click on all of the winning links found in this month’s issue of Christian Video Magazine. We hope that one or more of the videos will inspire you to get busy and start working on a submission for the 2010 Christian Video Awards.
Contributing Editors George Temple Gregory Fish Stewart H. Redwine Mark Carroll Jay M. Delp Martin Baggs
The articles in this month’s issue will inspire, motivate and hopefully, give you insight on how to incorporate videos and video technology into your corporate worship experience to bring others into a relationship with the ultimate Creator.
Corporate Home Office Mailing Address: PO Box 319 Belton, MO 64012
God has been directing some fantastic writers into the Christian Video Magazine fold, and the information contained in this month’s issue will be valuable to many ministries. The folks at E-zekiel.tv will provide regular content each month as well, and I encourage you to visit their site and check out all of the exciting videos they have posted.
Copyright 2010 by Christian Video Magazine, Inc.
Together We Serve Him,
Steve Hewitt
Christian Video® Magazine
Copy Editor Gina Hewitt
Phone: (816) 331-5252 Fax: 800-456-1868
All Rights Reserved Written materials submitted to Christian Video Magazine become the property of Christian Video Magazine, Inc., upon receipt and may not necessarily be returned. Christian Video Magazine reserves the right to make any changes to materials submitted for publication that are deemed necessary for editorial purposes. The content of this publication is the sole property of Christian Video Magazine. Copy or distribution of articles or content can be done so on an individual basis. Multiple copies or distribution may not be done without the express permission of Christian Video Magazine. Views expressed in the articles and reviews printed within are not necessarily the views of the editor, publisher, or employees of Christian Video Magazine, or Christian Video Magazine, Inc.
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Cover Story By STEVE HEWITT
Christian Video Award Winners!
W
ow, for our first ever 2009 Christian Video Awards contest, we had a great response. I personally watched each and every submitted video, and I was inspired and impressed with the submissions! We learned a lot from our first attempt, and I can’t wait until we announce the 2010 Christian Video Awards. We have already started a list of improvements, new categories, etc., that we plan to include in our next contest! And, while the first place winners will get to split the $2,000 prize money, we will be working throughout the year to have even more prize money and awards for next year!
So, who won? Before I list the first, second and third winners in each category let me remind you that only the first place winners will be splitting the $2,000 in prize money. However, we knew you would want to know who the winners were for the second and third favorites. Let me also remind you how our winners were picked. One-third of the decision was based upon the voting by our readers, one-third of the decision was based upon the voting of our sponsors (you will see them listed in a sidebar within this article) and the final one-third of the decision was based upon the staff of Christian Video Magazine. We had hundreds of videos submitted, and most made it through to the voting portion of the contest. A few had to be removed because they were deemed inappropriate, the content wasn’t Christian Christian Video® Magazine
or church related, or the link wasn’t open to everyone to view. And, in a few cases, it was determined that the video was created and released before 2009. The contest is for the best videos of 2009, and we simply couldn’t go back to previous years. I also received a few emails asking for clarification about our first and second category. The first category was designed for videos promoting a specific event, while the second category was designed for videos promoting an actual church or ministry. In the category of Church & Ministry Announcements, the first place winner is “Woman Up: The Event-Teaser 2”, submitted by Mandy Murray of Northwest Bible Church, Hilliard OH, http:// vimeo.com/6573940. Our second place winner, and winner of the popular reader’s vote in this category January 2010
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is “Fall Festival Highlights”, submitted by Gregory Fish for Central Christian Church in Brownsville, TX, http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=1qYqFeEHOYA . Please make note that our contributing editors here at Christian Video magazine were not included in the voting process (grin). And our third place winner in this category is “Baskets of Blessing”, submitted by Corey Black of First Assembly of God church in Crestview, FL, http://www. vimeo.com/6398054 . In the category of Church & Ministry Promotion, the first place winner is “Feed Miami” submitted by Mike Patino for Calvary Chapel Kendall in Miami, FL, http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=l6f0SDzKqqs. Second place went to “See How God is Moving”, again submitted by Gregory Fish for Central Christian Church in Brownsville TX, http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2SdKW_Z358 . And our third place winner is “David at Wendy’s”, submitted by Ken Schmidt for Whitewater Crossing Christian Church in Cleves, OH, http://www.whitewatercrossing.org/cgi-bin/ gx.cgi/applogic+ftcontentserver?pagename=fa ithhighway/10000/8000/374WH/scmedia&typ e=mediaplayer&loc=www.whitewatercrossing. org/media/media/mediaplayer.php&id=20090 918080925F95CFC&clientId=118374&clien t_id=118374 . This video is particularly interesting as a way to promote their pastor and his easy going style. I would love to be able to see the comments they receive from people that visited their site to view this video! Our next category is Personal Testimony. I hope this is an area that grows during 2010, as this is an excellent way to spread the gospel, especially via life-style evangelism. Hopefully, more churches will encourage their members to video their personal testimonies and post them on social networking sites, add a link to the bottom of their emails, and post them on church sites so visitors can hear from the members of a church and not just the leadership. The first place winner is “Helena”, submitted by Cody Baker for Next Level International, http://www.vimeo.com/4721486. Christian Video® Magazine
Christian Video Magazine is provided free of charge due to the support of our sponsors. And, they have provided the prize money for the winners of our Christian Video Awards contest. Our thanks for their support! About E-zekiel.tv E-zekiel.tv is a free, Christian video-sharing Web site for
use by churches, mission-minded organizations and individuals worldwide that provides a safe place to promote services, beliefs, missions, and events through video, audio and other media E-zekiel.tv offers unlimited audio and video uploads for free. Shared media files can include a downloadable attachment, such as sermon notes or a printable outline. And each media file can include a unique link to a home page or other page that provides additional information With a simple, clean interface, the focus stays on user content. E-zekiel.tv is an ad-free environment, preventing distractions and a loss of control of content around the videos; user content is also monitored to make sure videos are appropriate for the environment Created by and integrated with E-zekiel.com, a Web site content management solution, E-zekiel.tv is both a public videosharing site and an easy-to-manage video-sharing platform that can be used to build a video-sharing “mini-site” on any E-zekielpowered Web site coomplete with search, ratings and commenting. E-zekiel.com customers can load audio and video through their Web site and have the media appear on their own site and, if desired, on E-zekiel.tv for increased exposure Those not using E-zekiel.com to manage their Web site and online communications, however, can still create an E-zekiel. tv account and upload video and audio for free. To sign up, visit www.e-zekiel.tv. In the top left corner, select the option to “join for free” and a registration page will appear on your screen.
About EasyWorship If you’re a pastor, worship leader or technical volunteer,
we’re here to make a tiny slice of your life a little easier and a lot less time consuming. Technically, EasyWorship is professional presentation software that helps you create clean, media-rich presentations in minutes. Think of it like using PowerPoint, only faster, easier, and with tons of extra features created just for churches. For example, you get instant access to Bibles and song lyrics, as well as thousands of downloadable mini-movies and motion backgrounds from our integrated media store. And EasyWorship lets you conveniently import and fully control all those PowerPoint Presentations you’ve already spent hours and hours designing, just in case you can’t live without them! Of course, there are lots of great new features packed in the latest version, including custom video support for the stage and Video Jockey mode for live background switching. And with full web and audio integration, it’s now the easiest way to inte-
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The second and third place winners in this category were very close. Second place goes to “Haywood Prison Ministry” submitted by Gary Arrington for Long’s Chapel UMC in Waynesville, NC, http://www.ezekiel.tv/System/Media/Play.asp?id=3021 6&Key=mxcii2vffkyoek86ctk2 . And the third place winner is “Tony on Serving” submitted by Ken Erickson from Brownsville Community Fellowship Church in Brownsville, TX, http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=qgGQIPDwLuI. For our next category, Humorous, the voting was all over the place (grin). It was very difficult to pick the second and third place winners, however, it is clear that the first place winner is “Invite”, submitted by Andrew Manzano, produced by The Sound Tank, http://www.sermonspice.com/ product/26375/invite. The second place winner is “Lukewarm Hymns CD Info”, submitted by Greg Fish, produced by FishXpressions, http://www.sermonspice. com/product/24040/lukewarm-hymns-cdinfo. And third place goes to “A Mother’s Day Nightmare”, submitted by Dave Proehl, produced by 24:44 Films, http://www.sermonspice.com/product/25265/a-mother-27s-day-nightmare. The category, Inspirational, had the largest number of submissions! The first place winner is “Who Cares”, submitted by Lon Waitman, produced by Vertical Hold Productions, http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=3aTqk5YGiRo. Second place goes to “Sacrifice”, submitted by Andrew Manzano, produced by The Sound Tank, http:// www.sermonspice.com/product/26076/ sacrifice--28short-version-29. And our third place winner is “To Love a Child”, submitted by Gregory Fish, produced by FishXpressions, http://www.sermonspice.com/ product/27780/to-love-a-child. Probably the category of most interest to producers is our category titled Innovative. The first place win goes to “What was on His mind?”, submitted by Gregory Christian Video® Magazine
grate websites, YouTube videos and audio files throughout your presentations. And just so you know, EasyWorship has multiple in-house teams covering everything from development and design to support. So, you can be sure we’ll be here with the tools and stability you need for working in a live, high-pressure environment. Tech support is free and our standard license covers installation and usage for your entire church campus as well as your home computers. Take the first step. Go to EasyWorship.com, download it for free and give it a 30 day test drive.
About CVLI
CVLI Fills Crucial Role Christian Video Licensing International (CVLI) began in 2001, as a partnership between Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC) and Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) to provide a cost-effective legal solution to serve the video needs of the Christian community. The license covers thousands of movie titles from over 400 participating producers, ranging from major and independent studios to children’s and Christian producers. To date, over 60,000 churches and related institutions across North America hold CVLI Video Licenses Under the Federal Copyright Act of 1976, nearly all DVDs and videocassettes available for purchase or rental are authorized for personal home use only. Therefore, unless specific permission has been granted, viewing these videos outside of the home is a violation of the law and can result in substantial fines. This holds true for churches and non-profit groups, even if admission is not charged or if the DVD/videocassette was purchased The Church Video License covers many types of movie activities within a church. Certainly it covers a clip that a pastor might use for a sermon illustration or as an enhancement to announcements. But there’s much more to consider. Many nursery and childcare staff members and volunteers show full-length movies as part of their activities. Student ministries may feature the latest movie releases in their programs. Many churches hold special event movie nights As churches become more movie-savvy, the Church Video License fills a crucial role. For more information, go to www.cvli.com or call 1-888-771-2854.
About SermonSpice Sermonspice was started in 2004, the company was
the first of its kind and today our mission is still the same as it was in the beginning: to further the Kingdom of God through media. Sermonspice products help visually engage the audi-
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Fish, produced by FishXpressions, http:// www.sermonspice.com/product/27201/ what-was-on-his-mind-3f. The second place win goes to “What Used to Be True”, submitted by Cody Baker, for Granger Community Church, http://www.vimeo. com/2195606. And the third place win goes to “Receding Hare Line”, submitted by Lon Waitman, produced by Vertical Hold Productions, http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=HvZl4CD1OVM. And, finally, we added the category for Christian Music video. The first place winner is “Beautiful Disaster”, submitted by Jerod Chambers, for Preston Trail Community Church in Little Elm TX, http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=3J3JBBLxW30. Second prize goes to “When God Ran”, submitted by Kris Hixon, produced by i40films, http://www.i40films.com/whenGodranHDpart2.mov. And, finally the third place winner is “Chris Stein: The Happy Song”, submitted by Harry Stymiest, produced by Christianfish Video HD/Chris Stein Music Ministries, http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=wi01bjPr9FI. We want to thank everyone that submitted a video and all of the readers who took the time to vote for their favorites. We look forward to your 2010 submissions with great anticipation. If you didn’t get to vote for the 2009 participants, please take some time to view the winning videos listed above and maybe you’ll be motivated to go out and create something new and impressive to submit in the next contest. I also hope that the first two categories will inspire many churches to create their own videos, using their own staff and membership, in order to promote their ministry, upcoming events, service opportunities, etc. May God bless us all this year as we seek to use this exciting media of video for His service!
Christian Video® Magazine
ence and add a new dimension to a sermon, study or discussion We understand that you don’t want just any video, but the right video at the right time. Sermonspice is focused on providing you with: •
The Largest Library of Sermon Illustration Media
•
The Highest Number of New Products Added Weekly
•
The Best Search Results in the Industry
Sermonspice Give your message some motion
About MediaComplete MediaComplete, the parent company of MediaShout
presentation software, helps more than 50,000 ministries worldwide share Life’s Most Important Message through the most powerful ministry presentation tools available.With two PC-baed solutions currently available, and a Mac OS X solution arriving later this spring, we provide you with the tools you need on the computer you love. MediaShout Version 4, our flagship product, combines time-saving tools and a streamlined workspace with a comprehensive list of features you’ve come to expect from our products. From basic worship presentations to intricate multimedia experiences, Version 4 connects your creativity with powerful tools to better communicate your message. In addition to PowerPoint Import tools, more than 50 Bible translations, the VJ-friendly Background Mode and a host of other new features, Version 4 innovated the ministry presentation world with the Stage Display, an additional display of song lyrics, Bible verses or text for on-stage personnel. MediaShout Version 3.5 provides an easy and affordable way for small ministries to begin using ministry presentation software. Using the most popular presentation features, MediaShout Version 3.5 provides a low-cost alternative to PowerPoint and empowers ministry leaders with the media, Bibles and song lyrics at the core of modern worship presentation.
MediaShout for Mac combines the most trusted name in ministry presentation software with the sleek and sophisticated Mac OS. Taking full advantage of Quicktime, Core technology, iLife libraries and familiar ministry presentation features, MediaShout for Mac is the OS X solution you’ve been waiting for. Coming Spring 2010. Learn more at www.mediashout.com.
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Greg’s Toolkit by GREGORY FISH
Two in One
O
K. Here’s the scoop. For this month’s toolkit, I’ve got a two in one deal. I’m going to share a brief little tip and provide you with another tool, and then I’m going to turn things over to a friend who is going to share some of his insight with you.
Greg: I’d like to show you an easy way to add a vignette to your videos when it could add artistically to your project. What is it exactly? One definition is that of a photograph whose edges shade off gradually. This can obviously be applied to video as well. Here are some examples of how I have used this in my videos: http://sermonspice.com/ product/19456/the-lord-27s-prayer-3f, http:// sermonspice.com/bundle/25853/potter-27s-wheelbundle, http://sermonspice.com/product/12103/ wake-up-to-god. and many other video producers are achieving this look. This can also be done to solid colors in a motion graphic. But we’re talking here about overlaying this vignette on filmed video footage. I didn’t really know how to do this the first time I wanted to try it, but I stumbled upon it by playing in Photoshop. I believe what I did was create a black solid on a transparent background, the size of my project. I then used the ellipse marquee tool to select a large ellipse area. Once the ellipse was there, I feathered the edges (right-click to choose feather 25-35 value). Then, I simply hit the delete button, and away went everything in the middle of the ellipse, and the only thing left was the tempered off edges. Naturally, when over-laid on top of a video channel, the video will come through the middle and the edges will show dark grayish to increasingly black. The vignette can be scaled
Christian Video® Magazine
up to make ellipse bigger and not so defined. The opacity can be toggled as well to make it less dark and intense, or vice versa. Here is a .psd file that you should be able to use to achieve this effect: http://www.gregoryfish.org/vignetteB2.psd. Even if you don’t have Photoshop, you still may be able to import the file into your project. Remember to layer it on the top level. Then adjust opacity and size as needed. If you need this in another color and don’t have Photoshop, drop me a line and I’ll make a file and send it to you. Well, that will do it for that tip. Now for your two in one special, I’ll turn things over to my buddy Ken Erikson who will tell you what he does to create testimony videos. He’s done much more of these than I have, so he can do a better job of instructing on this. Ken points out some key conceptual tips that may assist you as you create your own testimony videos. Ken: Creating Testimony Videos The first thing I want to think about before taping a new testimony video is how I want it to look. But before I get to that point, I have to think about the technical aspects of how to create a testimony that can make the maximum impact, and in my case, with the least amount of money. The most important thing is the audio. If January 2010
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Greg’s Toolkit
by GREGORY FISH
people can’t hear or understand the testimony, it’s pointless. This is an area where money has to be spent. When selecting the camera to use to shoot this type of video one of the biggest considerations is that it has a mic input and headphone jack. I have never found a camera that had an adequate built in mic. Instead of using the built in mic, I use a Shure SM58, but just about any mic is better than the one on the camera. Headphones are just as important to be able to monitor the volume, and quality of the recording. Not using a monitoring device has caused me much pain in the past, while using headphones has many times prevented catastrophe. It prevents a lot of frustration in editing. The greatest visual tip I can give to someone starting out making video testimonies is to use manual focus. Once the subject is in place, zoom all the way in on their nose or ear, switch the camera to manual focus, make any adjustments, and zoom out to frame the subject. Again, not doing so has caused me frustration when the auto focus starts looking for something besides the subject to focus on. Next, lighting is an important consideration. I would avoid fluorescent lighting if possible. The more you can control the light, the better. I use clipon halogen work lights from the hardware store. I place them near the ceiling, about 45° on each side in front of the subject. You have to experiment with how many layers look best. Of course, every layer also cuts down the amount of light. It looks nice to put one behind the subject if you can work it out. Putting the subject near a window with sheer material over it to diffuse the light looks nice and very contemporary. As far as background, you can use anything. Painting a wall black is effective, and I like using a white king-size sheet. We washed it, hung it to dry, and stored it wadded up in a bag. It has some really good random creases and texture. I’ve splashed it with colored flood lights from the
Christian Video® Magazine
hardware store, and it provides a very nice lighting effect. An important principle is to place the subject several feet in front of the background. This helps the audience focus on the subject rather than be distracted by the background. For inspiration for filming and editing the testimony, I watch interviews on PBS, news programs, and sports interviews. My one piece of advice here is to keep it short. I’ve had people talk for 15 – 20 minutes on film, but I keep the finished video between 2 and 3½ minutes. The purpose of the particular testimony has to be forefront in your mind in editing. They may say some great things, but if it’s off the subject I have to decide if it helps the testimony, or distracts from the point we are trying to make. As you start creating video testimonies, you will probably learn quickly that success is in the details. And when you think you can take certain shortcuts, this rule will undoubtedly pull you back on track. Thanks for that, Ken. We hope that this article has something for you as you continue creating videos. Have a very happy new year. Go out this year and create great content for God’s glory! Gregory is a preacher in South Texas with a passion for combining the timeless message of God’s grace with the technology of our day. On the side he produces videos for “FishXpressions” at http://sermonspice. com/producers/profile/285. Without formal training, he has set out to learn how to create better and higher quality films. Apart from this column, he also maintains a production blog with tips, helpful links, and other musings at www.fishxpressions.wordpress.com. Ken Erickson is the Technical Director/Graphic Coordinator for Brownsville Community Fellowship Church located in Brownsville, Texas.
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Article
by MARK CARROLL
Reflections on Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
“The truth is, you are very small. And I mean even for a regular-sized human.” “What? Why would you even say that?” “I must be honest.” “Oh, right. Okay, Honest Abe. Of course.”
I
detest math. Always have. When the first pocket calculators came out in the 1970’s I was the first in line. Sure, I can appreciate its usefulness, see its perfect rhythm and integral DNA for the universe to operate correctly – understanding Elyon’s precise and mathematically perfect rules used as the essential tool in many to study. Being a huge fan of time-travel plots, fields including natural science, engineerwhat a blast it would be to go back in time and ing, medicine, music, architecture, astronomy, visit the world’s crucial moments and prominent etc. – But it was never all that exciting to me. I people. To have the ability to converse with stopped being ––able to help my kids with their historical characters – the first icons of time, long private school math homework in about the sixth grade. They have mastered it and continue to ex- before icon became a word. Names with whom cel in the field, so God bless them and others like we immediately relate good or evil to: Lincoln’s honesty, Amelia Earthem. Algebra. Geometry. Trigohart’s adventurous spirit, Remember, before showing clips from Napoleon’s madness, nometry. Matrix movies, be sure you have a license to do Custer’s foolishness, SaTheory (okay, that cajawea’s service, Teddy sounds kind of so. Check out Church Video License to Roosevelt’s bravado. exciting). Calcube sure you are legal. www.cvli.com lus. Fortran. No, This is probably why I am so fond of the Night thanks – give me at the Museum (NATM) movies. Bringing hishistory instead. torical figures to life, the writers have had a hoot History is usually the place a person giving us tongue-in-cheek caricatures while keepis exposed to their first heroes and villains. Whether in Sunday school or in world history, ing some of their base attributes intact. Having famous characters from the past are fascinating Ben Stiller involved is a plus, too.
Christian Video® Magazine
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Article
by MARK CARROLL
Though I have not been a fan of all his movies or the content in all his movies – the reoccurring themes of bathroom humor and sexual crudeness that is uninspired, a sign of lazy writing, is rarely funny and has worn very thin since the sixties – I DO admire the everyday-man-persona that shows up in most his roles (with a weird acting mix of perhaps Bogart and Bob Newhart). Instead of scenes containing the most clever lines or comebacks – usually the result of several writers spending hours sweating to come up with just the right dialogue – Stiller’s material is more true to life, on the fly, what most of us would say without the advantage of many hours to ponder before we pounce. For example, here’s some classic everyman dialogue – similar to what is uttered in our world daily: Mystery Men, Stiller’s Mr. Furious threatens the film’s villain, Casanova Frankenstein: “I’m a Pantera’s box you do not wanna open!” Casanova: “It is ‘Pandora.’ “ Mr. Furious: “Please don’t correct me, it sickens me!” In Meet the Parents, when Greg is fighting with a flight attendant about storing an oversized bag: “Hey, hey, If you would take a second, take the little sticks out of your head, clean out your ears, and maybe you would see that I’m a person who has feelings, and all I have to do is
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do what I wanna do and all I want to do is hold on to my bag and not listen to you!” In the brilliant, Zoolander, Derek has a revelation: “I’m pretty sure there’s a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking. And I plan on finding out what that is.” In Along Came Polly,
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Article
by MARK CARROLL
Reuben speaks affectionately to a woman he’s fallen in love with: “Since we have been together, I have felt more uncomfortable, out of place, embarrassed, and just physically sick then I have in my entire life.” In Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, White Goodman tries to intimidate a fellow athlete who just landed a stinging insult: “Go ahead, make your jokes, Mr. Jokey... Jokemaker. But let me hit you with some knowledge. Quit now. Save yourself the embarrassment of losing with these losers in Las Vegas...” Even in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Stiller’s character that he voices, Alex, argues with that same nonsensical tone: “Who gives you the authority to put ME in charge?” Skipper: “Okay, then, I’ll remain in charge.” Alex: “Yeah, that’s right. You WILL remain in charge.” The Night at the Museum franchise has been very successful, with NATM:1 grossing $575 million worldwide, and NATM:2 grossing just under $415 million. Of course it helps having a great comedic cast with the adorable Amy Adams (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Enchanted) as Amelia Earhart; the always funny Owen Wilson (Shanghai Noon, Zoolander, Cars, Marley & Me) as Jedediah; Hank Azaria (Mystery Men, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story) as the film’s heavy, Kahmunrah (with a hilarious lisp, who also voices The Thinker and Abe Lincoln); Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt; Christopher Guest (This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, A Mighty Wind) as Ivan The Terrible; Steve Coogan (Ella Enchanted, Around the World in 80 Days) who expertly plays the Roman General Octavius; and Bill Hader (Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) as the golden-haired General Custer. Here are a few favorite scenes…
Wily veteran and rookie guards square off
Christian Video® Magazine
Larry visits a Smithsonian museum and approaches “The Gate of Kahmunrah,” the supposed “mythic door to the underworld.” The exhibit is roped off, and as he leans over to touch it, a museum guard – on an obvious power trip – yells at him… “Hey, what are you doing? No touching.” Larry: “No, no. I wasn’t going to touch it.” Guard: “You’re moving in with some I.T.T., bro.” Larry: “I.T.T.?” Guard: “That’s ‘Intent to Touch,’ homey.” Larry: “No, I wasn’t...” Guard: “What, are you going to kiss it?” Larry: “All right, sorry.” Guard: “Put your hand on it an touch it. ‘Cause I stand there and I wait all day for a little girl like you to come in and put her precious nailpolished nails all over the exhibits.” Larry: “You know; I’m sorry. Last time I checked, I thought we lived in a free country, so...” Guard: “No, we don’t.” Larry: “No?” Guard: “It’s the United States of Don’t Touch That Thing Right in Front of You.” (Good clip to illustrate Bullying, Communication, Intimidation, Power Hungry) Male statue shows off in front of female statue Larry and Amelia Earhart head to the statue of “The Thinker” for help in deciphering the tablet’s code to save their friends… Amelia: “I think he’ll have a thought on this. Mr. Thinker, we’re sorry to interrupt your contemplation, but we really need to figure out the secret at the heart of Pharaoh’s tomb.” Thinker: “I’m thinking. I’m thinking. I’m thinking. I-I-I’mm thinnnkinnng...” Larry: “It’s not happening with him.”
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Article
by MARK CARROLL
Thinker (noticing a female statue across the room): “Oh, wow. You’ve gotta be kidding me. Check that out!” making a muscle, “Oh, yeah.” The female statue turns away and giggles. Larry: “Hey! Hey, buddy! Over here! This is serious.” Amelia: “Apparently it’s a matter of life and death.” Thinker: “I’ll tell you what’s a matter of life and death. That beautiful lady over there. Hey, baby! Check out the gun show going on over here!” showing off his muscles in different positions, “Boom! Bang! Firepower!” Amelia: “He’s certainly no Einstein.” (Good clip to illustrate Arrogance, Dating, Distraction, Lust, Teen Issues) Custer encouraged to forget the past Kahmunrah and his henchmen have Larry and Jedediah (who’s in an hourglass) trapped. But just when they are about to be killed, the cavalry shows up (General Custer, Amelia and all the other museum characters) and the all-out rumble begins. During the fracas, Larry finds Custer hiding out in the back corner... Larry: “Hey, what’s going on?” Custer: “I’m hiding.” Larry: “Hiding? What are you doing? Come on, we need you.” Custer: “I’m a failure.” Larry: “Hey, no, you’re not.” Custer: “Did you foolishly lead 208 Americans to their deaths at the Battle of Little Bighorn?” Larry: “No.” Custer: “No? Not good. Not good at all.” Larry: “That’s not good.” Custer: “Sure, I talk a good game, but the truth of the matter is, I don’t deserve these stars. I will always be famous for my biggest failure.”
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Larry: “Hey. The past is the past, okay? Right now, this moment, this night, this is what you’re gonna be remembered for. This is your last stand.” Custer: “They need a leader.” Larry: “Yeah, they need a leader,” as Custer starts to smile mischievously and chuckle, “Yeah? You want to be their leader, huh?” Custer: “Yeah, I do.” Larry: “Let’s do this!” (Good clip to illustrate Encouragement, Failure, Forgetting the Past, Ministers) Games from Hades With my distaste for math, it’s no wonder I abhor mathematical-type games such as the annoying “Sudoku.” (Sorry, dear). There was much celebration when I finished my last math class in high school, so my idea of fun is not being tortured with “games” reminding me of Mr. Dean’s giving a pop-quiz. Instead, I’ll take the adventures of Juan Ponce de León trying to find the fountain of youth or David infiltrating the Philistine camp. If only a time-machine was available to zip back and ask George Washington what happened at the Battle on the Monongahela during the French and Indian War, when he returned uninjured to camp – after having two horses shot out from under him and his coat bearing four bullet holes.
January 2010
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Article
by STEWART REDWINE
Signal-to-Noise Ratio
M
y senior year of high school I shot and directed my first short film, Tribes: a post-apocalyptic tale concerning two warring factions of teenagers. The film contained some inspired camera work and a great story, but the audio was awful. When I reviewed the footage I could barely hear the actor’s voices over the acoustic apocalypse created by wind, the metallic roof of a key barn location, and thrashing tree limbs. Just last month I watched Sound for Film and Television, by Berry Green and David Jimmerson with Matt Gettemeier (http://www.amazon.com/ Sound-Film-Television-Barry-Green/dp/B00194G1KY), and had it been available ten years ago Tribes might have been the tour-de-force I was hoping for... or at least watchable. I encourage you to pick up a copy of Sound for Film and Television today and you can learn how to record good audio from the experts. Now, instead of spending this article regurgitating what I learned from Sound for Film and Television, I’ll share with you the unexpected spiritual lessons I discovered while learning how to record good production audio. Many video producers, myself included, are more akin to a one-man band than a conductor at the center of a symphony. We don’t have department heads and a crew of a few hundred people to bring our vision to reality. Most days there are 30 hours of work to be done in 24. With all the demands for our time outside of work and the abundance of production needs our Church and Ministries have, one of the easiest areas to give up is time with the Lord. The flesh and blood people we interact with will let us know if we miss a meeting or deliverable, or don’t return their calls or emails, but with the Lord it is easy to let ourselves slip out of earshot. I discovered the spiritual lessons hidden in Sound for Film and Television when they discussed signal-to-noise ratio, the ratio of signal power to the noise power corrupting the signal. Since I produce
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Christian videos I couldn’t help but think of one thing, how important it is to clearly hear the signal of the Lord’s voice. As Jesus said in Matthew 11:15, “He who has ears, let him hear.” But hearing the signal of the Lord’s voice becomes difficult when there is too much noise created by our own voice, others’ voices, the evil one’s voice, and the general cacophony of modern life. It is easy for my spiritual ears to be overwhelmed by my work, my family, the movies and television I watch, the reading I do, the music I listen to, and the time I spend on the Internet. All of these things are important to me, but if I constantly surround myself with all that noise how will I ever hear the voice of the Lord? Thankfully there are solutions given on the DVD to improve a poor signal-to-noise ratio in order to receive the signal we want to hear loud and clear. Whether you work for a Church or Ministry or not, January 2010
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Article
by STEWART REDWINE
1. Find distracting noises and silence them: If it has an on/off switch, turn it off. Find a place you can be alone with the Lord, pray, and read the Bible. Since he is omnipresent all you have to do is find a place you won’t be distracted by anything or anyone.
Though Audio for Film and Television wasn’t intended as a work of spiritual formation it helped me tremendously when I discovered the spiritual lessons contained in its practical advice. Over the next couple months I challenge you to be deliberate in taking time to listen to the Lord in prayer and by reading his Word. On the DVD they say getting good audio is 70% of what you see. The better you hear the Lord’s voice your perception of everyone and everything will be changed for the better. And remember, even the Lord Jesus took deliberate steps to improve the signal-to-noise ratio between himself and God the Father; “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 2:35).
2. Silence Echo: Maybe there are hurtful or negative statements bouncing around inside your head. Things like, “I’m no good, I’m ugly, I’m a hack”. If an echo exists in a location, a good sound person will tell you to change locations. Thanks to the Lord Jesus, we are allowed to do just that by the “renewing of our minds” spoken of in Romans 12:2. If the room of your mind is filled with echo spend time in the Word and prayer and you will change locations without moving an inch.
Stewart H. Redwine is a Video Producer for Christ in Youth as well as Producer and Director of Photography for onetimeblind’s hit mini-movies and Youth Specialties 36 Parables DVD series.
3. Proximity raises the signal while lowering the noise: By deliberately making a time and place for the Lord you will be closer to him and hear him better. James 4:8 “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
He enjoys writing, tending his garden, and slalom skiing in the gorgeous Ozark Mountain Country of Southwest Missouri where he lives with his wife and two children. You can read more of what he has to say about faith, culture, and the arts at StewartHRedwine.com.
we all need to clear the signal path between the Lord’s voice and our ears. None of us want to be like those Jesus spoke of in Mark 4:12 when he quoted the Prophet Isaiah, “they may be… ever hearing but never understanding”. Hidden in the very practical approach to recording good audio on Sound for Film and Television there are four ways you can improve the signal-to-noise ratio between you and the Lord.
4. Rejection and Sensitivity combine for reach: How good is your mic? You have to be sensitive to the Lord’s voice and reject all other noises in order to hear him. The more time you spend reading the Bible and in prayer the better you’ll be able to reject the voices of others and be sensitive to the Lord’s. Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”’
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January 2010
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Article
by MARTIN BAGGS
Doubt
“D
oubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty. When you are lost, you are not alone.” Father Flyn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) speaks these words in a sermon to his flock in the Bronx at the very start of Doubt. In doing so he sets up the extremes that the movie will explore: doubt and certainty. Little does he know he is really preaching to himself. Doubt was one of the best films of 2008, certainly one of the most thought-provoking. John Shanley takes his Pulitzer Prize winning stage play, rewrites it for the big screen, and then takes the helm as director. It is clear that this was birthed as a play. The movie plays out mostly with conversation; there is little action. But that is part of the mystique. The screenplay is excellent and the script gives meaty dialogue to the cast. And the cast is outstanding. With Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and Viola Davis as the four main characters, the film is built on a firm foundation. So good is this quartet that all four were nominated for Oscars (although none won). It is 1964. Kennedy is dead and the winds of change are blowing across the country and even in the Catholic Church. Sister Aloysius (Streep) is the head nun and principal at St. Nicholas parochial school. Iron-fisted, she is a disciplinarian who lives strictly by the rules. Modernity is an enemy in her eyes. Father Flyn, on the other hand, is a liberal priest who wants to see change come to the church. Compassionate and caring, he has embraced modernity. One scene highlights the differences between these two adversaries, Flyn and Aloysius,
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by juxtaposing their dinners. In the school, the nuns sit silently around the dinner table drinking milk and eating a bland meal with small bites. You can almost sense the tension, as the other nuns look to Sister Aloysius and her non-verbal communications. With subtle gestures she conveys her disdain. In contrast, Father Flyn eats a succulent roast rowdily with two other priests. Drinking beer and wine, smoking and laughing together, theirs is a picture of life appreciated and accepted. Enter Donald Miller, the school’s first black student, friendless and conspicuous, Father Flyn makes him an altar boy. Acting as a protector of sorts, he takes special interest in this one student. When Sister Aloysius tells the other nuns to keep an eye open for unusual behavior she sets the tone for what follows. Sister James (Adams) sees something and reports it to Aloysius, who immediately believes Father Flyn is acting improperly. With the anachronistic backdrop of 21st century hindsight, we can see the portentous emerging crisis: pedophilia in the priesthood. Sister Aloysius’ confrontation of Father Flyn with Sister James present is the declaration of war. Flyn denies any involvement and declares January 2010
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Article
by MARTIN BAGGS
his innocence. “You haven’t the slightest proof of anything!” Sister Aloysius replies, “But I have my certainty.” In this trio of characters, Father Flyn seems to have some struggles with doubt. His is a very human character, flawed but faithful. Sister Aloysius has certainty despite lack of hard evidence. Sister James has her faith: “I don’t think Father Flyn did anything wrong,” she says to Sister Aloysius who retorts caustically, “You just want things to be resolved so you have simplicity back.” The innocence and naivety of the younger nun contrasts with the elder’s experience and cynicism. At the center of the situation, Donald Miller is lost in the ensuing political struggle. Sister James wants to avoid conflict and get back to her untroubled life. Sister Aloysius ostensibly wants to protect him as one of the children under her
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care, but really wants to get Father Flyn fired. Father Flyn seems to be a likeable priest who genuinely cares for his flock. And then there’s Miller’s mother (Davis). In only two scenes, the first is an extended conversation with Sister Aloysius. There she makes it clear that life is not black and white. To her, compromise, even when inexpressible sin is involved, is sometimes necessary. She clearly has her son’s best interest at heart but is willing to turn a blind eye, and does not want to get caught up in Sister Aloysius’ personal vendetta. What makes Doubt so intriguing is that we really don’t know what happened. With no actual portrayal of the events hinted at, we have to listen to people’s observations and their interpretations. This is so much like life. We often don’t know all the facts but still form an opinion and take action based on that opinion. In fact, of all the cast, director Shanley only told Hoffman the truth of
January 2010
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Article
by MARTIN BAGGS
Father Flyn’s actions, whether guilty or not. No one else on set knew. Opinion can easily translate into gossip. In Doubt, Sister Aloysius starts a smear campaign against Father Flyn. Gossip is a deadly sin that cannot easily be undone. Once spoken it acts like a virus that propagates beyond control. The book of Proverbs describes the results of gossip: secrets betrayed (11:13); friendship destroyed (16:28); quarrels incited (26:20). Other books in the Bible give warnings against gossip (Rom. 1:29, 1 Tim. 5:13). Paul says, “I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder” (2 Cor. 12:20). We need to heed these warnings. Father Flyn himself preaches a sermon in his self-defense addressing the insidious nature of gossip. Another issue raised in this film is intolerance. Correctly characterizing Sister Aloysius as intolerant, Father Flyn jots the word down in his pocket diary so he can remember to build a sermon around it. Certainly most of us would view intolerance as a negative quality. Yet when does tolerance become codependence or complicity? Does Aloysius’ intolerance of things modern color her view of Flyn? Should she have waited for evidence, or would that have been too late? Fundamentally, though, Doubt focuses on the impact and consequences of doubt. When suspicions arise, how do we deal with them? How should we deal with them? In America, we hold that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Do we have the right to be certain without proof? Moreover, are we tolerant and open-minded enough to listen to others’ opinions in a genuine search for truth? Our system of justice and even fairness would demand that we cannot convict on the basis of our own innate sense of certainty, regardless of who we are. Even biblically a person could not be convicted apart from the evidence of two witnesses (Deut. 17:6); one alone was insufficient (Deut. 19:15). And a person who was not a witness, who simply “felt certain” a person was
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guilty, would cut no mustard in a court of law. Doubt itself causes self-questioning. This is highlighted in the two nuns. Both are plagued with worries and dreams. Once doubt takes hold, it can emotionally cripple a person. It can lead to guilt and remorse and worse. Doubt caused Peter to sink into the lake when he lost his perspective and his faith, as he walked on water to be with Jesus (Matt. 14:31). Perhaps that is why Sister Aloysius grips so firmly to her “certainty.” She does not want to think about doubt. But doubt can also be positive. It can help us see the holes in our beliefs. It can cause us to further explore and investigate to seek truth. Sometimes, our doubts and unbelief can lead us to cry out to our God, “help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). Doubt is the flip-side of faith. Faith is only as good as its object. Blind faith is no better than unfounded certainty. Inquisitive doubt is a healthy side-kick to faith. It will tend to strengthen that faith. But unquestioning doubt will lead to a weakening of any faith present. In Jesus we can have a rock-solid faith that can stand up to the probing yet sincere questions of doubt. Where are you on the faith-doubt-certainty spectrum? Copyright ©2010, Martin Baggs Martin works as an engineering manager in the high tech industry. He leads a monthly film review group at Mosaic Church in Portland, Oregon. He writes film responses from a biblical perspective on his blog: www.mosaicmovieconnectgroup.blogspot.com Contact: martinbaggs@gmail.com
January 2010
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Article
by JAY M. DELP
Small-Screen Media on the Big Screen
F
inding the right media for our ministries is certainly a challenge most of us face almost every week. What can prove to be an even greater challenge on our path to media-in-ministry nirvana is to move this media from where it currently resides (on a DVD, CDRom, digital camera, DVR, iPod, cell phone, web site, etc.) to it’s “final destination (a.k.a. its intended display device). The ability to take any video/media from anywhere and move it to anywhere else (legally of course) is vital to effectively and efficiently preparing and presenting media-rich ministry messages, worship services, lessons and presentations.
As many of you have already discovered viewing web video snippets and other highly-compressed images and media in a small window on our 24” computer monitor is one thing but viewing that same clip on to our sanctuary’s 10.5 x 14’ (or much larger) video screen is quite another. That “perfect” video clip looked fine played back inside a media player window on a computer monitor on an even smaller 3” smart phone screen when blown up/projected for an audience of 200 and especially 2,000 now looks horrific (scary!?). This is because we are attempting to display the media in a manner for which it was never intended. Small screen video was prepared and compressed specifically for small screens not large projection screens and flat screen monitors. Although there is no technology which can eliminate the loss of quality that always results from
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stretching small screen video across a big screen there are some steps we can take to minimize this inevitable drop in quality. First, be sure you are not further degrading the original content on its way to its final destination. In other words, if at all possible, avoid recompressing an already-compressed video clip. Simply copying the file in question from one disk, flash drive, hard-drive to another storage device will not cause any loss of quality. Similarly if you “zip” image files you may not lose resolution/quality but be careful when “zipping” video files. You may want to experiment with the software you use for “zipping” video files to ensure there is no noticeable loss of quality/resolution between the “before” and “after” files zipped and unzipped. Many web video clips are compressed for optimum play back in less-than-full screen window sizes
January 2010
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Article
by JAY M. DELP
such as 320 x 240 or perhaps 240 x 180. Enlarging the media player’s window size, when playing compressed media files, also exposes and highlights compression artifacts. The closer you get to a full-screen window size the further away you get from acceptable picture quality. Many times when using a video projector to present highly-compressed web video clips it is best to not try and stretch them to full-screen size but to simply transform your projection screen into a computer screen by playing back the clips in question inside their own smaller window, much like we all do on our computer screens when viewing web video. The perceived clarity of such clips may well be worth the diminished picture size. Your mileage may vary. Check the image settings in your presentation software program and experiment with its options for stretching/cropping media files. Adding titles and/or graphics around the frame of the media enhances the overall look of the media and provides the viewer with your motivation for displaying the video inside a lessthan full-size window (in order to read the surrounding text). When projecting such media-enhanced PowerPoint slides, minimize the ambient room light in order to maximize contrast between the viewers. You may want to also experiment with turning down the sharpness level of the monitor or video projector to “soften” the image which often makes for a more pleasing image (higher perceived clarity). When “shrinking” (compressing) your own video clips you will need to find your own acceptable picture-quality-vs.-file-size ratio/tradeoffs. Smaller file sizes result in faster web transition and downloading but lower picture quality. Once again, experimentation is the key. Test the compression of your video clips at 30, 24 and 15 fps and varying qualities (kbps). Experiment with different “maximum data rates” within your video compression software. Selecting mono sound instead of stereo helps shrink the file size a bit without a noticeable loss of sound quality. Always start with the highest possible quality video/image such as 720 x 480 30 fps .avi’s for standard definition PC video and 720 x 486 30 fps Quicktime video for SD video on MACs. Try to use footage that doesn’t have a lot of
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motion in it. In fact, when recording footage you know you want to compress for the web, CDRom, video iPod or even a DVD try to avoid scenes with a lot of motion, either camera motion (usually a good thing regardless) or subject motion. Compressed video HATES motion and quickly produces gargantuan amounts of “artifacts” which display as blurry and “rough around the edges” video/media. A second huge key when shooting pictures and video bound for the small green is to capture extreme close-ups of peoples faces or whatever your subject is (kids, animals, flowers, products, objects, etc.). Remember, the smaller the intended final display size (window/screen) the more important it is to shoot close ups. Ok, quick recap.... 1) Start with the highest quality media possible from the get go. 2) Never recompress compressed media. 3) Shrink the display window size to increase perceived clarity of highly-compressed images. 4) Optimize viewing conditions (lighting, monitor settings, viewing angles, sharpness, etc.) 5) Experiment with compression variables (fps, window size, data rates, etc.) 6) Zip and unzip video files carefully 7) Don’t over-apologize to your audience for the less-than-broadcast-quality media. They may never notice. 8) Keep the ministry priority #1 and your media a distant 2nd. 9) Zoom your video projector lens in to diminish full-sized images increasing their brightness and perceived clarity. 10) “Google” your way to more solutions on all of the above (or anything else for that matter!). Jay D www.jaydelp.com
January 2010
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Article
by DAVE MELTON
The Pressure of the Real World Set in a College Environment at Covenant Productions
A
t Anderson University in central Indiana, the department of communication and theatre arts has been preparing students, especially in the audio/video/cinema production area, for careers with a combination of classroom hours, studio work and on-the-job experience. AU students have gone on to graduate schools such as New York University, Regent University and the University of Florida, while others have continued on to careers with the Lilly Children’s Theatre and Disney Studios. The driving force behind the success of these students has been Covenant Productions—an award-winning video production company located on the AU campus.
“We’re about taking people from being passive consumers of the media to working, active professionals,” said Donald Boggs, Covenant Productions founder and general manager. “Covenant gives students experience. We’ve got a small, skeleton professional staff and students are right in the trenches with them. Students move up as they’re able. Many of our students have edited with clients. We’ve reached the point where we were comfortable that students could to that without breaking a relationship. It’s been an extraordinary experience.” Covenant started off small, and the moment when they really got started, according to Boggs, was when they moved into a newly-renovated building in the southwest corner of the campus in 1989. Two years later, a phone call from famed gospel musician Bill Gaither began what is perhaps the most important moment in Covenant history. “He called me at home,” said Boggs, who had done some video production work for Gaither in the past. “He said, ‘I just got back from Nashville, where I was in a recording session with a bunch of southern gospel singers and there was a guy in there with a camera. He’d shot a bunch of stuff, and I think we can make a program out of it. I need you to edit it.’”
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“I said, ‘Bill, I’d love to do it, but I’m leaving for Germany tomorrow,’” said Boggs. “But I knew this was an opportunity that we couldn’t let go of. I told Bill that I could get someone that’s very good, and we could do it in our facilities.” With the help of AU alum Eric Maloney, the footage was edited by Covenant, and it was waiting for Boggs when he returned from Germany. “When I got back two weeks later, it was done,” said Boggs. “It was the first Gaither Homecoming video.” The Homecoming series, which Covenant was involved in through 1998, has gone on to sell more than 18 million copies. Over 100 titles have been added to the series with 99 of them reaching the RIAA’s precious metal status. Four are certified multi-platinum, 45 are certified platinum, and 50 are certified gold, including the original one made by Covenant. “It got Covenant started off the right way,” said Boggs. “Before that, I had to call clients. After doing a few of those, it was no longer a battle to convince people that we could do it. They knew we could deliver.” One of Covenant’s signature events today is the annual Christmas program, “Candles and Carols.” When it is recorded again this December, it will mark the 20th year of the program. It
January 2010
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by DAVE MELTON
will be broadcasted internationally on the EWTN Network and Daystar, and about 120 other stations across the country will also show the program. Boggs is the producer for the show. “Christmas shows are typically shot the year before, or in July. We don’t do that,” Boggs explained. “We shoot the first Friday in December. By the next weekend, it’s uplinked to the satellite.” The program is shot live-to-tape, with seven cameras recording the action. Five of those cameras are operated by AU students. “It’s the craziest thing—no sane person would do this,” said Boggs. “I just have to laugh because, that’s what we do. It’s very challenging, but it’s very real world.” A production truck is brought in, and the lighting is done professionally. But, for the most part, the success or failure of the program depends on AU students. “The cameras come in on Thursday at noon,” said David Armstrong, Covenant’s operations director and the director of “Candles and Carols” for the past decade. “[The students] have maybe an
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hour on those cameras, if they’re lucky, before we go into rehearsal. It’s stressful on them, it’s stressful on me.” “As an undergrad you’re thinking, ‘Dear God, why me? What did I get myself into?’” Darcy Noonan said with a laugh. A 2009 AU graduate, Noonan was a camera operator for the 2007 edition. “You’re dealing with thousands of dollars of equipment. Since it’s live-to-tape, you do have the fallback of post-production. But with anything that’s live, you have to capture the moment right there. If you don’t, you can’t go back and recapture it. It’s enormous pressure.” Chris Witt, a 2003 AU graduate who has been working as a picture editor in film and television out of Los Angeles since 2004, said that his experiences with “Candles and Carols” helped him and will help others transition to the professional world. “Later on, they’ll be able to say that they’ve done that level of TV production,” said Witt, “and already had the learning curve significantly reduced, because they’ve been in the hot seat before with a nationally-televised program. You get the
January 2010
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by DAVE MELTON
same quality experience without the fear of being fired.” Covenant has also thrown students directly into pressure situations with overseas trips on a nearly annual basis. Since 1985, 25 groups of students and professionals have been sent all over the globe for these projects. The crew usually consists of two professionals and two or three AU students. Typically, no academic credit is earned from these trips, just the experience. The result of the trip is a documentary that is produced at a reduced rate for a non-profit organization selected by Covenant. “It’s an opportunity for students to work full-time, in a different culture, under challenging circumstances,” said Boggs. “And to do a program that is strongly pro-social in nature. You’re getting experience, you’re seeing the world and you’re investing your time in something that will have a positive impact on the world.” Mark Dawson, Covenant’s primary producer/director, has had the unique experience of making these trips both as a student and as a professional. A 1989 AU grad, Dawson made three trips as a student: Alaska, the Dominican Republic, and the Middle East. “They were just awesome opportunities, they had a profound effect on me both professionally and as a person,” said Dawson, who’s been on several more of those trips since returning to AU in 1998. “Twenty years ago, the only people that had decent video cameras were television stations. That speaks to what an incredible opportunity it was to go on these overseas trips. I don’t know what would’ve happened to my career if I hadn’t had those opportunities.” Like “Candles and Carols,” students are heavily involved in the projects. Ninety percent of the footage shot in the 2003 trip to the Honduras was shot by students. “I was able to work on my storytelling and I gained perspective on cultures outside of AU,” said Witt, who went to the Honduras and Brazil with Covenant. “It was better than just going over there as a tourist; it was better for me as a professional. Now, if I were to have a project that I wanted to shoot overseas, I’d have the confidence to do that.” Noonan was part of Covenant’s most recent trip, when they traveled to the Philippines in 2008 to produce a documentary for Children of Promise entitled, “Journey of the Heart.” “When I’d traveled before, it was always for mission work, not professionally,” said Noonan. “To look at the area for
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the story that’s being written was definitely an interesting point of view. When you tell someone’s story, it changes how you look at where you are and what you’re doing. If you go there just to travel to see places, it’s about your story. When you’re going there to tell a story, you’re looking at them: what their life is like, what their surroundings are like. You use your media skills in a very different way.” Whether it’s in a classroom, in the studio or even in a foreign country, the education AU students gain through their work with Covenant prepares them to enter the professional world with a multitude of skills and experiences that they can call on when needed. “When I came out to Hollywood, I had experiences from those educational and professional experiences through my school,” said Witt. “I was very comfortable in those highpressure positions because I had already worked out the kinks of that job at AU. I can work with just about anybody without giving them the feeling that I’m not in control or unable to do the job. I didn’t have to learn the hard lessons in Hollywood because I learned them in my professional experiences at AU.” David Melton is a senior at Anderson University, majoring in communication and theatre arts with a journalism focus, and a string writer for The Herald Bulletin. Dave Melton drmelton@anderson.edu Sources Donald Boggs – founder, GM of Covenant Production 765-641-4350 voic - GM@wqme.com David Armstrong – operations director of Covenant Productio 765-641-457 - dsarmstrong@covenantproductions.com Mark G. Dawson - producer/director & cinematographer/editor of Covenant Production 765.641.4348 - mgdawson@covenantproductions.com Darcy Noonan – 2008 AU graduate and former Covenant Productions student manage 765-215-7607 Chris Witt – 2003 AU graduate and former Covenant Productions student manage 323-383-769 - chris@chriswitt.tv
January 2010
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Article
by DURAND ROBINSON
Media Ministry in a Missional World
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’ve been involved in ministry nearly all my life, mostly of it in Europe. I spent a lot of that time using my creative abilities (writing, music, media production) trying to make “church” attractive enough for people to want to come in, with the hope of introducing them to Jesus while they’re there, and then help them begin a growing relationship with him. I still hope the same thing for people I know in my current community that insist on living life apart from Jesus. I’ve come to believe that the church needs to focus more on going into the world than trying to convince the world to come to us. Living transformed lives in the midst of lives yet to know the transforming power of Jesus is the encompassing passion He’s placed on my life. That doesn’t mean I have stopped valuing the church. More than anything I’d love to see heaven at work in every community in Europe, starting with mine. What does that look like for me? It means finding a place in the community where I live that could benefit from seeing what happens when God’s grace shows up in its midst. It has meant committing myself to treating friends in the local multi-media community, the local theatre community and in the local Irish traditional folk music community, in the same way that I’ve been admonished to treat my fellow Christians. My prayer before going out is that I’d see opportunities to “one another” them until my faith becomes remarkable. And when it does, I take the chance to explain. But what has that got to do with digital media? You don’t need video productions to build personal relationships .I’ve been wrestling with that for a while. Call it missional, incarnational ministry, organic church, house church, emerging
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church: but what ever you want to call it, there is a move away from programs to relationships. And, it’s not nearly as easy to see how to apply my skills as it used to be. My media and production background comes in handy for my involvement in community theatre because I notice when things aren’t going well and over time have earned the reputation as one who’ll just pitch in to make it better. But there’s not a lot of demand for high definition “count-downs”, slick gospel presentations, motion-graphic-laden Bible verses or even baptism videos if your community is a group of guys that are on the journey, meeting in a pub on Wednesday nights to play Irish music together. So how can I, as a digital media professional, contribute meaningfully in the great commission through my craft in the world of missional, incarnational ministry? I’m sure there are thousands of ways, but I’d like to suggest three that I’m trying to put into action. January 2010
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Article
by DURAND ROBINSON
1. Avoid producing propaganda to share the Gospel. Don’t tell people what to think. Tell them what to think about. We know the Gospel is worth spreading. But we won’t change people’s ideas through what can only be perceived by the audience of the unconvinced as PR at best or propaganda at its worst. People are particularly resistant to these two types of messages. Instead of telling people what to think, use media to tell people what to think ABOUT. Give them food for thought that Christ followers they know can explore with them. Highlight “Kingdom” values they might also share that might just surprise them enough to begin doubting their other doubts about God enough to give God’s Spirit a foothold in their lives. 2. Spread good ideas to multiply workers. The days of “push” marketing are over. We can’t advertise our way into pushing more people to get active in ministry. There are just too many need-oriented messages out there and people have become amazingly adept at ignoring them. But we can “pull” people into action if we can find people doing remarkable things and share these powerful stories in ways that make you want to spread them and even begin using them yourself. Digital marketing guru Seth Godin says, “Ideas that spread win.” (Watch his entire talk on Ted Talks, http://on.ted.com/264W.) We want to spread ideas that make ministry multiply. 3. Push yourself toward excellence in the marketplace. It’s a lot easier to produce media for gracebased audiences. Your mom always thinks you’re the greatest and from my experience, believers tend to act more like your mom than other audiences I know. If you are making a piece for the church, get real feedback. Ask friends who aren’t Christians to evaluate your piece. If it’s clear to an outsider, it’ll surely be clear to insiders. Plus,
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you’ll have had a great chance to talk about issues you might not get otherwise with your non-Christian friends. What if you could help shape public opinion because your local station asked for your help in creating a piece on specific needs in your community? They won’t ask you if you’re not better at telling the story than they are. I was surprised when the national television crew showed up to cover a Christian effort to serve the city of Dublin. What surprised me was that after a little while with the producer, she decided I’d be better at putting this event into words than she was. She handed me her script and asked me to rewrite it. It was a direct answer to prayer that the meaning of the event would not get “re-translated”. I’m not telling you to quit your day job if you’re one of the few that has one in a church setting. But if you’re good enough for a secular job in media you can always volunteer services for ministries in your area. It doesn’t necessarily work the other way around unless you’re pushing yourself toward excellence. The world of digital media ministry is changing everyday. Our technology is always advancing. The shape of the church is changing and applications for leveraging our media for ministry are changing as well. It’s going to take all the creative energy we have to leverage what we do effectively. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.- Durand Robinson, with Greater Europe Mission, lives with his wife Ruth in Greystones, a suburb of Dublin Ireland where he is a video producer and a committed Jesus follower in his community. Find out what he’s thinking about at http://twitter.com/durandrobinson
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Article
by JASON OTIS
Making Ministry Happen: Churches Use Web Videos to Teach and to Reach
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f you’ve been in church life for awhile, you might remember “missionary slide shows” of days gone by. That’s when missionaries came in from the field, set up a slide carousel in a church’s fellowship hall and clicked their way through the images of their work for the Lord. That concept hasn’t changed. Christians still want to show how the Lord is at work in their missions and ministries. The use of Internet-based video and audio technology, however, has opened new avenues to communication, starting with the church’s call to reach and to teach. Multipurpose Multimedia At Countryside Christian Center in Clearwater, Florida, sermons aren’t always “all talk.” Sometimes, they’re partly video. The church – which has a membership numbering in the thousands – uses video technology to enhance the pastor’s message while breaking up the pace of the service and keeping the congregation engaged. That’s agenda item #1: use Web videos to aid teaching during worship services. The next day, the videos serve a second purpose. Ranging in length from three to seven minutes, with a tone that could be humorous, serious or thought-provoking, the videos are posted on the church Web site and are used as a promotional tool for the services themselves. Members refer their friends to the church site to see the videos, generating hundreds of views each week. And these well-produced videos – many times taking 40 manhours to produce – begin reaching others. “We’re a large church with about 3500 people, and video is a big part of what we do,” said Glenn Davis,
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the church’s executive pastor. “It connects people to our church. It connects people to our messages. It’s important for us to have our videos on the Web because people go from the Web to the inside of our church.” Countryside Christian Center is just one of many churches today that have discovered that, for many visitors, the path to the pew begins with a connection on the Web. This integrated use of technology with the ministry of teaching and reaching is able to convey the style and emphasis of a church, to highlight missions and ministries, and to show visitors how they can connect. And they can see it all before they even leave the comfort of their own Internet access. In the case of Countryside the collaborative tools of content management available from E-zekiel.com and the free video-sharing site, E-zekiel.tv, tie together to create this synergy. The church size makes its possible to devote man-hours and other resources to video production. But many, many others are also taking advantage of low-cost video production and easy access to free videosharing sites to tell visitors what they’ll find once they step inside the church walls. And many, many Americans are tuning in to the online video phenomenon. A Growing Trend According to a 2009 Pew Internet and American Life Project survey, a full 62% of online adults have
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Article
by JASON OTIS
watched videos on video-sharing sites – a figure that is nearly double the 33% that were online video viewers in a 2006 survey. Breaking down the results demographically, the 2009 survey shows that 89% of Internet users between the ages of 18 and 29 watch content on video-sharing sites – with 36% doing so almost daily. For online adults between the ages of 30 and 49, 67% use video-sharing sites. That number is 41% for Internet users between the ages of 50 and 64, and 27% for those 65 and older. The trend is partly fed by broadband connectivity; high-speed connections are running in homes of 63% of American adults. Among these broadband users, 69% watch videos on video-sharing sites, with 23% doing so on a typical day. So, yes, online videos are growing in popularity, certainly in the younger demographics but in the older as well. And increasing connectivity is making this possible. Reaching a Younger Audience Given the differing relationship to technology between the young and old, Countryside Christian Center has also used video to maintain a demographic balance to church growth. Founded almost 30 years ago, the church has a senior pastor who’s been there from the beginning and is now in his late 60s. He’s joined in the congregation by a large senior membership that dates back to the church’s early days, but Countryside is also growing in younger members. As Davis explains, their use of technology and videos in the service has a lot to do with keeping the congregation balanced, age-wise. And it makes sense that these younger members, who feel more engaged through the use of videos in the service, would also be the ones referring their friends to the church’s site the next day. How About You? In a time of tight budgets for both churches and their members, financial considerations are paramount. Countryside’s investment in video production may be above or below your own video budget, but that doesn’t mean your participation has to be in that ballpark. With free video-sharing sites like E-zekiel.tv, and low-cost video cameras, you can be online with your own message very
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quickly. To get started… Select Your Focus – What purpose will your online videos serve? Ultimately, they’ll be used to communicate something about your church to someone who needs to know. But the specific video uses could range from welcoming visitors to the church and explaining beliefs or providing spiritual information to promoting church events, creating mission trip reports and sharing member testimonies. Make Your Plan – How often will you post videos – once, weekly, or periodically? Determine your timeline. Who will participate on camera or behind the camera? Gather your participants. Point Back to Your Site – Your Web site is your hub for global communication, and that’s true with videos, too. As you create and share videos, keep pointing viewers back to your Web site. When you use a free video-sharing site, you can add your Web address as a part of the video details. Additionally, you can create a multimedia page on your site where videos can be archived in a searchable format. As with all efforts at reaching and teaching, of course, the goal in leading folks to your videos ultimately is to lead them to your pews. Coming Next Month Americans are said to have more social isolation than ever before, with some sociologists making links to the use of technology. And yet Web videos can certainly be used to make connections. Whether you’re talking about a natural disaster that gets worldwide coverage or one family facing an extraordinary health setback, expressions of urgent needs can go global within minutes. Jason Otis is vice president of marketing and business development for Axletree Media, the company behind E-zekiel.com, a content management system for churches and ministries, and E-zekiel.tv, a free video-sharing site. Comments? Send them to Jason.otis@axletreemedia. com.
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Article
by CLYDE TABER
Visual Story: The Third Wave
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he dust settled, most of the crowd now dispersed. The weathered man leaned in asking the pastor with sadness in his voice “Does your God love widows?” “Yes, he loves widows,” replied the pastor. “Does Your God love orphans?” he asked. “Yes, he loves orphans as well.” The man shifted his weight to his cane, keeping his eyes fixed on the pastor, “Among our many gods, we do not have one like this; I must know this God of yours.”
This man in India had just watched the “Widow and the Oil,” a ten minute dramatic recreation of Elisha and the widow, from the book of 2 Kings. While this visual story, produced and used by Crown Financial Ministries, was intended to teach Christians about God’s provision, this man found new life in Christ as a result of watching it. In an effort to more effectively teach biblical stewardship to illiterate people in third-world countries, Crown created a six-part series of biblical short films called, “God Provides.” Crown stepped boldly into the new wave of communication, the wave of visual story. Historic Opportunity for the Church We live in a transitional time in the history of the Church when a great opportunity exists to preach, print and portray. For 1500 years, preaching was the primary means by which the Church communicated its message. For the last 500 years, print has provided an expanded way to communicate. We are now able to visually portray Christ and His kingdom. This is the third wave of communicating with the world around us. As the world rapidly grows more mediasaturated and sophisticated, young people and
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adults are becoming more visually oriented. Many countries have a high rate of illiteracy, yet people are “visually literate” due to the invasion of visual media into their world. The heart language of a growing number of people worldwide is visual story. Through film, television, computers, and cell phones, stories are being told on large and small screens. This deluge of stories is captivating the hearts of men, women, youth and children, and raises the question: Who will shape the stories that shape the hearts of people around the world? One of the greatest gaps in the global outreach of the Church is the lack of culturally relevant visual media. Whether established forms of media (theatre and television) or new forms of media (computer and cell phone) are used, screens offer a unique opportunity to share Christ and His kingdom in compelling ways. A New Wineskin: Visual Story Network Jim Green (Director, JESUS Film Project) and Rob Hoskins (President, OneHope) were waiting for a plane together in Bangkok, Thailand. Both shared a deep desire that the body of Christ would become more effective in leveraging visual January 2010
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Article
by CLYDE TABER
“We must go beyond ‘preach’ and ‘print’… to ‘portray’. Visual story must penetrate everything we do in Christian missions. The success of the expansion of the Church will hinge on how well we personally demonstrate and visually portray who Jesus is and what impact He can have in our lives.” Paul Eshleman, founder of the JESUS Film Project
media for the Gospel. Several conversations followed that led to a meeting between leaders of OneHope (formerly Book of Hope), The JESUS Film Project, Bearing Fruit Communications (“The End of the Spear”) and the Caleb Group. Among the voices of the 20 people gathered, one voice emerged. Overwhelmingly, the group agreed that it was critical to expand a movement of “visual story” for the kingdom of God. The outcome was a consensus to begin a partnership to research, advocate and collaborate on new ways to reach people in our increasingly media saturated world. When asked to lead this new initiative, I was serving as director of Multimedia Design at The Jesus Film Project. In 2007, Visual Story International, a non-profit organization was created to support the Visual Story Network (VSN). In January 2008, I began to focus full-time on the development of the network. Today more than 80 organizations are involved. Core Values At the heart of the Visual Story Network is the belief that people will respond to stories that engage, inspire, and ultimately evoke a desire for Christ.
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Some stories will be subtle and will provoke; they may raise questions rather than answer them. Other stories will be direct and to provide answers to the spiritual needs of the viewer. Secular media seeks to entertain the world. The goal of the Visual Story Network is to engage the world with the person and kingdom of Christ. If we do not engage the world with stories of real life issues, anchored in the ultimate story of redemption, we stand to lose an entire generation that will not listen to our sermons or read even our most persuasive writings. The Visual Story Network is a coalition of missional and creative Christians seeking to fuel a global movement of visual story for the kingdom of God so every person on earth can experience life-change through Jesus. The primary activities of the network are to… 1) Advocate for the need for visual story. 2) Provide opportunities to connect and collaborate. 3) Equip God’s people to create and use visual story. 4) Promote best practices and products. We define visual story as combining narrative and visual media in communicating the message of Christ. Recent Initiatives In September, the Visual Story Network hosted its second Leadership Summit in Los An-
Jeff Holder, Veteran Kid’s Media Producer (ABC, Sony, Hanna-Barbera, Veggie Tales) said, “I’ve been in media for 23 years and have never experienced before the synergy of missions and media that the Visual Story Network creates.”
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by CLYDE TABER
geles. The Summit assembled 76 executive leaders and 16 young filmmakers representing 71 organizations. The Summit featured strategy sessions, presentations on global media trends and a showcase of new media initiatives. As a result, 25 new organizations got involved with the network and new “strategy groups” were launched. These groups are focused on topics such as mentoring the next generation of visual communicators and developing models of engaging secular media outlets with biblical content. In August, VSN sent out its first “Media Mission” team. A team of four media veterans provided training to Iran Alive, in order to help increase the ministry’s effectiveness. Hormoz Shariat, the director of Iran Alive, is called “the Billy Graham of Iran” because his evangelistic programs are broadcast into Iran via satellite. After the train-
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ing, Hormoz shared, “The impact of this partnership will help us reach hundreds of thousands of Iranians that we have been unable to reach.” The goal of VSN is to involve 500 organizations and 10,000 media missionaries by 2016. We believe the day is not far away when everyone will have regular opportunities to respond to Christ in their language through the use of visual media created by God’s people. For more information about the Visual Story Network go www.visualstorynetwork.com or contact Clyde Taber at clyde@visualstory.org.
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Article
by JUDY BROOKHART
Producing on Public Access Television
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or years, a friend and I delighted in reading the Bible together. We poured ourselves cups of coffee, turned to a book and chapter, and jumped in. We were amazed at the living nature of God’s Word, for He always spoke to us with His distinct voice, meeting us at our point of need, and revealing Himself in unique ways. Often we went off in different directions to do research, and our pile of reference books mounted - dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, historical narratives. Over the years, the pleasure and the learning grew. We realized that our personal spiritual and biblical growth was directly connected with the sharing nature of our study.
One day, during the Christmas break in 1999, we looked at each other and said, this is too good to keep to ourselves. How can we let others know what a joy studying the Bible with a boon companion can be? We were not scholars, theologians, or pastors. But we did have God’s promise, given to Moses and to Joshua; the words David reminded his son Solomon that God had said, the words the prophet Isaiah preached. Those wonderful three words: “Do not fear.” And then the five words: “I will be with you.” And we made the leap. We went from 50 year old Christian women with no technical knowledge to eleven years of television production, carried in a number of communities in two states, on public access TV. Yikes! To give you some background: the mission of public access television is to give the local community a voice. Any member of a community which has negotiated an agreement with a cable company can create a program, non-commercial in nature, free of charge. The local TV station provides the equipment and the instruction on how to get started, but the individual is creator, producer, video operator, and editor. Generally you must be a resident of the community, though often you can get a local resident to sponsor you. All you need is an idea; oh, and a lot of perseverance. If you are like we were, completely ignorant of the basics of television production, shooting and editing, the learning curve was long. We started, with much trepidation, by calling our local station, located at the high school. We were familiar with public access programming, for our station had carried local sports events and community meetings for years. Occasionally as we
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flipped through the channels, we saw somewhat niche programs, like the Half Hour Show, where two men sat in lawn chairs and watched life pass by for 30 minutes. It seemed pretty easy to film a lawn mower moving back and forth, or traffic at the main intersection in town. But we were more ambitious. Not only did we want to film our Bible discussions; we also wanted to interview guests, and we wanted to be on for an hour. The first words that the station’s office manager said set the tone – “Sure, come over and let’s talk.” That tone never changed. The station provided us with a camera, microphones and audio cable, and then scheduled time for us to learn their antiquated editing program. Our instructors were young men, several in succession, as one graduated and then next one stepped in. Remember, I said our learning curve was long. They were kind, and infinitely patient. The staff and technical support were essential to our success. We graduated to the editing program Casablanca. We bought our own camera, a Canon GL, and a tripod. Finally we stepped out in faith and purchased Adobe Premiere, so we could edit at home and simply deliver a VHS cassette, and then a DVD to the station. Our latest challenge is the imminent purchase of an iMac computer and the switch to Final Cut Express. As time passed, we saw many public access programs start, and then many disappeared. We were asked from time to time to support novice producers, for our station manager labeled us his success story. Residents of the community developed programs to talk about their passions – books, gardens, wine, local history, and local politics. Those enthusiastic at the beginning
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Article
by JUDY BROOKHART realized that producing a program is work. Most lost interest or turned in other directions. Several, like us, persevered, and flourished. One key encouragement to us was being adopted by public access stations in neighboring communities in northeast Ohio, and then by a station in Wheaton, IL where one of those bright young high school boys who patiently worked with us was hired when he graduated from college. Though we work hard – laying out each month’s program, planning our discussions, lining up interesting guests doing some form of Christian outreach, filming on location, reviewing video footage, choosing music appropriate to the subject, and then editing and rendering the entire program – it is a wonderful opportunity to talk about faith openly in a world where discussing such a subject is generally discouraged, and it is an outstanding mental challenge. We would never be on commercial television, for we are not professionals, and what we and our guests say would certainly be cut and censored. Public access stations do not usually do market research, so we never have had a clear view of who tunes in. From time to time we wonder whether anyone is watching, and then someone will stop one of us at Starbucks, in a check-out line, at church, or even on the steps of the Moody Church in Chicago during Founders Week to share words of encouragement. Though our audience is not large, it is loyal, and we all share the only thing that matters – we hold Christ at the center of what we do. It is a privilege to produce our program, “I Love to Tell the Story.” We do love telling the old, old Story - of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love - as the gospel hymn says - to those who have never heard and to those who know it best. The concept of public access and the very existence of stations around the country are regularly threatened by budget cuts and com-
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mercial self-interests. However, we must be vigilant and not let public access programming disappear. The condition where individuals with passion, commitment and perseverance can join together with teachers and equipment to produce local programming on a wide variety of subjects, where the right to express various perspectives is nurtured, where individuals can find joy in accomplishing undreamed of goals in the area of communication – that condition is vibrant proof that free speech is living and thriving in our country today!
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Article
by TROY GRONSETH
EFCA: Moving Europe Pictures
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urope, often called the Dark Continent, reveals this fact about its spiritual climate: an estimated two percent of Europe’s 800 million residents are evangelical Christians. The Church there has been in serious decline for years. The conventional methods of ‘doing church’ have not worked. It’s into this spiritually dark culture that the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) has forged; praying God multiplies the efforts of believers to bring the light of Christ by building healthy churches through intentional relationships. And it is to this place the EFCA is sending a team of video producers to help translate this hope into moving pictures. In April 2010, the EFCA will send its inaugural team to produce four European city video projects known across the movement as Moving Europe Pictures.
The project began when Robyn Smith, the ReachGlobal Europe Communications Coordinator (part of EFCA ReachGlobal), heard the need from the City Team Leaders (CTL’s) for resources to help tell their ministry stories. CTL’s have recognized the need to: • maximize their efforts through video to engage a younger and more global audience • use the cost-effective distribution channel of online viewing • utilize the exponential power of storytelling through moving pictures Since ReachGlobal Europe does not yet have a dedicated video producer to serve their growing staff, Smith contacted me, the EFCA Video Producer, about the possibility of assembling a team of producers to script, film and edit projects for four identified cities in Europe. From the follow up brainstorming sessions a hybrid mission experience emerged, best described as, ‘Not your Grandma’s work trip.’ The trip includes a meet and greet day in Budapest (this will be the first non-Skype, face-to-face conversation we’ll have together), four days of filming in our respective
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cities, and a week of editing. The objective is to leave Europe with four completed projects on DVD and in digital downloadable format. If we can learn to edit in our sleep, we should be right on schedule. The process started in June and evolved quickly into full pre-production. We put together an application process that included an EFCA short-term missions’ application, a video producer questionnaire and the requirement of a demo reel. With a September 1 deadline for applications, we sent the call out and waited for the proverbial pot to be stirred. We didn’t have any idea, really, who would step forward as potential producers on this—and we’re all familiar with the scary, sliding definition of ‘filmmaker.’ Plus, I didn’t have the capacity to wade through mountains of YouTube aficionados. As the call went out, I was contacted by Tracy Haney of Moody Radio’s Prime Time America for a radio interview. Not bad to have free national publicity. Relatives of friends of the EFCA staff started calling: another gift. Add to that the gift of a few random connections as well. On October 1st, the producers I called to officially invite represented roughly sixtyfive years of production experience ranging from Hollywood films to documentary to organizational and January 2010
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corporate credits. It was astounding to watch this happen. The initial response told me a few things about our oft-criticized (and often for good reason) American culture. It shows this generation of Christian filmmakers wants to make a global difference. We may not need or want to keep up with Hollywood, but we want projects to reflect the creativity and high production value of an infinitely worthy audience of One. And we’re willing to make it happen at any cost—up to and including even the travel and lodging costs being absorbed by the participating producers. November 2009 through April 2010 is proving to be pre-production in every sense of the word. The first connection is getting the producers familiar with the city ministry stories through conversation with their CTL’s. We’re listening for the joys and struggles, the facts and the heart stories, the themes that will tie the film project together. Since the CTL’s are our clients, listening first is where we’re starting this initiative. Once we’ve had time to process the story and ask follow-up questions, the producers will draft a rough script outline. Since each project is documentary/promo in nature and should be kept to about 3:00 (we know that’s short, but are aware of limits in use with the intended audience), we need to be very intentional about the story arc of our videos. In general, we’re hoping to accomplish three things: tell the big picture city story (cultural and spiritual climate), share the individual story(ies) that move people and finally, call the viewer to action. Before we leave the U.S., a general outline/script/storyboard of the project will be forwarded to the CTL’s. We’ll move ahead with open hands, allowing the option for interviews to rearrange our well-laid plans, (i.e. cutting new sound bites into the finished film as they materialize in the field). As with any project, especially an international one, it’s crucial to have planned through every imaginable detail of interview scheduling, location, b-roll filming, transportation, lodging, etc. in order to hit the ground running. The in-country experience is two weeks. However, each producer knows that in reality, it’s a six-month project. The hope of any great film is not simply to inform or entertain. Yes, we want the viewer to be informed. But our hope and prayer is that these films will move a new generation of prayers, givers and doers to walk alongside the work of EFCA staff and
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volunteers in Europe. In the broader scope, we’re excited to expose some very talented producers to the possibility of working on future projects in Europe and other parts of the world. We anticipate taking this experience and replicating it on other continents in the coming years. And who knows? Perhaps a participant in the next years of Moving (fill in the continent) Pictures will end up an EFCA video producer somewhere. As a movement, the EFCA has myriad stories waiting to be told. With the ability of producers to be mobile with cost-effective gear, we’re looking forward to bringing not only Light, but Cameras! and Action! to the fields that are so ripe with narrative.
For more information on the EFCA and an upcoming Moving (fill in the continent) Pictures production experience, contact Troy Gronseth at video@efca.org .
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