Excellence in the Arts, Media - by Jeff - December 10, 2007 - 21:42 Etc/GMT+5 - Be first to Comment!
A few quick reminders
With the Christmas choir musical upon us, I want to remind you about being in “Production Mode” as a media team.
Rehearsals: Because the musical requires more from us than a regular service, we each need to attend the rehearsals and pay attention, practicing our part so that we can work / worship in excellence for the musical. There should be no real surprises as the musical is fairly scripted and we will have rehearsed numerous times each part.
Dress: Those who are working in the sanctuary and especially those working near the stage need to dress in their “blacks” for the musical. Black shirt, black pants, blank shoes – and NO WHITE SOCKS! If you don’t have black, choose as dark and plain clothes as possible. We don’t want to call attention to ourselves and we want to make sure the focus stays on the platform and the message being presented there.
Communications: Remember that we need to effectively communicate to work together as a team. Video / IMAG / Lighting Team – Please wear your headsets at all times during rehearsals and the service. Audio and Production team, please keep your radios with you and turned on. If you are in the media room, please keep the chatter down and keep an eye and ear on what is going on so we can work together and make this service run smooth as possible.
Call Times: I mentioned last week what call times were, please make sure you are ready to go by your call time.
Excellence in the Arts, Media - by Jeff - November 26, 2007 - 18:07 Etc/GMT+5 - Be first to Comment!
missing the details
there is so much to do and so little time to do it how is it all to get done the answer of course is some of it will not get done because there is always more to do that time and resources to do so what is important how do we decide what what to stay late and finish verses what gets left for some other time or possible not finished at all what about the items that get forgotten
often the highest priorities are those which squeak the loudest or those that are most obvious then come the times that are most important to the people who are available to work if there is time left the easy to know off the list items get done but what does that leave usually the maintenance and prevention items those to dos that may not get noticed right now but when they pile up and dont get done over time major problems can happen projectors dying in the middle of services system failures equipment that will not turn on and even safety issues
the point is that often the weekly to dos that dont get done are important and should have been done because they didnt get finished we end up having problems that stress people out and can cause interruptions to the services
how can we prevent this and make sure these things are taken care of first and foremost it will require more help from those of you who haven’t made it to a worknight in a while if everyone would make it to at least one worknight or alternate time every month we would be able to get our weekly chore list done without stressing out our families and spouses and without so much of the burden on the few who tend to carry most of the load
with the christmas musical just around the corner, there is more to do than normal and some of it is urgent if you have been able to follow this article even with the missing details such as punctuation and capitalization i hope you realize the importance of the little details. if you havent been able to follow well were praying for you
Excellence in the Arts - by Jeff - September 18, 2007 - 02:00 Etc/GMT+5 - Be first to Comment!
Every opportunity to edit a video presents choices. The outcome of those choices makes the art. Like other art forms, every work is different and requires different treatment. As I have become more aware of these different treatments, I have begun to watch movies paying close attention to the editing, trying to understand how the edit effects the movie’s story, feel, emotional impact and even how involved the audience becomes. I then take these lessons into the edit on my projects, applying them carefully to each project.
Sometimes I have taken criticism on some of these works specifically due to the editing style, so I was pleased to read this article about cutting the Bourne Ultimatum. Christopher Rouse has been praised by many for his editing, especially previous to this latest Bourne film, but there are many who are criticizing his editing on this film. Most of the complaints are about it being too fast or too jumpy or even too edgy. As I read this interview, I felt refreshed by Rouse’s attitude towards the criticism and his desire to edit each project in a way that fits the directors style and what the director is trying to accomplish.
I realize there is more to the overall style than just the editing – the directing, camera work, lighting, sets – they all play an important role in developing the story. And each of these (including the editing) is as much art as it is science or technical ability. Every piece of art has its critics and its admirers. If we try to understand the artist and what the artist is trying to accomplish, often we move from being a critic to appreciating the art if not admiring the work.
Excellence in the Arts, Media - by Jeff - August 21, 2007 - 00:59 Etc/GMT+5 - Be first to Comment!
Remembering what this is all about
Sometimes we all start to feel overwhelmed in life by how much needs to be done, burned out by doing too much and generally depressed by the slow progress. Lately this condition has weighed heavily upon many in our ministry, so lets step back and remind ourselves what this is all about.
Why do we “DO” media? This is a conversation that I have often with people, and one that we have discussed here in the past, so we can keep this point short. First, media is the communication tool we can use to preach the Gospel, to distribute teaching and training to the believers and to encourage and build one-another up (1Thess 5:11.) Second, media is a creative expression of our worship. We were created by the Creator as creative creatures in His image, so it only makes sense that we creatively crave to create.
I was reminded this morning during my quiet time that the work is actually good for us. As we were created to be creative, we were also created for good works, to worship the Father in service to Him. Often work becomes tedious or burdensome because we lose sight of why we do it, or because we do it for the wrong reasons. Could it be that the “media ministry” has become overwhelming because we stray off course? Are we in it for the cool technology, or to hide out from “real church”? Are we getting distracted by good deeds that are not part of our ministry goals? Are we trying too hard to do “it” because we can? (whatever “it” may be.) Each one of us has to examine our own hearts, our own motives and answer that question.
So is there a lot to do? yes. Will we ever catch up? probably not. Is it fun? sometimes. Is it worth it? He is worth it.
Excellence in the Arts, Media - by Jeff - August 13, 2007 - 16:07 Etc/GMT+5 - Be first to Comment!
and Lasting Impressions
We all have heard that First Impressions are important – often the first impression is the one that a guest will take away. As a media team we have several chances to help make good first impressions.
What makes an impression? What makes a good impression? These are questions that we need to answer and seek to improve to the best of our ability.
Why are good first impressions important? The experience of a Sunday worship service is the wrapping on the gospel. The First Impression changes the perspective from which the guest will view everything else they experience. Should we make guests feel comfortable or uneasy? Are we called to hospitality or do we hold more of a fortress mentality?
First contact: What is the first contact a guest might have with our church? The website? The sign at the street? A brochure or outreach packet delivered to their house? The Media Ministry has a part in each of these, how can we make them better?
First time attender: What does it feel like walking up to the building for the first time? What impressions are made as you walk into the Foyer? The Sanctuary? Does the “tech” blend in or does it stand out?
Can we go too far? Yes. When we start worrying more about the first impression than the worship, or the gospel or anything else that is more important, we have then placed too much importance on the external.
Next time you walk into our building take a minute to think about these things. How could we as a media ministry improve our impressions?
Excellence in the Arts, missional lifestyle - by Jeff - July 31, 2007 - 15:41 Etc/GMT+5 - Be first to Comment!
Shaping your audience’s experience
POV or Point of View – the way or direction that something is seen. We often refer to POV as a camera shot or the way something is written, but have you ever considered the way you present our services effect the way people see our church, our media, and even the way people see God?
So how do we shape our audience’s experience?
Video (web/dvd): What do we show? What don’t we show? If all we show is a closeup picture of our pastor, what does the viewer know about the atmosphere or setting? How many people are there – is the room empty? Is it all fake and green screen on a soundstage?
Sunday Services: What areas of the room should have light? What areas should be dark? What should be show on the screen so you can see better? When should the media be a distraction? When should there be no media?
Website: How many times have you visited a businesses website and found out their website is nothing like their business? Maybe they look like a huge company on the web, but then when you call to talk to them you find out it is really some 18yo kid in his bedroom running this thing?
As the media team, it is our goal to accurately portray our church, our services and our God as we help distribute His Word to as many people as possible.
Excellence in the Arts, Media - by Jeff - July 28, 2007 - 00:50 Etc/GMT+5 - Be first to Comment!
(part one HERE)
Last week we talked about what NOT to do – but what should we be doing to be operating in excellence?
Creating Media that is part of the entire message of the service – it fits and is part of the whole.
Video that blends with the worship, not standing out from it. Graphics that reinforces the sermon, not confusing it or driving it. Backgrounds that reinforces the song we are singing, not distract from the words of the song. A good read on this topic can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/yvsqyj
Lighting that directs your attention where it needs to be, and helps hide things that might distract or hinder worshiping. Light that set and support the mood, not just become a show.
Audio that is just the right level that help us sing out and feel the congregation singing. A mix that conveys the worship from the platform to the pews. A recording that becomes a witnessing tool for a church member.
We are here to worship and glorify God and help others to do the same. So not only should we be actively getting rid of the bad things in the ministry, we also need to actively pursue doing more to enhance and reinforce the service.
Excellence in the Arts, Featured, Media - by Jeff - July 28, 2007 - 00:43 Etc/GMT+5 - 2 Comments
Our media team does a great job, better than average as a matter of fact. According to a recent poll on churchmedia.net, most media teams experience 5 or more “errors” per service related to projection, audio and video cues and content prepared for the services. I would say our average is closer to 3. Yet some members of the team get stresses out every time we talk about excellence, striving for excellence or praying for excellence. Has “excellence” become a dirty word?
Full Story
Excellence in the Arts, Media - by Jeff - July 23, 2007 - 18:54 Etc/GMT+5 - 1 Comment
So previously we discussed the need for Excellence, not perfection. So now what is Excellence?
Some might say that if we remain invisible to the congregation for the service we have achieved it. Not drawing attention to the media or the Media Ministry is a great start.
In the visual world this might include: Menus on the IMAG screen, Bad Camera Shots, Wrong Words, long pauses before the videos plays. We want the audience to see the screens but not think about what it took to get it there or what should be there.
In the audio world; no feedback, mics on in time, loud enough to hear, not too loud that it hurts the ears, decent mix.
So we know we are doing a good job when nobody notices. When we get no complaints we have done our job well…. But this is only half of doing media in excellence. This is basically a list of what not to do, what about what we DO? Remember, part of our purpose as a Media Ministry is to help create an environment that is conducive to worship, to help encourage and amplify worship. We will look at the DO aspects of Excellence Next Week.
Is Excellence a Dirty Word? (Part 3)
