Worship

The best church sound systems in the world can suffer from one simple problem: Bad audio from the pastor’s microphone. What a travesty! If there is anything a church sound system is designed to do, it is to provide clear and accurate transmission of the spoken word.

As filmmakers and visual storytellers, we can get caught up in the imagery and forget a key component of great picture...great sound. So, how do we make sure we don't sabotage our projects with inferior sound? Here are few ways in production and post-production that we can ensure our sound techniques are pristine while supporting the story and the visuals.

Having a great idea story idea is just the beginning of an effective church video. Before you start shooting, here are some video basics to keep in mind. Feel free to download and print these quick tips for how to compose, light and record audio on your next video.

“Church tech on a budget.” Is that an oxymoron? It doesn’t have to be! Having great sound at your church doesn’t have to be a luxury reserved for large building budgets and a tech department with deep pockets. Even if your church has an older sound system, there are likely some budget-friendly ways you can enhance the quality of your sound.

Since before anyone can remember, human beings have been telling stories to each other. Stories have the ability to capture the imagination while passing on important information. Storytelling can entertain and educate, inform and inspire. Even Jesus used storytelling (or parables) extensively when teaching the multitudes. How else could one expect hungry crowds to sit on the hard ground for hours on end listening to a sermon? Most of us can barely last thirty minutes on a cushy chair. We owe much to Aristotle who formalized storytelling with the three act structure commonly used in theater. Storytelling has evolved from oral to written and now visual through the medium of film and video. "Story is the equipment of life." - Robert McKee, Story

Over the past couple years, ChurchTechToday has covered the topic of live streaming church services a number of times and from different angle. It seems that churches all over the world are interested in find out more about the relatively new practice of streaming one's services live via video over the internet. There are many reasons churches intend to reach people via live streaming: for the elderly who cannot physically attend services to missionaries out of the country, for people with Sunday work schedules, and for people interested in pursuing God but are afraid to step foot in a church.

With the release of the new Apple TV device, Apple has opened up it's app store to developers. What does this mean for churches? If means you have a new and very exciting way to reach your congregation with videos and live streaming. Past models have been used by churches as an affordable way to share videos or content inside the building. For only $149, the church could connect it to the projector and the internet and display a slideshow or a movie.

Whether you are creating a missions video, personal testimonial or any other interview based video project, being able to conduct great interviews is critical for creating a compelling story that keeps the viewer engaged. A compelling story and an engaged viewer increases the chance that the call to action will be heeded.