If you have been involved in production at any level then you know that content is king. So what separates really compelling content from the mediocre? What is it that grabs your attention, keeps it and leaves a lasting impression? This is a really tough question because it's subjective and open to individual interpretation, and there are honestly many answers.
Good camera work, creative story telling, proper lighting, and well-captured audio are all parts of a compelling video. I don't think it's a stretch to say most of us recognize good quality video when we see it, but there is a difference in watching a bumper video on your TV at home, and watching it in the context of a worship service.
Churches have a rare opportunity --- a context unlike almost any other --- to use truly compelling video content, coupled with a pastor's delivery, to drive home an important message --- perhaps the most important message an audience could hear. Television can't offer that, movies don't offer a bumper video and then an in-depth analysis or interpretation. An educational environment? Not really. Theater? No.
A well-directed IMAG feed shouldn’t make sense unless you’re also able to see and experience the live event onstage.
No where else can you watch a short video that establishes a topic or theme and then have a talented presenter (the teaching pastor) flesh it out for half an hour in order to more thoroughly communicate an idea. This is an opportunity that those of us in church production need to capitalize on.
I have seen some amazing videos produced by churches over the past few years, but a video used in a worship service always feels like it's missing something when watched in the vacuum of my desk. I always want to know how was that used during service. When you watch a bumper video without having the teaching pastor make the transition into or out of the video, it looses something. So it's important to know why this piece of content is the right one, and the context is what answers that for you.
Webster defines context as the “interrelated conditions in which something exists or occurs.” A good example of context is where in the service the video is going to run; after a song, before a prayer, or during the sermon?. Which is better and why? The context of the content is important, otherwise it would be perfectly fine to transition from a deep somber prayer to a hysterically funny video, or to use a video to build tension that the rest of the service never resolves. Where the video is placed in the service, plays a very important role in what the video should accomplish. I think this is especially true if your teaching pastor is a really gifted communicator, because then the opportunity exists to take a video that may not make much sense by itself and turn it into something great. Some of the better church videos I have seen lately create a tension but don't resolve it. Contextually that resolution is the purpose of the pastor's message. The video and the message work hand-in-hand really well, but the video by itself would just be confusing.
Churches have a rare opportunity --- a context unlike almost any other --- to use truly compelling video content.
Context is just as important for IMAG in the live services as it is for produced videos, mainly because IMAG in and of itself is not really a “creation” near as much as enhancement or reinforcement of the live event. It's not meant to be viewed apart from the worship service. So, a well-directed IMAG feed shouldn't make sense unless you're also able to see and experience the live event onstage. Again the context for the IMAG video is the room in which it is being shown. Once you remove that context, it usually has a harder time standing on its own. That's also why a broadcast feed and an IMAG feed should be different, because one of them has context and the other doesn't.
Creating great content is an opportunity for churches to communicate the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Many times this opportunity is missed, because of the normal timetable in which most weekend church services are planned. For example, if creating a compelling piece of video is going to take four days, you can't plan the service on Wednesday. If your teaching pastor usually waits until the end of the week to finalize that week's message, your video department is going to have a tough time creating content for that context. This is one of the reasons many churches have gone to sermon series based on themes --- so the content creators have some idea of the context they will be working with for several weeks.
So take the time to understand the context in which your video is going to be used and build intentionally for it. You will be happier with the results, and the audience will have an opportunity to enjoy and retain the message longer.
