Crystal Nowoc
Church filmmakers are storytellers supreme. And while the stories they tell are ones of hope, they’re also oftentimes stories of God’s presence in the face of very tough adversity. For Laura Tapp, a Wake Forest, North Carolina-based film producer and Capture Summit 2022 presenter, this has been the case since the early days of the pandemic. And she is only now just beginning to see the clouds break and the invaluable lessons of her experience make themselves clear.
“I stepped out of full-time production duties [at Living Word Studios, an extension of Living Word Family Church] to take care of my mom. She died in October 2020,” Tapp shares. Her mother was diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer while Tapp and Living Word’s team were in the midst of what turned out to be the last film project she has worked on since.
“She was rushed to the hospital one week before principal photography,” Tapp notes. “I have not gone back as of yet.”
"It’s taken almost a year to heal. I learned a lot about beauty, pain, and the strength and frailty of my personal relationship with Jesus."
As a result of time off and the rigors of caring for a sick family member, Tapp has found herself immersed in full-time employment outside the church. And this has only made her more deeply understand the heavy time demands of church techs, many who also work full time outside of their roles in ministry—and especially those who volunteer their time and find life and family pulling them in so many different directions.
Tapp ponders, “I had to make a very difficult decision to leave and care for my mom. Two weeks later the world shut down, and [our teams’] film was cancelled. I spent 10 months watching her die and the aftermath of her passing was horrific. It’s taken almost a year to heal. I learned a lot about beauty, pain, and the strength and frailty of my personal relationship with Jesus. It’s been a journey I never knew existed. With this experience, my view of community and why we need each other is real. You can’t unsee when God reveals himself.”
These experiences are part of the richness of life that will help Tapp tell stories more deeply as she returns to church filmmaking. Although she is not yet back on a project, she did attend the premiere of a new feature-length film released by Living Word Studios in February 2022. And judging by the timbre of this Capture Summit 2022 interview, things are getting back to some semblance of normal. Even at church, Tapp is witnessing an uptick of volunteer filmmakers stepping up again.
“It’s interesting how I see a little differently now that I have transitioned to working full-time in the business world after being in ministry for several years,” she states. “I view volunteering differently and see from the perspective of working full-time, taking care of home, AND working in a volunteer capacity. Our volunteers need to be appreciated, held accountable, and loved across all aspects of ministry. There are things we can do to facilitate that on our teams.”
Tapp will share her wisdom, old and newfound, at Capture Summit 2022 when she presents on this fitting topic: “Creating a Volunteer Team Everyone Will Want to Be On.”
Find out more about Capture Summit 2022 here, and watch for updates on presenters, keynotes, the Church Filmcraft Festival, and a great deal more: www.capturesummit.com.
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