1 of 2
2 of 2
Tyler Strausbaugh
For the vast majority of churches there are two moments in the course of a year where unbridled creativity meets almost unlimited opportunity – Easter weekend and the Christmas season. For ministries with a passion for engaging people beyond the walls of their building, these moments represent a real opportunity to reach people who would never otherwise darken their doors.
One such church is Lives Changed By Christ Church, a multisite ministry located throughout Pennsylvania. Grounded in a deep desire to introduce people to Jesus and together fully follow Him, it’s a place where unchurched individuals and families who don’t normally go to church can feel comfortable. Considerable effort and energy goes into creating powerful, memorable experiences for worship at LCBC, especially at Christmastime.
Finding the Concept
One of the most vital ways the church engages seekers during Christmas Eve services is through the language of original filmmaking. For Ryan Geesaman, Video Production Director at LCBC, one question focuses and drives creativity. “Many of the folks that are coming in have never stepped foot in church, so how are we going to connect with them and make them feel comfortable?”
“We started thinking through Christmas in August at a very high level, looking at potential feels and looks and staging,” says Geesaman. “Our Senior Pastor went to the Leadership Summit debrief out at Willow Creek in the beginning of September, and while he was out there he saw a live drama that sparked an idea in him of using the story of Hosea to describe the faithfulness of God.”
With that metaphor in place, the video production team of five full-time producers set out to begin creating short films based on the concept the pastor was originally inspired by. The team even connected with the play’s author in order to secure permission to adapt it.
In developing the short film, the video production team worked in close collaboration with the programming team in order to ensure the end result worked in context of the entire service. “We wanted every element in the gathering to further the story arch. Each element doesn’t have to explain itself.”
Building On the Idea
Once the concept was firmly established, the video production team also began developing individual projects for supporting videos, such as concept shorts, lyric support videos, and a life-change story. “We’re Lives Changed by Christ Church, so telling those stories is how we live out our mission. The great part was when the main character stated in the video ‘Life’s not as messy as it was, but it’s still messy’, which really tied into the whole concept for the gathering.”
One of the most important aspects of creating compelling videos for Christmas Eve was making sure the pre-production elements of writing, storyboarding, location scouting, and casting got the proper time and attention. “Christmas and Easter have a preparation time that’s pretty intense - there’s not a lot of room to fail. And we have failed!” recalls Geesaman. “The year before we had set out to create something that didn’t fit thematically, and we learned that we really had to lean more into the theme.”
Gearing Up For Success
Once into filming, the video production team took the opportunity to level up the cinematography gear they utilized for the shoots. “We had the chance to use the ARRI L5-C and L7-C LED Fresnels, as well as the ARRI S30 and S60 Skypanel lights for the first time at Christmas, which was fantastic,” continues Geesaman. “We’d been using LED lights for the past couple of years, but the ARRI’s had a much better CRI. Just being able to dial in color was really nice. Our lighting designer for the church walked in and asked ‘Well, can it do a Rosco number?’ And it actually could!”
Geesaman says having access to an LED fixture with a Fresnel lens really paid off creatively when filming in a remote warehouse location. “It was great being able to focus the lights to really have hard shadows, which were perfect. We were setting up a shot down a very long corridor. The L5 kicking light onto the back of the columns really helped create some amazing shadows.”
Of course, the real challenge for most creative teams is the struggle to bring the final projects in for a landing on deadline. “On one shoot we were getting to the end of the day and we were losing light,” shares Geesaman. “We were shooting in a garage where we needed daylight, and the S60 Skypanel worked as a perfect flood for daylight coming through the window. No one could tell the difference in post.”
One major advantage that Geesaman’s team only began to harness during their filming was the ARRI’s ability to adjust lighting parameters remotely. “Having the ability to control the lighting via DMX allows you to make creative decisions without climbing scaffolding or ladders." This feature can save time and increase the quality of the final product when shooting in the field, he adds.
Learning Together
According to Geesaman, at the end of the day the most important part of leading any creative ministry team is the ability to maximize creative collaboration. “We’re in a very collaborative environment - we’re not doing this on our own. Our Communications Team and our Worship Staff really speak into these things. It’s our entire Worship and Arts department that’s really developing these ideas. We’re very collaborative. We couldn’t do our best without everybody doing their best.”
Looking back on a successful Christmas season Geesaman and his Team continue to balance creativity and experience. “Sometimes we come up with these zany ideas, and you ask ‘How in the world is that going to work?’ Then you just do it and it really works, and people love it, and it really supports the service. It’s just about being more ambitious in what we come up with.”
Alex Schwindt is the Film Team Director at Hope Community Church in Raleigh, NC. He also does freelance media creation and consulting through Alex Schwindt Media.
