The other day, I was on my laptop, surfing the web looking for ideas to help me with a personal project. I was looking for something to move me. I needed inspiration. What I discovered was, there are many advertisements that waste space and time, because they bypass the heart trying only to appeal to the mind. Cardinal rule of good web video making, video is for emotion. Print is for information and piling on details.
I started thinking from a Christian perspective. How does this play out in church productions?
So, here are some general tips for making videos that move people and involve them in a human connection through emotion.
The Use of Sound or Music –Natural sound or even silence can set the right tone for the message. It sets the pace for the whole presentation. If using written copy with an announcer, be conversational. Make sure the voice appeals to your audience. Ask questions that involve the viewer. Using the right audio can be like a car horn honking that makes everyone turn around not necessarily, because of the volume of the sound, but because of the placement and impact made.
Subject Matter – Be sure you have images that tell your story. A well-produced video can almost be watched without the sound on, and still convey the message or emotion. Find the most emotional draw to what you’re shooting. Don’t just “shoot & scoot” away. Connect with what your shooting and your viewer will too.
Color – The look and feel of your video should be appealing to the audience you’re trying to attract. i.e. The Susan G. Komen Foundation embedded the color pink into their brand for the largest foundation for breast cancer research. So much so, that the color is a hallmark of all of their events and sponsorships. You even see NFL teams with pink on their uniforms during the breast cancer awareness month. Color speaks volumes.
Locations – Be sure the backdrop of what you’re shooting plays into your story. Pick shooting locations that offer whatever mood you’re trying to evoke. Just make sure that whatever shooting has a background that enhances the subject either just for visual appeal or as part of the story.
In media, especially Church Media, whatever you are selling, promoting or giving away, it has to have passion behind it. Are you striking an emotional chord? Does it leave them wanting to engage with you?
After viewing many church websites for my project, I discovered many churches are not taking advantage of thought-provoking, emotion-provoking tools that engage the senses of potential audiences. There are many people that have not been touched by the church in any way. Mostly, because the church is in a place where the creativity needed to cause this to happen is not available or is under-utilized. If there is no passion available, because there is no Creative Director to see the vision through, then this may never happen.
You must focus on the direction you want to go and make a creative plan. Don’t be afraid to use real human passion (even if its harsh) as a driving force to bring people in, increase donations and increase ministry. How well are you performing in your media ministry? You can change the world with a vision and a visual. When there is no vision, the people or in this case, ministry perishes lose connection and emotional impact to their audiences. So, if your church has a media ministry that is lacking in execution of good creativity, consider a media company that has a passion to maximize your potential. If your media consultants are passionate and skilled you will be more effective in using multimedia to fulfill your calling.