Christian Video速 Magazine
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June 2011 VOL. 4, NO. 6
7 Greg’s Toolkit
Video Producer of the Month
8 Greg’s Toolkit
Interview with Jacob Mann by GREGORY FISH
11 Article
Shutter Island - Guilt, Monsters and Truth by MARTIN BAGGS
Editorial 3 Cover Story 4
Deep Thoughts from a Shallow Christian Video Series by STEVE HEWITT
22 Article
Volunteer Depreciation by RYAN GEESAMAN
Christian Video® Magazine
June 2011
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from the desk of the editor
by STEVE HEWITT
Video Producer of the Month, New Smart Phone Apps and more! I hope those of you that have tried out our new online community have taken the opportunity to make some new friends and contacts. If you haven’t visited our site yet, please feel free to do so by going to www.christianvideomag.com. When you get to the site; click on the “Login to see member only content” link in the upper right-hand corner to get to the New User/Register Now link. Video Producer of the Month Notice that this month we have a new feature article “Video Producer of the Month”. If you are a video producer and would like to be featured, you need to become a registered member of our online community and be sure to fill out your profile. When you get to the part where you can select from different titles that apply, be sure to select “Video Producer” so we can find you (and you can find other video producers by checking for them in your networks after you are set up.) We are going to select one video producer and feature them in each month’s issue. Remember, you will have a better chance of being selected if you include your photo, bio and interesting information about yourself and your videos in your bio! New Smart Phone Apps for our Online Community Our new apps are ready for you to download, install and use. However, when we made the announcement I think I made it more complicated than I should have. If you have an iPhone, Android, or Blackberry, go where you would normally go to get your apps. So, for example, if you have an iPhone, go to the Apple App store. Android? Go to the Marketplace. Search for our app by doing a search for “Mobile Membership”. Do NOT search for “Christian Video” but instead search for “Mobile Membership”. Find the one that has the icon you see in this editorial (the grey M2 logo), click to install it on your phone, and when you start to use it, scroll down to the “Christian Computing” membership on the list and you are ready to go. You have to log into the app using the same user email and password you would use to get into our site. Join the Video in Church Community! When you join our online community, be sure to join the Video in Church community! Now we will have a place where everyone using videos in church can go to ask a question, post a comment, recommend a video, etc. Hope you enjoy this issue and I hope to see you in our online community! Together We Serve Him,
Christian Video Magazine is published monthly by Christian Video Magazine, Inc. Editor-in-Chief Steve Hewitt – steve@ccmag.com Production Daystar Digital Design Mike Hewitt Contributing Editors George Temple Gregory Fish Stewart H. Redwine Mark Carroll Jay M. Delp Martin Baggs Robert Kramer Ryan Geesaman Copy Editor Gina Hewitt
Corporate Home Office Mailing Address: PO Box 319 Belton, MO 64012 Phone: (816) 331-5252 Fax: 800-456-1868 Copyright 2011 by Christian Video Magazine, Inc. All Rights Reserved Written materials submitted to Christian Video Magazine become the property of Christian Video Magazine, Inc., upon receipt and may not necessarily be returned. Christian Video Magazine reserves the right to make any changes to materials submitted for publication that are deemed necessary for editorial purposes. The content of this publication is the sole property of Christian Video Magazine. Copy or distribution of articles or content can be done so on an individual basis. Multiple copies or distribution may not be done without the express permission of Christian Video Magazine. Views expressed in the articles and reviews printed within are not necessarily the views of the editor, publisher, or employees of Christian Video Magazine, or Christian Video Magazine, Inc.
Steve Hewitt steve@ccmag.com
Christian Video® Magazine
June 2011
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Cover Story by STEVE HEWITT
Deep Thoughts from a Shallow Christian Video Series
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have mentioned before that I recently helped start a new church in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. While we are very small, we started with a contemporary service style, and introduced using videos as sermon illustrations during the very first service.
There are many great ways to use videos in worship and teaching, and there are a large variety of videos available on sites such as SermonSpice.com. However, one particular video series quickly caught my eye, the Deep Thoughts for Shallow Christians videos. It quickly became one of our congregation’s favorites. In fact, several of our members began greeting me on Sunday morning by asking if we were going to have another “Deep Thoughts” video. I decided I had to learn more about this video series, and about the creator. It took me a bit to find him, but find him I did, and this month I want to share with you my interview with Cory Bruce and I encourage you to check out some of his videos if you haven’t already! How did Deep Thoughts from a Shallow Christian come about? A few years ago, I was a young Christian filmmaker that had been making films for Sermonspice for quite awhile and trying to make a career out of it. I didn’t have a day job, I spent all my time writing, directing and editing films for churches. It was going okay. I was able to buy groceries with my income but not much else. All the bills were paid by my wife’s income as a teacher. We
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found out that we were going to have a baby that year, and I knew my wife wanted to be at home with the baby, but we couldn’t afford for her to not work. I had to decide whether I was going to get a “real” job or if I should keep making videos for churches. I prayed about it, and felt that God wanted me to keep making videos. So I did. I worked insane hours. From morning until the wee hours I made videos. I worked like a crazy person. The baby was due in October and by August my hard work was starting to pay off, but not enough to support my family. I prayed really hard for something to happen that would make it possible for me to support my family and serve the church at the same time. Then a miracle happened. My very pregnant wife and I were riding the Q train out to Coney Island to go swimming in the ocean on a hot August afternoon (We live in Brooklyn). A couple stops before we got to the beach an idea hit me like a ton of bricks: “Deep Thoughts from a Shallow Christian” I immediately recognized the power of this concept and started writing that very moment in the notebook I keep with me. Before we got home from the beach that day I had written the first 3 Deep Thoughts videos and had developed a hunger to write many more. It was exciting to deal with difficult issues that the church
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Cover Story
By STEVE HEWITT
faces in such a funny and irreverent way. I wasn’t sure if people would like them at all, but I kept writing them because I loved them and found them funny and thought provoking. Within a month I had 25 Deep Thoughts videos up and they quickly became my most popular videos. As I made more videos and they grew in popularity, my prayers were answered and my wife didn’t have to return to work once our daughter was born. God literally gave me the idea, and it has changed the life of my family. What do you love about the Deep Thoughts Series? I like a lot of aspects about it. I like this concept that there is a narrator that is always wrong, but he is so sure of himself that you sort of go along with it for a second, and then everyone realizes he is a horrible Christian. I also like the Deep Thoughts series because it points out a lot of different ways you can be a shallow Christian. Some are written from a legalistic perspective, others from a lazy perspective, some are selfish, some are doubtful; some are just keeping up appearances. I have tried really hard to analyze the different ways people can be awful Christians and write from those perspectives, because it is amazing to see the things people think but would never say out loud on screen in church. Deep Thoughts videos always convict me as I’m making them, because the only reason I can write from the perspectives of bad Christians is because of all my own moments of pride, doubt, selfishness, faithlessness and all my other sinful tendencies. God has used
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this series in my life to remind me that I’m no better than the shallowest of Christians. How have people responded to the Deep Thoughts from a Shallow Christian videos? I have gotten the nicest emails from pastors around
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Cover Story
By STEVE HEWITT
the country. Congregations enjoy them and that is the greatest blessing to me, because it means they are getting the joke, and hopefully it makes them look at things a little differently. I was afraid when I first made them that people would think the videos were serious and that I was some sort of heretic, so when I hear that churches like them and are using them, I am really grateful. Are you still making new Deep Thoughts videos? I sure am. I love writing them so much that I don’t even have to plan on writing them. I’ll be sitting down to write for one of my other series and Deep Thoughts ideas just start popping up unexpectedly. So, new Deep Thoughts videos are coming out all the time. Is Deep Thoughts from a Shallow Christian your most popular series? Absolutely! I have made a lot of different videos, but I am probably best known for making Deep Thoughts. I joke sometimes that I’m a one hit wonder, but since that hit is a set of almost 300 videos that I really believe God is using in churches all over the world, I don’t mind being a one hit wonder. I have made other popular videos like Rooftop Evangelism and The Christian Bubble but nothing close to Deep Thoughts. Do you think video is crucial to Christian ministries? Not crucial, but a powerful tool that all ministries should consider utilizing. We live in a video age and we all watch TV and movies and YouTube with the expectation of being entertained or learning something or both.
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And whether they know it or not, people bring those same expectations into church with them. So when the right video is shown at the right time, it can inform, entertain and make people more open to the message the pastor has, because they all just shared a laugh or a cry or a thoughtful moment. Obviously you can share the gospel without video, and for some congregations that will actually be better, but it is a powerful tool that I believe can enhance the worship experience in the majority of Christian churches. Are your videos only available through Sermonspice? Yes. My videos are only found on Sermonspice. com. I have been with them for 6 years and I really love the company. They have always treated filmmakers like family and they are always striving to meet the needs of pastors. George Temple is a great Christian and a brilliant businessman, and it’s an honor to have him distribute my videos. What are your favorite Deep Thoughts? I have a lot of favorites, so it is hard to say, but I can tell you my favorite style of Deep Thoughts is when a Christian phrase is misinterpreted with hilarious results such as: On Fire For God. I really do like all of them though.
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Video Producer of the Month
Selected from profiles of registered members at ChristianVideoMag.com
Robert Kuns (Bub) Bub Kuns (www.ybehindthewhat.com) co-founded The Veracity Project (www.theveracityproject. com) with Charlie Matz (www.theforgottenceo.com) in early 2003 with the goal, through media and other resources, to equip the church to contend for the faith. The Lord began preparing Bub at an early age to be a storyteller and filmmaker. He used to write short horror stories in red felt tip ink in his school notebooks and share them with friends. He would often get them to act out the stories and film them with his father’s Bolex Super 8 camera. But it wasn’t until his college years that Bub took it all seriously and signed up for the theatre/communications program at what was then Memphis State University (now The University of Memphis). There he acted in, directed and wrote several one-act plays and started to dabble with video (remember, this was late 80’s early 90’s and there wasn’t a bunch of portable DSLRS sitting around). Upon graduation he headed to Aliso Viejo, CA (where he still lives today) and soon thereafter got a job at Coast Hills Community Church, where he
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worked for over 15 years as the Media & Drama Director. It was there that he met his ministry/business parther, Charlie. Together Bub and Charlie have produced over 500 videos and most recently one of their favorites, “Big But”. It’s a short video that addresses all the “excuses” we have that get in the way of regular time with God. Their experience in film, video and theatre coupled with their love for the Lord and the studying of His Word soon led to Bub and Charlie starting The Veracity Project and teaching students how to tell meaningful story. Their collective callings led them to expand their work beyond the church, and together Bub, Charlie Matz and Ian Nelson (www. somethingworthseeing.com) founded VeracityColab (www.veracitycolab.com), a creative agency focusing on motion storytelling. Their partnership is grounded in biblical truth and their common desire is to bring honor to God through truth, excellence and hard work. Bub lives with his incredibly loving, gracious and talented wife and his creative, clever and wonderful daughter. Each month we will feature a different video producer, picked from those that have registered at our online community (www.christianvideomag.com) and filled out their profile, providing us a picture and a bio and any other links or information to help others learn about their ministry!
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Greg’s Toolkit by GREGORY FISH
Interview with Jacob Mann
F
or this month’s article, I thought it’d be nice to interview an expert in the field. Jacob Mann was a good friend of mine growing up and now freelances for a living. I wanted to pick his brain a little, so why not come along with me as we explore the world of freelance video with Jacob Mann.
GF: Jacob, I’d like to welcome you to the Toolkit. You and I go way back. We both were missionary kids in Chile. We went to the same school. We had similar interests in music and basketball even. I never would’ve thought back then that we’d both be into video production now. How is it that you first got interested in this field? JM: Well, I was always exposed to the broadcast side of things. Growing up as missionary kid, I was always around radio broadcast, as the ministry began growing, they started adding live sound for concerts, lighting, and video. So being the Pastor’s kid, I was always there at every function. My buddy Job Alonso was always shooting fun little videos and movies, and then editing them old school style using VCRs. He actually really got me excited about it. With the ministry side of it, and shooting skate videos with Job, then fast-forwarding a few years later I realized that I’m somewhat good at this, I like it, and I can make money doing it. So why not! GF: Nice. I remember doing VCR edits too! Once
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your interest in all things video peaked, how did you go about learning and refining your skills to be able to work at a professional level? JM: When I came to the point of wanting to do video, I just went for it! I’ve always lived my life with the mentality of “Go Big or Go Home.” So at the time I was working at a church, doing basic AV type stuff, but there was a gap there regarding the video department, and I stepped into it, and learned from LOTS of mistakes, but I kept pushing. I was able to take a two week class on FCP (Final Cut Pro) which helped quite a bit, but that was it. After working a few years at the church, I decided that I wanted to learn more, not at film school, but from the guys that are doing it! In 2005 I quit the church in good terms of course, and I became a full-time freelancer. The first year I got into everything I could, I just wanted to be around the biz, I loaded trucks, worked as a cable wrangler, gaffer, grip, P.A, carpenter, electrician, whatever they wanted my answer was always “sure I can do it!”. To this day my answer is the same. The minute you say “No” to a project
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Greg’s Toolkit
by GREGORY FISH
‘cause you’re afraid you can’t do it, you might as well say goodbye to the producer or client, ‘cause they will probably never call you again. So anyway, the first year was financially rough. I quit my job, a newlywed, but all that hard work paid off. I go out work related trips on a regular basis. I’ve been able to be a part of some amazing projects, and pay bills doing it. GF: That’s great. I think mistakes are the most common way I learn things! I know that it’s possible to have good gear but no chops. The best camera to use is the one you own. But it’s the question on every techie’s mind, so let me ask. What are some of your favorite pieces of gear, and part two, what do you edit on? JM: Well I was a big Panasonic fan, I started with the DVX, and fell in-love with it! Back then to be able to shoot in 24p was amazing! You were actually able to have a cinematic look shooting on DV. Then I moved into the P2 world, and was even more stoked, but then something scary happened, I learned the camera so well, that I felt the art was no longer there. I’d walk onto location, look around to check the lighting, tweak my settings, make my adjustments, and I was done. The creative side of it was over! A few days after that revelation I was at a wedding, and I saw this kid from India with a British accent (kind of trippy to hear, but cool). His name is Sam Allam, make sure you look him up on Vimeo, and he was running around with a 7D. That’s when the DSLR craze had just begun, and I knew of them, but hadn’t really played with them, yet. So anyway, I start to play around with his camera, and the love for the art came back. The fact that I was able to interchange lenses and have amazing depth; I was completely overwhelmed. It actually felt like traditional old school filmmaking. So, to answer your question, I’m
Christian Video® Magazine
currently shooting on a canon 7D, with a collection of vintage lenses. I actually got carried away with them. I was obsessed with eBay searching for the rarest lenses I could find. I also have a new Tokina 11-16, Sigma 70-200, Sigma 30. Canon 50, and a few others. I went back and forth with stabilizers, I initially got the shoulder rig with a follow focus, but it still felt limited, I also have the Glidecam 2,000 which works nicely, but is inconvenient at times. Recently, I simplified everything and went with a Manfrotto monopod with a small fluid head, and it’s amazing; especially, if you are out shooting in the field. I just returned from Israel, and we were shooting a tour of the country, and were on the go 10 hours a day everyday for two weeks. Lots of hiking with gear and limited space, also you have to remember everything I brought had to fit on my back,* so the monopod was the way to go. The one thing about being a freelancer is that you have to be fluent in just about any camera that’s out there. Just because I like a DSLR doesn’t mean the client, producer, and/or director may like it. So you really have to be on top of what’s out there, and respect the requests of your client. GF: Very true. So, what kind of projects inspire you and what are you passionately working on right now? JM: Some of the drawbacks, well, I guess the major drawback in freelancing is, that some projects that pay your bills may not be all that creative. This means there are certain projects that I’m very passionate about, but they may take a long time for me to complete ‘cause it doesn’t pay the bills, so you have to find the balance there. I like to be able to tell a story that’s impacting through video. I like to highlight people that have incredible stories, but no
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Greg’s Toolkit
by GREGORY FISH
one knows of them. I really enjoy working with the younger generation, mentoring them and teaching them an amazing trade. I’ve had the privilege to work on projects with huge budgets, and state of the art equipment, but the most amazing project that impacted me the most was a video production class that I taught at the Riverside Juvenile Hall, through an amazing organization called The Bridge Program. I had 20 plus kids for three months that I was able to teach video production. These kids were the worst of the worst; they were on their way to California Youth Authority, but the bridge was able to create a special program for them. To see their eyes light up during each lecture, and watching them use the gear handson was amazing. As the class was coming to an end, the kids had to create a final movie, and they wanted to do it on their life stories, so other kids wouldn’t follow their footsteps. We had a big premier in the mess hall, had the parents come out, had popcorn and showed their film. “Second Chance”—one of the greatest highlights in my career! GF: That’s awesome. Tell me, what sort of advice would you give to folks who are trying to use video technology to further the message of Christ? JM: Be Real!!!! There isn’t a whole lot of cool Christian content out there. A lot of it is a little on the cheesy side. Let’s put some cool stuff out there. Really put some thought into what’s going to be effective to reach your demographic. Also, educate yourself with what’s happening and what’s cool in the secular market. I’m not saying to compromise, but if you’re trying to reach the youth, then you’re going to have to watch what the youth is watching so you can be effective with your project.
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GF: Awesome, stuff, Jacob! I’m glad you came on the toolkit. Anything else you’d like to add? JM: Just do it. We have so much at our fingertips, our phones shoot HD video now, your home computer comes with free editing software. If you’re passionate about it, don’t just talk about it; make it happen! Don’t stay complacent either, when times change you have to roll with it. GF: I hear ya!. Thanks so much for coming on. Hey, what’s the best way people can contact you? JM: Find me on Facebook or email me at Jmannfilms@ me.com
*Gear I brought to Israel: 1. Canon 7D 2. 70-200 Lens 3. 11-16 Lens 4. Vintage 50 Lens 5. GoPro HD 6. GoPro mounts 7. Tripod 8. Monopod 9. Follow focus 10. LED on camera light 11. Shotgun mic 12. Zoom recorder 13. E6 mic 14. HH mic 15. Gang of CF Cards 16. Gang of SD Cards 17. Gang of batteries 18. MacBook pro 19. Two Gtech 500 gig bus powered hard drives 20. Everything packed in National geographic backpack 21. Merrill Chameleon shoes
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Article
by MARTIN BAGGS
Shutter Island Guilt, Monsters and Truth
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010 was a banner year for Leonardo DiCaprio. He starred in two thrillers, Inception and Shutter Island, which together netted over $1B worldwide. Not only were these financial blockbusters, but they were at the top of their genre. And there were similarities in plot. In both films DiCaprio played a protagonist troubled by dreams of his dead wife and who harbored a dark secret. This psychological thriller is not as scary as it seemed during the trailers, but it is deeper and more thoughtprovoking than many movies in this genre.
2010 was a banner year for Leonardo DiCaprio. He Together with his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Rufstarred in two thrillers, Inception and Shutter Island, falo), they are sent to Ashecliffe Hospital on Shutter Iswhich together netted over $1B worldwide. Not only land to investigate the mysterious disappearance of one were these financial blockbusters, but they were at the of the patients. But these patients are prisoners, dangertop of their genre. ous murderers, as Ashecliffe And there were is a mental institution for the Remember, before showing clips from similarities in criminally insane. And it is movies, be sure you have a license to do plot. In both films 1954, when three differing so. Check out Church Video License to DiCaprio played approaches to treating mental be sure you are legal. www.cvli.com a protagonist illness are arising: repetitious troubled by dreams pharmacology, respectful of his dead wife and who harbored a dark secret. This counseling, and radical lobotomy. psychological thriller is not as scary as it seemed during Visually, Shutter Island and Ashecliffe Hospital are the trailers, but it is deeper and more thought-provoking stark and foreboding. There is something frightening than many movies in this genre. about the place these two marshals must visit. The score As in many of his films, Martin Scorsese has asis loud and discordant, echoing the twisted nature of the sembled a stellar cast. Alongside DiCaprio, who has souls who live there. Together, the sounds and vision teamed with this director three times before (in Gangs establish a menacing atmosphere. of New York, The Aviator, and The Departed), are Once they have arrived at the hospital, Daniels and veteran actors Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow, Emily Aule find a wall of silence. The doctors, staff and even Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Ted Levine, and Michelle the inmates seem unwilling to help the investigation. Williams. Their performances are spot on. It’s as though there is a conspiracy covering up what Here DiCaprio is US Marshal Teddy Daniels. has happened. When a hurricane-force storm pummels
Christian VideoÂŽ Magazine
June 2011
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Article
by MARTIN BAGGS
the island, knocking out power and communication lines, the two marshals find they are stranded, trapped on an island that does not want to release them. Meanwhile, Daniels is haunted by dreams and hallucinations of his dead wife, Delores (Williams), who tells him that the lost woman is still on the island. As well as this, he struggles physically with recurrent migraines and psychologically with guilt. This guilt stems from the death of Delores in a fire started by an arsonist and from what he saw and did during World War 2. He was one of the soldiers who liberated Dachau concentration camp and experienced first-hand the results of the inhumanities committed by the Nazis: frozen bodies of men, women and children piled high beside the barbed wire fence. Guilt is one of the themes. As a Catholic film-maker, it is not surprising that Martin Scorsese weaves this thread throughout his career. Guilt is the feeling that a person has violated a moral standard through action or inaction. Closely related is the concept of remorse, the emotional expression of personal regret for committing a shameful or violent act. Guilt is intended to drive us to God in repentance (Acts 20:21). When we do this, we will find forgiveness, the only thing that can truly remove guilt. The forgiveness of God is freely given (Eph. 1:7) but must be graciously received (Jn. 1:12). It cost God his son, Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:25). We cannot erase our guilt in any other way, though, like Daniels, we may try. Violence is a second theme, and again a recurrent one for Scorsese. The Warden, in a conversation with Daniels, brings this to the forefront: “God loves violence. . . Why else would there be so much of it? It’s in us. It’s what we are. We wage war, we burn sacrifices, and pillage and plunder and tear at the flesh of our brothers. . . . There’s no moral order at all. There’s just this: can my violence conquer yours?” Before this, the lead psychiatrist had said something similar to both marshals: “Men like you are my specialty, you know. Men of violence.” The theology in view here is both right and wrong. God does not love violence. That is clear from his very
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nature: “God is love” (1 Jn. 4:16). Violence was not part of the created order but entered the world with the fall of Adam. His son Cain became the first murderer (Gen. 4:8). Yet after the fall, with the entrance of sin, we are all capable of violence, of terrible acts. The film points to the atrocities of the Nazis in the Second World War but also points to ongoing inhuman and immoral actions that occurred in Russia and even occur in America. Moreover, we read of the brutal acts of violence perpetrated by serial killers, monsters in our society, and we understand this aspect of the truth in the warden’s comments. Monsters emerge as a third theme of Shutter Island. Dr. Naehring (von Sydow) brings this point into view: “Wounds can create monsters. . . And wouldn’t you agree, when you see a monster, you must stop it?” We are all wounded, in one way or another. Daniels was wounded and harbored deep, dark secrets. Our wounds result from the consequences of sin. Some may be our own sin and we become our own victims. Sometimes it is the sin of others. Then, like the poor victims in Dachau, we feel the pain of wounds inflicted on us by others. If we focus on our wounds, turning inward, we can become bitter and turn into the monsters that inflict wounds on others. The cycle can only be broken by dealing with the root cause: sin. And we cannot do this on our own. When we try, like Daniels, we find ourselves in a prison of our own making, running from those who may or may not be our friends. No, the person who can save us is Jesus (1 Pet. 3:21). He dealt with sin, once for all, when he went to the cross for us (Heb. 9:26). We must receive his gift of life, and find in him a new identity and a new nature; we become a new creation (2 Cor. 5:21). As the film progresses it keeps the viewer engaged, unwrapping secret after secret at the right moment. With horrors without and within, it offers insight into the torments of the human mind. And it is through this inner war, fought by one man, Daniels, against himself and those around him, that we also see that truth is not always clear. Though Jesus said, “The truth will set you free” (Jn. 8:32), we must look carefully for the truth,
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Article
by MARTIN BAGGS
and discern wisely else we will be fooled, by ourselves and by our friends. At one point Daniels says to his partner, “Which would be worse – to live as a monster? Or to die as a good man?” And this summarizes nicely the themes of violence, guilt, monsters and truth in one succinct line. Are we willing to live out our lives as monsters, even if this is only apparent to ourselves? We may fool others, but we know our inner depravity, if we really look at ourselves closely in the mirror. Or will we confess our sins, our monster nature, to God and accept his cleansing; his gift of a new nature, and become a good man? This may result in society ostracizing us, even putting us to death, but we will find forgiveness and truth. Copyright ©2011, Martin Baggs Martin works as a manager in the high tech industry. He leads a monthly film review group at Mosaic Church in Portland, Oregon. He writes film responses from a biblical perspective on his blog: www. mosaicmovieconnectgroup. blogspot.com Contact: martinbaggs@gmail. com
Christian Video® Magazine
June 2011
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Article
By RYAN GEESAMAN
Volunteer Depreciation?
A
s I’m sure is true for most of you, our church is heavily dependent on the service of volunteers. We have enough staff in key positions to support a huge network of volunteers. We have hundreds of people serving each weekend and thousands who serve in some capacity over the course of a month.
My story of employment at the church really starts when I was a volunteer. I decided after my first visit that I was going to make LCBC my church. Shortly thereafter, I saw an announcement slide about volunteering in video production, and I jumped at the chance. I helped with field shoots, editing, and acting as a producer on occasion. At the time, the Video Production Coordinator had a producing background, but she was not as experienced in shooting, audio, lighting, or even editing. So she relied heavily on volunteers to take care of those aspects. There were a handful of us who were trained, had experience, or were otherwise skilled in video production. She would line up locations, times, and volunteers, but she left it to us to handle the actual production and editing. For me, it was a fantastic opportunity. I had a degree in Video Production that I was not using. So it was my outlet for something I loved to do but didn’t have the opportunity to do fulltime. Some of the other volunteers, however, were working in production for a living. For them, it was more of a challenge to get excited about doing more of the same thing they did all the time, but they saw a need and were willing to help. After I had been volunteering for a little more than a year, the position of Web Presence Coordinator opened up at the church. While it wasn’t my passion, it was actually in line with my fulltime job at the time, so I applied. Coincidentally and unbeknownst to me, the
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Video Production Coordinator was transitioning into a Graphic Designer role at the same time. They decided to create a hybrid Video/Web position, and I was hired. At first, I tried to maintain the status quo in Video Production. While I was able to do more production on my own than my predecessor, I still relied on volunteers for help in both shooting and editing. But an interesting thing began to occur. It seemed the skilled volunteers began to see less of a need since I was capable of doing many of the things the church used to rely on them to do. I was having a harder and harder time finding help for projects. And even when someone would volunteer to help, it was becoming harder to get him or her to follow through. I was finding that editing projects were especially difficult to farm out to volunteers. It was hard to get raw footage, graphics, and other materials to them; to get rough cuts from them; and to have changes made in a timely manner. Editing is a time-consuming process, and it is a lot to ask someone who already works at least 40 hours a week to spend another 16 hours on an editing project. So the volunteer pool began to change dramatically. I was losing the more skilled volunteers, but they were being replaced with extremely dedicated volunteers whose lack of skill was more than made up for by a desire to learn and serve. At the same time, another force was at work. Our overall production value in our gatherings continued to climb, forcing the production value of our videos to increase as well. These two competing
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Article
by RYAN GEESAMAN
forces were at work: the loss of skilled volunteers and the increased production value requirement. I decided we had to focus staff energy where it made the most sense and volunteer energy where it made the most sense in order to serve the church as efficiently and effectually as possible. I pulled all of the editing in-house and concentrated the volunteers’ efforts on helping with shoots. By concentrating staff energy on editing, we were able to maintain overall quality control and take on the burden of time that is inherent in an editing project. By concentrating volunteer energy on shooting, we could focus our volunteer training efforts on one specific skill set. That leads us to volunteer training. As I began to see the value in having dedicated unskilled volunteers as opposed to overworked skilled ones, it became evident that training would be paramount. I began a regularly scheduled monthly training night. Each month we meet at the church and cover one area of production. We have talked about shot composition, lighting, camera operation, depth of field, recording clean audio, camera support options, and just about anything else you can think of. And the volunteers eat it up. They are hungry for the knowledge, hungry for the opportunity to be better, and hungry to do something they love in order to serve a God they love more. Of course, they also learn when we work on productions together. I try to involve the volunteers in as many shoots as possible. I send them out on their own to gather b-roll and create teams of volunteers and staff to do more involved productions that involve lighting or sound. I rotate the volunteers through different positions so that they learn all of the different areas. It has taken a few years, but the volunteers who have been with me since these training nights started are now to the point that I can send them out without staff support for more than just gathering b-roll. And that is a great feeling: for them and me. As leaders of video departments in our churches, we cannot be satisfied with just being doers. We
Christian Video® Magazine
must also be teachers of our craft no matter how small our departments or churches are. Otherwise, who will help us when we need help or who will take over when we cannot do it any longer? More importantly, if we aren’t willing to teach, from whom are we taking away an opportunity to serve in a place they love? Today, my staff has grown to four fulltime video producers. More importantly, I have an incredibly valuable team of volunteers without whom we would not be able to keep up with our workload. If I had based their initial involvement on skill level, many of them would have found somewhere else to serve. But instead, I have learned a valuable lesson. I would take ten people who come to me saying, “I don’t have any formal training, but I’m willing to learn” over one who says, “I know everything, and from what I’ve seen, you need my help.” When it comes to volunteers, sometimes having heart is more important than having knowledge.
June 2011
15