FAQ: Setting up a video department

Here’s a response I sent a gentleman the other day. His question was this, “How do I set up a video department at my church?”

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The biggest advice I could give you from a starting standpoint is to make sure what you are doing aligns with the vision of your pastor. A church video department should serve his vision and better enable the points God gives him to be made.

My pastor, Perry, has a good series of posts on our message prep/creative process. This one in particular is great for video artists… it talks about allowing enough time to develop ideas;
http://www.perrynoble.com/2009/10/08/how-do-you-prepare-a-message-part-three/
This is especially important when working with a volunteer based crew. They need time to develop ideas, and you and your pastor will need time to evaluate them, give suggestions, make changes. The keys here are time and a good dialog.

In addition, it’s always best to communicate the specifics on the front end. If it needs to be scary, say it. If it is important for the colors to be blue, say it. Be specific where the specifics demand it, and where there is room for some creative license give it.

As for software, etc., we use Final Cut to edit and After Effects for motion graphics. Vegas is a fine choice for editing, however… as is Adobe Premier (or even iMovie on the mac). In the end the tools are helpful, but the important thing is the creative ideas. Cool is one thing, but intention, that’s the goal.

Beyond that, look for inspiration, figure out how to best compliment your pastor’s messages and serve his vision, and develop your skills however you can (lynda.com, allbetsareoff.com, videocopilot.net, and just digging for inspiration everywhere you look!).

I hope that helps,
Ken