Taming The Media Monster

Media is a complicated beast that can spiral out of control at any point, especially when it comes to video production. There are so many variables that go into it. Such as lighting, audio, your talent, what the story is, ect… So how do you handle it? How are you able to pump out videos like a boss each and every week? The answer? Organization.

Organization is the most important feature when it comes to creating media. Creating a simple system that keeps files organized and a workflow that is reasonable and secure. Here’s a workflow that I would suggest.

Pre-Production:

This is the part where you pre plan everything out. For video it is the script. Timing everything out, writing down a shot sheet of ideas that can tell the story visually. Finding audio and putting together a team that can understand their roles and knows the vision being cast would be done in this stage too. When it comes to photography, getting to know the subject and creating a relationship before the shoot is crucial. That allows confidence in the subject, but also enables the shooter to know what to be looking for.

Once a game plan is set out, and then you must have the workflow to keep things moving.

The Process:

On the shoot, it’s important to back everything up. It has been said that if you have your file in one place it doesn’t exist. You must have it in three places for it to truly exist. This basically means that computers and hard drives crash all the time. To ensure that your media is safe, you should definitely back it up in different locations.

Here’s a great video that explains this concept on a professional level.

Sharing:

Once the content is created, you have to share it some how! Social media has been a great tool for doing this. Facebook pages are a great way when starting out. It can act as a homepage and include photos and videos. This is what my FB page looks like: IndieElephantProductions However, once you start to get larger you definitely need to look into having your own website. smugmug has a great tool that I use when it comes to building a website. It enables you to be creative and show your content any way you want and even has a store that can sell photos for you. Many of the social media sites should be used to get traffic to your actual website. Linking everything together is a great idea and makes it easier!

In summary, I want to encourage you all that even though creating media can be a scary thing…it doesn’t have to be! Figure out a system that works for you and stick with it. Stay organized and label everything so you can access it easily in the future. And never put the camera down! I leave you with this cool shot of Philadelphia I took the other day. 

Until next time. 

Wisdom From A Church Media Director

I was fortunate to complete my required internship this summer at Christian Life Assembly. The internship involved creating videos for the church and join in the creative team processes. After I graduate from VFCC, I'm planning to work for a church or Christian organization in the film world. But, what does it take to work in a unique environment such as a Church? I interviewed my mentor from the internship, and heres how it went.

Me: " How did you get started in the digital media field?"

Richard: "I began doing video work for my high school, recording and producing the annual school musicals, football games, etc."

Me: "Did you attend a college/university before this job and if so what did you study?"

Richard: " I attended Montgomery College and the University of Maryland receiving my degree in Communication-Video Production. After graduating, I did not use my degree for almost 13 years when I began working in the church."

Me: " What is a typical day in the office look like?"

Richard: "Most days are spent multi-tasking in five areas. Pre-production of upcoming services, post production on past services, volunteer management, equipment maintenance, administrative tasks (email, phone calls)

Me: "What is a goal you have for yourself in this field of work?"

Richard: "To continue to use the latest in technology to reach the world for Jesus Christ, keeping in mind that the message is not changing, only the method."

Me: "Is there anything you know now that you wished you knew getting started?"

Richard: "That a vast majority of the leadership (pastoral staff, deacon/elder boards) in the church do not have any idea what or how to use digital media, but think they know everything. This creates an unnecessary level of stress and conflict when dealing with personnel and budget requests."

Me: " What’s your advice to anyone looking into working for the church in media?"

Richard: "Confirm that the church has a digital media plan (audio, video, lighting, photography, web, apps, and social media). During the interview process, make sure you confirm this with more than one staff/board member. If there is a plan, then confirm that the church is prepared to budget between 7-10% of the annual operating budget for the entire church, in the areas of digital media. Digital media is a continuing cycle of maintenance, upgrades and advancements. You must be flexible, and the church must be flexible."

In recap, here's a video I was able to produce for the church to promote their digital media ministries.

Click here for video.

Hope this post is able to spark some interest in those who want to work in a church! Don't forget to leave a comment below!