It used to be that having a website for the church was optional and not really thought of as critical; well, my friends, the times have changed.
With more and more people consuming media online these days, it's imperative that your church have not only an online home, but also a presence on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other social networking platforms. You may think that this doesn't include you, and if you want to continue reaching the same demographic of people that you currently have attending, than you can probably disregard this; however, if you do choose that road, I fear that you are choosing the easy way out, and dare I say the lazy way out?
We are not called to minister to just the people in our local congregation but to the world! If we are not actively seeking new ways of reaching those that need to hear the message God have commanded us to share, then I feel that we fall into the Laodicean category.
Your website has become your primary broadcast channel. Gone are the days when people will look up a church in the phone directory and call the office (yes, I know, it still happens). People are more likely to search for the church online, get the information they need (assuming it's easy to find) and then make their decision on whether to visit based on what they see.
A few months ago, I painted a picture for my local church congregation to help them see the benefits of a vibrant and functional website; allow me to do the same here.
"Imagine a visitor walks into our church one day. That visitor has already visited our website and read what we believe as a church, what our mission statement is, discovered a couple small groups that they might be interested in, and even watched a sermon or two...all in the comfort of their own home. What we have now is an informed visitor who is not only more familiar with the church and what we stand for, but also about what kind of people go to church here and what the facility looks like. All because that person was able to experience what our church IS before every stepping foot inside our doors." These are the kinds of visitors you want!
Maybe next week I'll talk about the worldwide ramifications of having a media ministry that is consistently updated online!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Camera Work-A Refresher
After we have been working with our tech systems for a while, it's easy to forget some of the basics of the things we work with. So, I thought I would give a refresher, just in case. And if you don't need a refresher, then feel free to use this as a training tool.
First, know your direction! Pans and tilts! Pans are left and right, tilts are up and down; but don't worry about it if you get it mixed up-we all do! If you're a camera operator, focus more on the direction (e.g. left, right, up, and down) rather than the command (pan, tilt).
Second, composition: do research! Watch TV, movies and other programs to see how other people are doing it so you can keep on top of changing trends, etc. There are some basics, though, like the rule of thirds. Just divide your screen into thirds in both the horizontal and vertical and use the intersecting points to "hang" your subject on.
Third, focus: I cannot stress the importance of critical focus, especially when you're shooting in HD. Something I've noticed in my time is that I have developed the ability to tell focus, even on very small screens. However, this doesn't seem to translate to other people, so having a larger screen to tell focus on for your camera operators (and for yourself) is of utmost importance.
That's it for now!
First, know your direction! Pans and tilts! Pans are left and right, tilts are up and down; but don't worry about it if you get it mixed up-we all do! If you're a camera operator, focus more on the direction (e.g. left, right, up, and down) rather than the command (pan, tilt).
Second, composition: do research! Watch TV, movies and other programs to see how other people are doing it so you can keep on top of changing trends, etc. There are some basics, though, like the rule of thirds. Just divide your screen into thirds in both the horizontal and vertical and use the intersecting points to "hang" your subject on.
Third, focus: I cannot stress the importance of critical focus, especially when you're shooting in HD. Something I've noticed in my time is that I have developed the ability to tell focus, even on very small screens. However, this doesn't seem to translate to other people, so having a larger screen to tell focus on for your camera operators (and for yourself) is of utmost importance.
That's it for now!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Automation Systems-An Overview
Ok, so we've covered a LOT of different topics in the past few months, and I'm beginning to run out of ideas, but this is an area that I'm about to embark on with an install, so I thought I would give you guys an idea of some of the things that are possible in the world.
As the title suggests, there are systems whose sole function is to provide a way to automate certain tasks for ease-of-use and for consistency's sake.
One of the most common uses is to provide a certain level of functionality while keeping critical components (like audio mixers, routers, switchers, etc.) away from less-experienced users. A relatively simple interface is provided to control common functions (Play, Stop, Chapter Skip, etc.) for DVD players, VCRs, projectors, lights, and even electric projection screens.
These systems rely on macros, or sets of commands, in order to properly function. For example, let's say I walk into a room and there's a control panel on the wall and I want to play a DVD. I simply push the DVD button or option (if it's an LCD touchpanel) and many things happen, both within my view and behind the scenes.
To my eyes, I can see the projection screen roll down, the projector turn on and switch to the correct input, and the DVD player powers up and ejects the tray, ready to accept my DVD.
What I don't see is the controller sending the signal to a router that sends out the following signals: a signal to the screen controller to roll down, a power up and input selection signal to the projector, a power up and eject signal to the DVD player, and finally a signal to route the audio from the DVD player to the main outputs.
In a typical situation, these are all functions that a human would have to do by hand, but in today's world of wanting more for less, it's become almost critical to install "idiot-proof" that will just work with a minimal amount of input from the user.
There are a few different manufacturers that provide automation equipment, but the three largest, as far as I've been able to find, are Crestron, Extron, and AMX.
There are other manufacturers that make more specialized equipment, but for our purposes, these three will suffice. All three offer both push-button and LCD touchpanel control solutions, and each has their own approach on this growing niche market.
Control signals are sent over either infra-red (IR) or RS-232, which is being built into more and more electronics as a means of connecting to systems such as we are discussing.
My understanding is that these systems really have their genesis in the luxury home market; those homes that have their own theater rooms and massively expensive equipment, etc. The next market to jump on board was corporate America-building in functionality and ease-of-use for board/conference rooms, then a huge surge has been seen in the education market with lecture halls, classrooms, etc. using these systems. Finally, churches have begun to implement these on a large enough scale that they can be classified in their own category.
There are so many benefits, it's hard to talk about just one, but this is a big one for me:
If you're like me, you are constantly getting called to offer "tech support" for systems that no one else seems to be able to operate. It does get annoying and this might be an option for you to have some peace of mind. In the event that you DO get a call and something is not working, VPN support, at least from Extron, is built-in, so make sure your equipment is connected to the network, and you can access the network through a Virtual Private Network in order to see what's going on. It's also a good way to do scheduling-yes, you can schedule certain things. So, if you have a Youth room that sees pretty heavy use, you can schedule the equipment to be ready and waiting for the leaders to utilize, or you can just have your local macros ready to go when they walk into the room. These systems are extremely powerful and very handy and I would encourage you to look into them as they could alleviate not only your headaches, but a lot of potential damage done by users who don't know what they are doing.
Crestron Electronics: www.crestron.com
Extron: www.extron.com
AMX: www.amx.com
As the title suggests, there are systems whose sole function is to provide a way to automate certain tasks for ease-of-use and for consistency's sake.
One of the most common uses is to provide a certain level of functionality while keeping critical components (like audio mixers, routers, switchers, etc.) away from less-experienced users. A relatively simple interface is provided to control common functions (Play, Stop, Chapter Skip, etc.) for DVD players, VCRs, projectors, lights, and even electric projection screens.
These systems rely on macros, or sets of commands, in order to properly function. For example, let's say I walk into a room and there's a control panel on the wall and I want to play a DVD. I simply push the DVD button or option (if it's an LCD touchpanel) and many things happen, both within my view and behind the scenes.
To my eyes, I can see the projection screen roll down, the projector turn on and switch to the correct input, and the DVD player powers up and ejects the tray, ready to accept my DVD.
What I don't see is the controller sending the signal to a router that sends out the following signals: a signal to the screen controller to roll down, a power up and input selection signal to the projector, a power up and eject signal to the DVD player, and finally a signal to route the audio from the DVD player to the main outputs.
In a typical situation, these are all functions that a human would have to do by hand, but in today's world of wanting more for less, it's become almost critical to install "idiot-proof" that will just work with a minimal amount of input from the user.
There are a few different manufacturers that provide automation equipment, but the three largest, as far as I've been able to find, are Crestron, Extron, and AMX.
There are other manufacturers that make more specialized equipment, but for our purposes, these three will suffice. All three offer both push-button and LCD touchpanel control solutions, and each has their own approach on this growing niche market.
Control signals are sent over either infra-red (IR) or RS-232, which is being built into more and more electronics as a means of connecting to systems such as we are discussing.
My understanding is that these systems really have their genesis in the luxury home market; those homes that have their own theater rooms and massively expensive equipment, etc. The next market to jump on board was corporate America-building in functionality and ease-of-use for board/conference rooms, then a huge surge has been seen in the education market with lecture halls, classrooms, etc. using these systems. Finally, churches have begun to implement these on a large enough scale that they can be classified in their own category.
There are so many benefits, it's hard to talk about just one, but this is a big one for me:
If you're like me, you are constantly getting called to offer "tech support" for systems that no one else seems to be able to operate. It does get annoying and this might be an option for you to have some peace of mind. In the event that you DO get a call and something is not working, VPN support, at least from Extron, is built-in, so make sure your equipment is connected to the network, and you can access the network through a Virtual Private Network in order to see what's going on. It's also a good way to do scheduling-yes, you can schedule certain things. So, if you have a Youth room that sees pretty heavy use, you can schedule the equipment to be ready and waiting for the leaders to utilize, or you can just have your local macros ready to go when they walk into the room. These systems are extremely powerful and very handy and I would encourage you to look into them as they could alleviate not only your headaches, but a lot of potential damage done by users who don't know what they are doing.
Crestron Electronics: www.crestron.com
Extron: www.extron.com
AMX: www.amx.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)