Make Your Testimony Videos Better

Many churches are starting to do some of their own video production, and often those videos take the form of testimonies or interviews.

Here's a couple quick tips for making those productions look even better:

1.  Place the camera at eye level or slightly lower.  Doing so will give you a better looking shot than if the camera is place up high.

2.  Frame your shot so that your subject is over to one side, not centered.  This 1) allows you to make better use of your background space and 2) makes for a more interesting looking shot.

3.  Try to separate your subject from the background.  Video tends to flatten your image, and you need to counter that, by:

• seating your subject at least 10ft in front of your background;
• lighting your subject and your background separately (possibly using colors or textures in your background lighting);
• back lighting your subject; and 
• positioning your camera so that your background is slightly out of focus.

4.  Do not allow your subject to look directly at the camera - they should be looking slightly to one side.  For your audience, this creates the feeling that they are listening in on a conversation between two people.

5.  One side of the subject's face (the side closest to the camera) should be better lit than the other.  The side that is not as well lit should be clearly visible but have subtle shadowing.

6.  Avoid too much empty space in the background.  Use bookcases, plants, or other objects to add interest and avoid the "prison wall" look.

Experiment with these techniques and see if they increase the quality of your videos.  And feel free to email us with your questions - we're always glad to help!                        

Making Your Projector Bulb Last

There is no way around it - projector lamps are expensive. At $150 to $600 or more per lamp, it is important to get as much use out of them as possible.  This is especially true for churches with multiple projectors.  Here's a couple ways to make your lamps last longer:

1.  Regular Filter Cleaning.  It is essential that the projector be able to cool the lamp by moving air through the projector's housing.  In order for this to happen the filter(s) must be cleaned regularly.  Generally, this means at least once per quarter - once per month if you are in an environment that has a higher than average amount of dust particles.
2.  Allow for good air flow.  The fan exhaust area of the projector should be at least 3-5 feet from any wall or other impediment to free air flow.  If air does not flow freely around the projector, it will overheat, which will shorten the life of your lamp. 
3.  Avoid temperature extremes.  If you store your projector in an extremely cold area (below 45 degrees or so), the bulb may burst when you turn it on.  If you store your projector in an extremely warm area (read: the back seat of your car in the summer), you can do permanent damage to the projector's electronics.

4.  Avoid turning the projector off and on.  When you turn on the projector, a burst of power excites the lamp filament, and over time it burns out. Switch your projector lamp off only when it will be at least 30 minutes before it is used again.
5.  Allow lamp to cool before switching off power or unplugging.  The projector fan should continue to run for a period of time after your turn the lamp off in order to cool the lamp. If the power is turned off before the end of the process, the life of the lamp will be shortened.
6.  Avoid moving the projector while it is on.The projector bulb is very sensitive when it is hot, and any movement can cause damage to it.  Make sure the lamp is permitted to fully cool before moving the unit.

 7.  Consider using the "economy" mode.Most projectors have an economy mode in which the projector operates at less than its brightest level.  If the environment in which you are projecting allows for operating the projector in this mode, it will extend the life of your lamp.                                                                                                      

Font Choices for Projection

Most people have a short list of type fonts that they love to use. But what looks nice on a poster or church bulletin may not work so well on a projection screen. Here's a couple tips on font choices and making your projected text look its best:

1.  Our first priority is to maximize contrast between our background and our text.  Having text that looks great is slightly less important than having text your audience can clearly read.  I generally prefer to stick with white letters on darker backgrounds, instead of off-white or yellow.

2.  Shadow and outline your text.  Doing this will help to clearly separate the text from the background, and will cause the text to "jump out".  You can often get away with using a lighter colored background when you are using this technique.

3.  When choosing fonts, remember clarity is king.  Many fonts are interesting to look at but very hard to read on a projection screen. In particular, some of the more ornate script fonts tend to be unusable for projection.  Thick block letter fonts such as Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, and Franklin Gothic are safe and very readable. Most projected fonts will also look better in bold.

4.  Experiment with using a variety of readable fonts.  While I would always suggest staying with the same font for an entire song, mixing them as we move from song to song is perfectly acceptable and can add creative interest.  For instance, we generally recommend script or brush fonts for slower, more worshipful songs, and more contemporary-looking fonts for faster praise songs.  You also will want to coordinate your font choice with your background choice - they should always blend nicely together and reflect the tempo and tone of the song.

For projected sermon notes, if there is a particular readable font to goes well with the theme and background, feel free to experiment with it.  Otherwise, sticking with one of the "safe" fonts is perfectly acceptable.

Push yourself creatively in the area of font choices.  It may seem inconsequential, but picking the right font can help add to the cohesiveness of your communication.