Camera One, Camera Two
Looking to attract new members? Dust off the VCR, polish your acting skills and warm the lights!

By Julie Riddle

The concept of a church visitor video or brochure, a taped presentation available to potential members, is simple: Provide a positive snapshot of what you have to offer in an attempt to make them a permanent part of your church family.

The development of a neatly packaged, sharp piece of promotional material, however, will require churches to become more educated about technology, as well as the ins and outs of planning such a project.

"For too long, churches have been left behind in the communication revolution," says Josh Jenkins, communications specialist for Springdale, Ark.,- based New Hope Network, which specializes in producing media tools for churches and ministries. "We're changing that by bringing these new media tools to the forefront for churches and ministries with the launch of www.newhopenetwork.com."

According to Anthony B. Smith of Negaunee, Mich.,- based production company Eaglewing Enterprises, visitor videos are a quick way to introduce yourself.

"The video brochure is an excellent tool for communicating to the potential member or sponsor," Smith says. "Whether you are a church, a youth group, a missions organization or a para-church ministry, the benefits of having a brochure are many."

Once the project is complete, it can be used for a variety of meet-and-greet purposes in and outside of the church.

"The video brochure can be used during a visitation and left with the individual to view at their leisure," Smith suggests. It can also be shown at a new members' class as an introduction to the church or ministry, or used as part of a booth set-up at a local Sunday school, youth or missions conference.

Jenkins says a video's most obvious primary objective is outreach.

"It's a way to reach a connected, visual generation," he explains. Video provides three characteristics lost on most other mediums of communication: impact, retention and action.

"Combining visual images, spoken word, and music in a well-produced video can emotionally draw the viewer to the message of the video," Jenkins adds. This connection results in an emotional impact on the viewer.

"At my church, New Hope Fellowship, we have many members who expressly returned to our church because of the video we gave them," he says. "Today, several years later, they still remember the basic messages of the video."

One final thing a video should do is prompt viewers to action, Jenkins says.

"Whatever is emotionally involving, you'll remember, and whatever you remember, you'll act on," he explains. "It's this characteristic of video that brings people through the door."

Pre-production

Visitor videos are made one of two ways: in-house production or by a company contracted to do the project. Both have advantages and disadvantages, the most glaring of which is the issue of cost versus quality. While an in-house production may cost less, the hassle of finding qualified staff, as well as procuring equipment and time, may prove overwhelming. On the other hand, finding and hiring a production company may be too expensive or complicated.

Churches opting to do the work themselves will need several pieces of equipment. Smith recommends:

• A high-quality camera. An SVHS, Hi-8 or Mini-DV work well.
• A tripod sturdy enough to hold the camera.
• A lapel or hand-held microphone.
• One or two lights. Pick up a halogen light, the kind used as a work light at a construction site, at the local hardware store. These cost less than professional video lights and serve the purpose.
• Editing equipment, either linear or non-linear. The cost of this system will vary according to your needs--graphics, transitions, special effects--or you can shoot your own video and rent an edit suite at a local production facility. Some will allow you to bring in your own technician and some won't.
• A talented video artist. He/she should be gifted not only in terms of technical expertise but also with the ability to interview people and to catch the vision and purpose of the project.

For churches planning an in-house production, Jenkins recommends using a person or company with significant experience.

"Don't attempt to have a 'tech guy' create your video," Smith warns. "Instead, opt for a person or company with experience in the field of communication and production, someone who understands the unique communications needs of churches."

Contracting a company requires a stringent research process to ensure the best bang for your buck. When interviewing production companies, Smith recommends asking for recent work samples and professional references.

"Just because someone can shoot and edit a good wedding video does not mean that they can put together a promotional video," Smith warns. "One is a live event, the other is a formatted project."

Before selecting a company, Jenkins recommends that churches conduct a brainstorming session.

"The process should begin internally," Jenkins says. "Sit down with key staff members and ask yourselves, 'What are the five most important things about our church?' After you know your five focus areas, you should select a company to produce your video."

George Flanik, owner of River of Life Productions in Lynchburg, Va., emphasizes the importance of working with a company that understands what a church needs to convey.

"If an outside producer is necessary, look first for a Christian firm, to make communicating the needs easier," Flanik says. "Whether it's a sole proprietor or a multi-person partnership or corporation, a professional firm should welcome the opportunity to meet. Expect the firm to offer all the creative alternatives in its skill mix to enhance the quality of your video."

Production

Once you've decided who will be manning the project, the next logical step is to focus on what the video will include. Several items are must-haves for any effective visitor video.

"The video brochure usually starts with an opening statement from the pastor or ministry leader," Smith says. This statement explains briefly the history of the church or ministry, bringing the viewer up-to-date.

Next, Smith recommends an introduction to the video, along with its purpose. It is also important to reveal the name of your organization or ministry or state the church's mission, then extend an invitation to the viewer to attend. Other elements Smith recommends are ministry profiles that emphasize areas of service; leadership statements that highlight your vision, history and ministry; local highlights for recent transplants to your area of town; information regarding programs and opportunities for discipleship; areas of need, excerpts from worship, small groups, missions and community outreach; plus, contact information for all of the above.

But the most important ingredient in the video brochure, according to Smith, is that it have a "personal" aspect--that it conveys a sense of community, growth and life-changing experiences in the form of testimonies.

"Find individuals who have had life experiences to give testimony," he suggests. "It gives relevance to the organization. It is not polished. It comes from real people who have had their lives changed. Personal testimony can make the difference between an 'informational' video and an 'inspirational' video."

Do this, don't do that

As with anything, it is important to avoid making common mistakes that can hurt--not help--your membership, and in some cases, get your church into legal hot water.

One major consideration is the length of the video. Experts agree that videos should last about 10 minutes, 20 max, and reflect a clear focus. However, varying the content is also a good idea. For instance, avoid having the same person speak directly to the camera for the duration of the video.

"It [the video] is fast-paced and lively, individual shots are no longer than eight to ten seconds," Flanik says. Scenes should be a mix of eye-level, low-angle, high-angle and moving shots. Also, an appropriate music bed is important, he adds. Narration should cover several shots in each area of the video--mission, worship, ministries and contact information, for example.

A number of legal issues should also be considered when shooting a video, Flanik adds. Potential legal hazards include shooting a video without written releases from everybody appearing in the shot; recording music in a shot without synchronization rights from the music publisher; failing to insist on work-for-hire status from an outside production firm; and failing to state copyright on the video, its labels and packaging.

Price is an issue

The cost of producing a video brochure varies greatly depending on whether it is produced in-house or by a hired company. At Eaglewing, prices range from $425 for the "silver" package (10 -12 minutes) to $850 for the "platinum" package (16 -18 minutes). The latter includes live 3-D animated graphics, custom transitions, ministry profiles, leadership statements, background music, opening and closing statements and a montage.

New Hope Network's taped presentations run between five to 10 minutes long and include a professional voice-over narrator, a choice of background music and logo insertion, among other features. One-hundred VHS copies of the finished video are included in the deal, labeled and packaged in cardboard sleeves.

Prices vary depending on how elaborate the final product is.

"We don't do 'template' videos," Jenkins explains. In other words, each video is as unique as the church having it done. As such, prices vary, but New Hope videos typically cost between $2,500 and $5,500 to produce.

"This [range] varies by project, and we're always happy to give free written bids before we begin," Jenkins explains. Additionally, the company bids videos at a "flat rate," not by the hour. This way, he says, clients are never surprised when the final bill comes. "We always charge exactly what we bid," he says.

"Often, I remind clients that they may be paying that much for a single month's worth of newspaper advertising," Jenkins adds. "And clearly, the video represents a much higher value since it can be used for such a long period of time."

The End

Although it might seem to be a long, tedious process, the end result of visitor video production is worth the trouble, experts say. Using advanced technology is a way for churches to come into an electronic age with unlimited benefits, Jenkins says.

"Churches that communicate using new media tools like the Internet and video bring their message to a new audience in a new way," he explains. "We have had amazing success."