Xtranormal is a digital animation company that allows you to create your own movies! Just think of the applications: camp rules, announcements, topic teaser, discussion starter, mid=week shout out. These are so easy to create and incredible versatile. Check em out at www.xtranormal.com
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Set World Records at Your Next Event
I was watching some podcast Brian Brushwood was on when I first discovered RecordSetter.com This is a online, user-generated world record site. (I almost feel foolish writing anything else because I know your brains are already spinning on this one.) It’s easy. After signing up, you post a video as proof. They review it and then confirm you made or broke the record.
After hearing about this, one of our students immediately went and broke the record for number of times saying “pretty” before “good” in one breath. He was beaten soon after by a girl from Canada, but rest assured that he considered it a matter of national pride to get this record back in American hands!
So, we hosted a world record event and set a bunch of great ones that are being verified as I type. As a fun promo for the event our staff broke several records including my own world record:
Guest Post: QR Codes
How are you getting information to your students? Years ago you had to stick a piece of paper to a bulletin board and send home a newsletter. Remember having to actually cut clip-art out of a book? That used to be incredibly effective at getting information across to people. Now it’s almost a joke. Students are so wired now, and in some cases so environmentally conscious that to send them a newsletter is slow and a waste of paper.
At my church we have begun using QR codes. You know, those little squarish bar codes that resemble something the UPS man should scan on your box? Basically, a QR Code is a bar code that embeds information such as a web address, and is designed to be “read” by smart phones. Most of our students carry either a smart phone (Android, iPhone, or Blackberry) or an iPod Touch, and they bring them into our worship services. So, instead of forcing students to put their phones away, we ask them to participate in the service with their phones! Each week in the center of the tables that our students sit at we have information pieces about upcoming events with QR Codes on them. Students can scan the code which links to a web address with further information about the event, class, or resource. Sometimes the code takes them to a page with a funny YouTube video, other times it takes them to a page to register for Camp. The great thing about the QR Code is that once a student has scanned it, they can then revisit the information on their mobile device. It’s like a newsletter that follows them around everywhere!
So how do you get a QR Code and then use it? Well, my favorite QR Code generator can be found at QR Stuff. Once you follow the link all you have to do is select the options you want, enter your info, and the website automatically create the code for you. Simply download the code to your computer and attach it to anything you want! There are so many possibilities for using these little guys, and students love them!
Jon Homesley
Jon grew up around Charlotte, NC. He graduated from The College at Southeastern in 2010 with a BA doubling majoring in The History of Ideas and Biblical Studies. In 2008 he married his wife Chelsea. They currently live just north of Charlotte where Jon serves as the College Pastor, and Youth Ministry Geek (not his real title) at Christ Community Church. He prefers Windows 7 to OSX, Android to iOS, and Walkmans to iPods.
Jon’s church- www.ccchuntersville.com
Jon’s personal site- www.jonhomesley.com
New Final Cut X now Available in the Mac App Store
The wait it over, all you video geeks (you know who you are) can go download Apple’s latest video editing software, Final Cut Pro, from Mac App Store.
It’s only $299.99 which sounds like a lot, but considering it wasn’t that long ago that this product was $1000, it’s pretty good.
You can also pick up Motion and Compressor for an extra $50 each.
I can’t wait to try this out, I’ve been a Final Cut Express user, and I’m excited to give Pro a try.
Green Screen Video Tips
I don’t know if you saw the 40 40 40 Angry Birds video I posted yesterday (Watch it HERE), but i wanted to share a few things I learned about shooting a video with a green screen. We worked with Ian at Halfway Bridge making it, so he helped guide us through it, and here’s a few things I learned.
- Green Screen Material – there’s really nothing magic about what you use to make your green screen and there are a number of options you can use. There’s material
(which we used), paper
, and if you want a permanent setup there’s paint
. If you think it’s something you may be doing often there are kits
that come with the material and lights (more on these in a minute).
- Smooth – the only magic about your background is you need to make sure it’s smooth. Our background was folded fabric, so we had to take time to iron it first. If you are planning a shoot on a schedule, make sure you take this into account. This is important because folds and creases can interfere in the chroma process you’ll do in your software later (That’s the process of replacing the green background with something else). Nothing like going through your entire shoot only to find out the footage isn’t going to work.
- Lighting – I learned from Ian that this is really the most important part. Any variations in color interfere in the chroma process. It also helps the subject of the video to really pop from the green background. Making sure the lighting is consistant and even also took a little longer than I expected. (I was such a rookie).
- Wardrobe – Make sure any actors aren’t wearing green. We had to scrounge up a new shirt for Riley so part of his torso didn’t disappear against the green backdrop. Lucky we are a bunch of youth workers so there’s always a left over event t-shirt in our office.
- Plan the shoot – Make sure you know what you need to shoot. If you are shooting off a script, make sure you have your shot list written down so you know you’ve got everything you need. It’s a pain to go through the entire setup twice. If you aren’t sure, shoot it anyway, it’s better than missing the shot.
I also didn’t know you can do green screen editing right in iMovie (Ian was a little more advanced than that), but editing your green screen footage is easier than you may think. If you’ve never done it before you may want to experiment a little before jumping in.
Here are some ideas for youth group videos with a green screen:
- Promo: If you are going somewhere put some students or staff in front of a photo or video of where you are going. You could ham it up and make it really funny.
- Announcements: make people look like they are in a funny place while they give announcements. Maybe with a movie in the background and pretend your actors are interacting with the film characters
- Skits: put just the right background behind a skit you might be doing
There’s probably a bunch of other uses, share yours in the comments.
Apple Camp 2011
It’s that time of year to sign-up your 8 – 12 year olds for Apple’s free day camp held in their retail stores. I’ve sent my kids that last few years and they’ve had a blast. This summer, like last, focuses on movie making.
Description from their site:
A fun, free workshop where kids become filmmakers.
At Apple Camp, kids aged 8-12 learn how to shoot their own footage, create an original song in GarageBand on an iPad, and put it all together in iMovie on a Mac. This free workshop, held at the Apple Store, spans three days and ends with campers debuting their masterpieces at the Apple Camp Film Festival. Space is limited and workshops fill up quickly so sign up now for a super creative adventure.
Day One (1.5 hours)
- Introduction to the basics of moviemaking, including creating a storyboard.
- Create an original soundtrack by making a song in GarageBand on an iPad.
- Prepare for shooting footage outside the store overnight or inside the store at the end of the workshop.
On day one, Apple Camp also includes an optional, one-hour Parent’s Workshop that focuses on using and setting Parental Controls on the Mac. Registration is not required.
Day Two (1.5 hours)
- Introduction to iMovie — simple-to-use moviemaking software.
- Use a Mac to import and edit collected movie footage, incorporating stills and music.
- Create a film.
With guidance from Apple Camp Counselors, kids will use iMovie — part of the iLife suite of creativity applications built into every Mac — to create, edit, and produce their films.
Then on the Saturday following camp, there’s a film festival where all the kids get to show the movies they’ve made.
Registation opened the morning, and in the past, spots have gone fast. Not a bad free summer activity. And if you don’t have kids of your own, it may be a good way to get some of those younger middle schoolers in your ministry excited about movie making and they can help make videos for youth group.
Click here to go to the Registration link, and see if there’s one near you.
Goodbye David Crowder*Band
This last weekend I got an email from the David Crowder*Band announcing that this falls tour and new album will be their last. From their announcement:
Now, another reason we are sure this will be one of the most meaningful tours we’ve ever been on is because it will be our last as a band. This is why we so cleverly named it The 7 Tour. We’ve always hidden this little number here and there in our music and artwork, sometimes it would appear in the sum of the numerals 3 and 4, and other times it would be sitting there outright, but it’s always been with us. As you know, the number 7 has often been used to represent completion, and that feels exactly where we are as a band.
You can read their whole announcement here.
Needless to say I was super disappointed, they have been one of my favorite bands for over a decade. I remember the first time I saw them live. I think it was 1999 at a youth workers convention and not only did their worship catch my attention, but they also played a cover of Down Under; one of my favorites from the ’80s. Over the years I grown to love their music more and more. They have the rare talent of writing poetic lyrics, but also incorporate fun in what they do (Keytar anyone?).
I will miss them, but can’t wait to see what they have in store for us with their last album and tour.
Here are a few other posts I’ve written about them over the last few years:
- David Crowder Band: SMS (Shine) video
- Summer Fun: David Crowder*Band – Oh Happiness Live
- David CrowderBand – “How He Loves” Music Video
- Earth Day
- Twitter Will Kill You
Thanks guys for all the great music through the years, I’m so glad you shared so much with us.
FREE Audio Book: The Next Story
Every month ChristianAudio.com gives away a free audio book. This month the book is The Next Story: Life and Faith after the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies. It’s about our ever connected culture and it’s effect on our spiritual lives. Here’s the description from the site:
Even the least technical among us are being pressed from all sides by advances in digital technology. We rely upon computers, cell phones, and the Internet for communication, commerce, and entertainment. Yet even though we live in this “instant message” culture, many of us feel disconnected, and we question if all this technology is really good for our souls.
In a manner that’s accessible, thoughtful, and biblical, author Tim Challies addresses questions such as:
• How has life—and faith—changed now that everyone is available all the time through mobile phones?
• How does our constant connection to these digital devices affect our families and our church communities?
• What does it mean that almost two billion humans are connected by the Internet … with hundreds of millions more coming online each year?Providing the reader with a framework they can apply to any technology, Tim Challies explains how and why our society has become reliant on digital technology, what it means for our lives, and how it impacts the Christian faith.
I haven’t started it yet, but it sounds like it should be an interesting listen. As someone who surrounds himself with technology, I’m interested to see what Challies has to say.
And if you have never tried an audio book I high recommend it. I love listening to them in the car, at the gym, doing yardwork, or just about anywhere else. I don’t always have time to read as much as I would like, and audio books help me multitask.
Check it out, I’d love to hear what you think.
