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Crowd Sourced Video Projects

November 13, 2009 in For Fun, Media, Web with 0 Comments

Over the last week, I’ve come across two different video projects online that are using or used the power and reach of the internet to produce them.  The first one is a group that setting out to remake Star Wars, but letting people pick their favorite scene and recreate it however they want.  The second is a music video that that was written, produced and shot by user submissions to the creators youtube channel.  He also has a bigger vision of getting this song on the UK music charts to raise money for charity.

Here are the videos:

Star Wars: Uncut Trailer from Casey Pugh on Vimeo.

I just love the idea, and really enjoyed the results.  I was thinking this could be a fun youth group project.  Getting different groups of kids to shoot different parts of video and putting them all together could be a really fun activity.  I used to volunteer in a ministry that had a film festival of student made films every year and something like this would have been a great addition.  And with the availability of cameras like the Flip it could be easier than ever.  Kids love to see themselves on screen, and what a great way to involve lots of kids and let them stretch their creative muscles.

David CrowderBand – “How He Loves” Music Video

November 6, 2009 in For Fun, Media with 0 Comments

Just for fun.  It’s such a great look to make it look like David was just carrying around his laptop filming with his webcam.  I also loved the effect of it being sped up, but the singing regular time.  Enjoy.

YouTube – David CrowderBand – “How He Loves” OFFICIAL Music Video.

Turn Media into Compelling Video Quickly

October 23, 2009 in Featured, Media, Software, Web with 0 Comments

If you are anything like me, every time you go on a camp or retreat, you come back with tons of photos (about ten of which are usually any good) and maybe even some video.  Of course you want to do something cool with them, and every once in a while, you take the time to create a video that is a mashup of your pictures, videos, and some recent Christian Music.  Most of the time, your schedule rules out doing anything of the sort.

That is where Animoto comes in.  This snazzy little web tool allows you to upload photos and video, and then creates a really slick looking video of them.

You start by uploading pictures (no larger than 5MB each) and videos (no larger than 200MB each).  You can then set what portion of the videos you uploaded you want to include.  Once you have all your files uploaded, it’s time to select your music.  You can upload your own track or select from their collection.  If you are looking for Christian music, they have 27 selections ranging from Toby Mac to Christ Tomlin (who should be on your playlist).  All that’s left at that time is to determine your speed and cover image at which point their servers take over rendering an impressive video with a cool soundtrack.

The finished video is ready for sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, email, and even exporting to YouTube and Smugmug.

Sounds too good to be free right?  Well that’s where you’re wrong and right.  This is a freemium service.  You get all the photos and videos you can cram into 30 seconds for free, and if you want to make a longer video (up to the length of your song), the cost is $30 (the All-Access Pass) for all you can eat for an entire year… seems like a steal to me!  In addition to making longer videos, the All-Access Pass allows you to download the videos though they will only be 432×240 h.264 mp4s.  If you want dvd quality, you can pay $5 per video for the upgrade.

This site focuses on speed and ease of use.  Which means that you do not get a whole lot in the way of editing control.  As a matter of fact, you get NO control.  If you don’t like the transitions or timing, your only option is their “one-Click Remix” that sends it through their randomizer again to hopefully spit out something you’ll like.

However, if you want to be able to make a quick video about last week’s trip for this week’s worship service and have less than zero time, Animoto is a great choice, and an incredible value.  Check it out!

Amazing, Free Resources: Open by Lifechurch.tv

October 11, 2009 in Featured, Media, Resources, Software, Web with 0 Comments

I am constantly amazed at the tools that lifechurch.tv produces.  This morning I found out about what is quite possibly the most useful of them all: Open.  What is it?  It’s thousands of top-quality resources for churches available for free download.  It’s not just youth resources!  Everyone can find something from adults to children and youth to pet ministry (I may have gone a little overboard on the pet ministry).

To begin, you simply sign up for an account and voila, the world of Open resources is at your fingertips.  Browse through the files to find videos of messages, background loops, small group curriculum, skits and video illustrations.

Don’t have a great worship band?  No problem, you can download worship sets to project on a screen with a band, lyrics, the whole deal.  There’s even forms and training.  Like I said, it’s awesome!  The only problem I could find with the well-designed site is that some of the video files require you to burn them on a dvd to play them which for a novice (especially one using a pc) could get a little hairy.

That being said, it’s all there, and it’s all free.  Next time you need help on a message or small group your first stop simply has to be Open.

Want to Replace iTunes?

October 7, 2009 in Media, Software with 5 Comments

Sync, Play & Send to BlackBerry, PSP, iPod, iPhone with doubleTwist

First I want to say.  I like iTunes, it syncs content great to my iPhone and Apple TV.  I also love the genius feature, it creates great playlists.  But when it comes to getting content onto my sons PSP, I’m out of luck.  That was until doubleTwist.

DoubleTwist gives you an alternative to iTunes (that can still access you iTunes library).  It’s still pretty basic, but it does offer some great features that iTunes lacks.

  1. Sync – it syncs with a lot more devices (including PSP, Blackberrys, Android, Kindle and more).  See the complete list here.
  2. Amazon mp3 store.  You can directly access the Amazon mp3 and all the free content they offer.
  3. Share with others.  It gives an easy way to share with your friends.

It’s still early in development, and I’m sure they will fill out the missing features in time.  It’s a great start, and I look forward to future releases.  And at FREE, it’s worth a try.  Right now it’s only Mac, but a PC version is coming.

UPDATE: It looks like the PC version is available for download now.

Check it out: doubleTwist.

Review: David Crowder*Band, Church Music

September 22, 2009 in Media with 0 Comments

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I must confess, I’m a David Crowder*Band fanboy, but when I first pressed play on this album, I thought, “What’s happening here, did David Crowder just make a dance album and call it Church Music?”  It really caught me off guard, and not what I expected an album by the name Church Music to sound like.  You’re hit with loops and rhythms that sound more like they belong in a club, than a church, and I think that’s part of the beauty of the record.

That doesn’t mean that this album is missing the classic songs that all our worship teams will soon to learning, and hopefully not botching on Wednesday night. Songs like Alleluia, Sing and How He Loves are destined to be on the playlist of our worship leaders for some time to come.

The album also just has some great, fun songs to lift your spirits.  The funk of Church Music, Dance and the 80′s stylings of Oh Happiness just make me smile.

Give it a listen and I think you will like it.

Preview Now:

Available today on iTunes or at Amazon:
Download at iTunes:
David Crowder Band - Church Music
(Click to open iTunes)

Buy the CD:

Or MP3 Download:

There’s an App for That

September 9, 2009 in Featured, For Fun, Media, Web with 0 Comments

Here’s a funny promotion for a series on some of the more interesting scriptures in the Bible.

Clips from Films Still in the Theatre

September 6, 2009 in Featured, Media, Resources, Web with 0 Comments

I recently ran across a pretty incredible site: Wing Clips. The site focuses on providing clips for download from top movies that you can use as an illustration in your talks/sermons.  What’s amazing, is that they have clips available from first-run movies that are still in the theatres!  Right now they even have clips for a couple of films that have not even been released.

The clips are categorized by title, theme, and some even have full sermon outlines available for download (premium only).  What is interesting, and convenient, is that they have worked out a deal with the studios to allow you to not need a CVLI license to display them.   They provide 320×240 versions for free, and offer a subscription for unlimited 640×480 resolution for $15.95 a month or $139.00 a year (which works out to $11.59 a month).

Video Editing Software

July 28, 2009 in Media, Software with 0 Comments

Josh, over at MoreThanDodgeBall.com had a great basic rundown on video editing software.

iLife ’09 ($59 or free with a new Mac)
Mac only … and super easy to use. While it doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles of higher end software, it can get a decent movie made in with a short learning curve. Good for beginners and Mac enthusiasts. B

Final Cut Express 4 ($150)
Also Mac only … and easily the best of the bunch – but it’ll take you a while to even figure it out, much less master it. This is the software the big boys use, and it is ultra powerful – higher versions of the suite can go for up to $999. You can pretty much produce feature quality shots and effects with this guy. If you take the time to learn it, you’ll make great videos – this is what several people on our team use regularly and the bar to shoot for. A

Sony Movie Studio HD ($75)
This is the program I use personally – it is an awesome PC application that chews through HD footage no problem. The price is right and the performance is incredible. You can make slide shows in seconds, drop in transitions and split/cut/splice massive pieces of footage in seconds. Simple to learn, and has lots of options to make a highly polished final product.  A

Windows Movie Maker (Free with Windows)
This one comes free with your Windows PC, and while it has gotten far better than earlier versions, it still takes up the rear. While it is free, the end product isn’t great and there are all sorts of limits to what you can produce. Still though, for the budget conscious, this is a place to get started. C+

(I’ve updated Josh’s prices to reflect Amazon’s current prices)

I agree with his assessments, although a C+ for Movie Maker may be generous.  I myself do most of my editing in iMovie.  It’s super quick and easy.  It lacks some of the bells and whistles of Final Cut Express, but gets the job done.  I would rate it a B+ or A-.  I would love to learn Final Cut, but I think I need to buy a book or something because the few times I’ve tried it I haven’t been able to accomplish much.

One that he left out that I think deserves mention is Adobe Premiere Elements ($50).  Much like Final Cut Express it’s not the professional level like it’s big brother Premier, but is a great option for PC users that need more than Windows Movie Maker, but still don’t want to spend $1000 on software.

Live Streaming

July 1, 2009 in Media, Web with 0 Comments

I got a question the other day about how to live stream an event.  This person had a great idea, they wanted to live stream some of the chapel times at camp for the parents back home so they could feel a part of what was going on.  I thought it was a great application for this technology.  A few years ago offering a stream of a live event on the Internet would have cost a small fortune and required a truck load of equipment.  Today it’s surprisingly easy and inexpensive.  Here’s a quick tutorial of how to do it.

Equipment you’ll need: A computer (preferably a laptop if you’re on the road), internet connection, video camera

Optional: Microphone (although this really shouldn’t be)

How to do it:

  1. You’ll need an account at one of the streaming services.  They are a bunch of them, and most of them offer a free level that ad supported.  I use Ustream.tv, and have been really happy with it.  I use it to stream the Simply Youth Ministry Podcast and have also used it to stream sessions at the National Youth Ministry Conference.  There’s newer service called, LiveStream.com that looks really good also that I’ve been tempted to try out.  Stickam.com is another option for you.
  2. Once you have you’re account setup, plug in your camera.  This might be a simple as a webcam (this is a good one), a home video camera, or a big professional rig.  One warning is the better your camera, the better your computer needs to be to keep up with the video stream.  As a point of reference, my 2 year old MacBook Pro can’t keep up with an HD signal, but most of the free services won’t allow an HD stream anyway.  So a nice Standard Def stream is probably your best bet.  Another thing to watch out for is some of the services will only accept 4 x 3 screen ratios, so if you’re camera is normally letterbox you may need to if you can change it in your settings menu.  This is also where if you have a microphone you’ll want to plug it in.  You may find what you are doing the built in microphone in your camera is just fine, but usually most people want something a little better.  There are some great external mics that you may want to get to connect directly to your camera.  Or you might want to get the audio directly into your computer.  If it’s a small area you are filming in,  a nice USB mic to may work well.  I use a Snowball from Blue it works well and is a great omnidirectional option if you have a group of people.  If you have a traditional XLR mic you’d like to use you can get a XLR to USB setup. If you have a little more of a production you working with you may want to take a line out of the sound board and into your camera.
  3. Once you have the video and sound set, you’ll want to press the broadcast now button available once your logged into your streaming service.  It will ask what audio and video source to use, and pick the appropriate one for your setup.  In ustream once you press the broadcast now it actaully doesn’t directly start broadcasting, but pulls up the control panel.  Here you can test your settings before pushing your stream live.  When your ready you can push it live, and even record the stream if you want to.
  4. Once you begin your broadcast, the last step is getting people to watch.  The easiest way is to embed the video on your own site and directing people there to watch.  You can also direct people to the show page for the streaming service you’re using.

Remember that one of the bonuses of streaming is that people are limited to just watching, you can also have a chat room with the video so people watching can comment and interact with what they are watching.  I find this to be one of the best parts of live streaming an event.  It’s amazing the engagement people can have while watch a video.  It’s a great way to interact and build community with those that can’t be at the event live.  If you have an extra person helping you out, I recommend assigning someone whose job is to monitor and interact with the chat.  Not only can they act as moderator, but they can also help the chatters feel a part of what’s happening in real time.

There’s a lot of great uses for this technology.  I already mentioned the idea of doing this from camp, but you could also do any event.

What ideas do you have for live streaming?

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