Not that we’re throwing stones at anyone specific here but… This week we attended a funeral of a dear family member of ours. The media team at the church that the funeral was at made a video to recognize the person who had passed. When it came time to play the video/presentation, nothing but problems occurred. They couldn’t get the video to run. DVD software showed on the screens and had errors. Error sounds coming through the PA. And 5 minutes of awkwardness at a solemn funeral. Needless to say, this incident was quite frowned upon and frustrated the family of the deceased.
Our team has had consistent success in the last 6 years of executing videos without any major problems or hang-ups. Why you ask? We have learned many lessons over the past 10 years of work of what and what not to do. Here’s a few tips to make a successful presentation:
1. Never make a presentation using DVD slideshow software – it usually has bad themes, choppy playback, and lacking in features
2. Never run any presentation or video from a DVD – scratches, disc spinning up, software stability, and weird menu’s all make for problems ready to happen
3. If the content is from a DVD, rip the video off using some software like Handbrake or RipIt, and play the video from the hard drive
4. Have a backup plan – possibly another computer or device to play the same content from
5. Use a Mac – we can discuss/debate this topic for days, but look at the pro’s and what they use – it’s a Mac. Proven and tested that these machines deliver great content every time, with no video issues, codec problems, viruses, etc…
6. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
Not that we’re hating on anyone – what we’re saying here comes from our experience. We have made many mistakes from many random issues. If the Devil can find a way to ruin an event or service – it’s usually through media somehow. Don’t make it easy for him to mess it up – do your best to prepare for the unthinkable to happen, because I assure you, it will.
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