Archive for 'Inspirational'

This question was posed to one of the greats in Church Media – Camron Ware

Why should a church switch from PowerPoint/Keynote to Presentation Software (like ProPresenter, MediaShout, etc.)?

This was his reply:

There is really only one question to ask – are you being limited in your visual/media ministry by your presentation software?  To me, every church must ask and answer that question before thinking about moving beyond PowerPoint or Keynote.

For some, the answer is no!  I have met a few churches who just aren’t ready or don’t yet need the features that most presentation software provides, but that doesn’t mean they should ask IF they should change.  Once you’ve evaluated and tried all the presentation software made for churches, only then can you really see if it’s right for you.

Now, for most; the answer is yes! Churches tell me all the time “We have PowerPoint and want to do ______, but we can’t because the software doesn’t do that.”  I then show them my favorite presentation software and it’s such a joy to see their eyes light up when they see the benefits and they let out such a sigh of relief that I just solved a problem and frustration of theirs.  And more importantly, their ministry is now broadened.

If you feel like something as simple as presentation software is hindering how you run your visuals in your service, you owe it to your congregation to see if real church presentation software is a needed change!

Source of article: WMH Source of image: RenewedVision

Wanting to know more about projection software and how it can expand the dynamic worship in your church services?  Get in Touch and we’ll provide consulting on what solution is right for your facility and audience.  We can also train your volunteer staff on how to use the new tools.

There’s an old proverb which says; “A man who acts as his own attorney has a fool for a client.”  There’s a grain of truth in that, not just for legal matters, but for any undertaking what requires specialized skills, from rewiring your office and repairing your delivery van to, yes, designing and building your business website.  I’m not saying it can’t be done, but is it worth the effort and risk?

Designing and developing a business website requires competence in several specialized skills.  A professional designer has to have those skills to stay in business.  A business owner or a professional may have one or two of those skills, but the odds are against any one person, outside the design profession, having all of them at the level of competence required.  Think about it.  Just how confident do you feel at the thought of putting together a website?

Make it look pretty

You may be able to paint a picture or write a song, but does that mean you can design a website?  Maybe, but it might not be as easy as you think.  So, you found the perfect font for your text?  That’s good, but it might not be available on all computers and it’ll be replaced by the default font.  You have every element of the homepage arranged just the right way?  What happens if a customer looks at it with Internet Explorer 6 and the whole thing’s thrown off kilter?  That happens.  A website can look radically different when it’s viewed in different browsers.  Just ask any web designer.  They have to know that, and how to deal with it.

Tech nightmares

Maybe you’ve been using computers for years.  You know basic html.  You can make Word and Quickbooks bend to your will.  Those are useful accomplishments and should put you a step ahead, assuming your site is just a few pages of static html.  But can you make a contact form?  JQuery animation for the homepage?  Integrating a content management system?  What if you follow all the instructions in the DIY website guidebook you bought and you still can’t get that PayPal button to work?  Don’t even think about a shopping cart.  You’ll end up gibbering.  A professional design firm has to know how to do all that, and more.

That gets old fast

Let’s say you built your own personal website when you were in college.  It was fun and useful experience.  But take a look at your competitors’ websites.  Things look a lot different nowadays.  They look so slick and professional compared to the white text and animated gif’s everyone was using back then.  Come to think of it, when was the last time you saw the dancing baby?  The internet has changed, and so have the skills needed to build a website.

The upshot is…

Most business owners, with a lot of reading and research, a lot of trial and error, and a massive amount of time and effort, could probably build a workable website that doesn’t look awful.  But is it worth it?  Is your website going to make you look professional if it just “doesn’t look awful”?  Is it really worth all the time and work you’d put into it?  Time is money and a business owner or professional’s time is valuable.  Wouldn’t it be better to pay a professional web designer and developer to build your website?  It may not be as expensive as you think, and it might save you some DIY-induced headaches.  View it as an investment, which will present your business in the best possible manner, while letting you spend all that wasted time doing what you do best; running your own business.

Source here.

You read the title right.  Out of all the ads that were played this past Sunday (not very many were good), the best one was for the iPhone.  Don’t remember seeing it?  Check out one of our favorite news sites to read a short article and see a YouTube video of the commercial.

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/02/07/the-best-superbowl-ad-was-for-the-iphone/

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.