Lazy worship software users

[Cliff]

I just noticed something. Worship software can make us lazy.

Last Sunday in church 15 mins before the service the pastor ask one of the "computer guys' to find him a video of a wall or building falling. He does and with the aid of Easyworship plays it.

The only ting is the pastor never saw this video before and it played for a fair length of time before anything really happened.

I usually preview a video and would edit it for length if it was only the last or first part needed.

I guess it really is not a problem with the programs as it is our use of them.
Please if you are going to use these aids then do it right.

It's like taking a hammer and hitting a screw driver to drive a screw in, it works but not really!

[rePete]

I wouldn't use the term lazy worship software users. (defensive stance) I would say it was a lack of planning on the Pastors part.

Just sayin'

Pete

[riafekim]

I agree with Pete. We as 'Computer Guys' have to be able to say to the pastor 'there just isn't enough time to get that together'. I have 'trained' my pastor that if he wants something like that to give me a little notice and I'll get it done and make it look good. Nothing worse than sitting there for a minute waiting for the building to collapse!

[[Admin] osborn4]

Reminds me of Scotty on Star Trek, "How are you going to do any miracles if you tell them how long it's really going to take."

I'm always debating between "pulling off the miracle" and getting the late material up and saying no, we don't have time to test it, we don't dare try it live.

We recently had a guest speaker show up the morning of with a video and powerpoint, even though we had specifically asked for his a/v material early. This was a professional we were paying. I'm glad I wasn't there and my #1 son was able to pull it together, even creating some supporting graphics for between elements.

However, when we have to pull off too many of those miracles, I have to start speaking up to church leadership again and remind them of the Thursday afternoon deadline we had previously agreed on.

I love being able to pull off those miracles. But the number of distractions in the service will increase if I have to do it too often.

[Cliff]

I once heard " A lack of organization on your part does not equal an emergency on mine"

I guess it depends, ther was probably a little lack of understanding, also a little lack of organization. You are right lazy was not the proper term to use.

[Cliff]

Originally Posted by osborn4

We recently had a guest speaker show up the morning of with a video and powerpoint, even though we had specifically asked for his a/v material early. This was a professional we were paying. I'm glad I wasn't there and my #1 son was able to pull it together, even creating some supporting graphics for between elements.

For me I would probably have done it becasue of the effect on my congregation and also talked to the professional. By doing these things and saying nothing we train them that it is OK.
When you had specifically asked ahead of time I definitely would have said something.

[[Admin] osborn4]

Originally Posted by Cliff

For me I would probably have done it becasue of the effect on my congregation and also talked to the professional. By doing these things and saying nothing we train them that it is OK.
When you had specifically asked ahead of time I definitely would have said something.

Agreed. I would have done it, but I would have tried to make the point that it didn't have to be that way.

There was another time at our national conference that we had a guest speaker and I was literally handed a DVD by him as he was walking down the aisle to start speaking. The only thing I knew ahead of time was that there would be this DVD of clips and he would call for them randomly as he felt they fit into his talk.

So, I just left the DVD menu up on the screen and as he called for clips, I'd try to launch the right chapter. It worked for the most part and his talk was informal enough that breaks in continuity didn't really effect it.

But if I would have had that DVD ahead of time, I could have familiarized myself with the material and probably pull clips onto the hard drive and launched them from my worship software, showing a title slide in between.

[Ebroach]

Cliff, this topic is a very common thread between every church media tech/guru there is. Does not matter what shade of religion. Planning.

My pastor has gotten a lot better but he sometimes slips things in on me at last minute. Just go with flow.

And to take it one more step. We moved into our new facility about 16 months ago. P&W team practiced from 9-10 from 10-11 we had time to do sound checks, Video /audio checks etc. But low and behold the Senior Adult class has grown Sooooo The Sr Adult class is now in Sanctuary for Sunday School Class... UGH makes Audio/video checks and testing extremely difficult.

My Boss used to say this...

Poor Planning on your Part does not Constitute an Emergency on my Part..

It rings thru my head so many times on Sunday AM...

[bggowing]

Lest we forget, there's a reason we're called support staff. We're there to support the pastor and the worship team and the message. While I'm a pretty vocal advocate of plan, plan, plan to everyone involved on a Sunday service, I also know there are times when things are going to be last minute. The pastor and everyone else knows that while we will do our best to accommodate them, the results won't be the same as if we had advance notice. They also know that if I notice this becoming a trend I'll sit down with them and determine why we're starting to go in that direction and what we can do as a team to rectify it.

[Cliff]

I had the opportunity to show the pastor what could happen. I was at the church testing out EW to see if there was an simple way to edit video for length. Played a youtube video and at end it popped up it's suggestions of other video's. One had a kid with a joint on his head band and one in his mouth, and another 2 had women with their breasts hanging out. LOL I hadn't even thought about that aspect of it.

[[Director] Joseph B]

I had a really nice bit of media work on a recent baby dedication and when someone asked me why I didn't do it for every baby dedication I explained (nicely) that I am not usually informed ahead of time. When they didn't understand I told them - I hear about a baby dedication when the people are walking up to the platform - you get the beautiful stuff when you give me a weeks notice.

[scmatthew]

This might be my new signature.

"You get the beautiful stuff when you give me a weeks notice."

Thanks Joseph.

Steven