"ReThink Church intro", feedback welcome

[katanna]

Hey all,

This week we are starting a 6 week sermon series titled "ReThink Church". I have developed a short (30 second) intro for the sermon series. The purpose of the video is to transition people from worship to sermon, IE: get people ready for the sermon. This video will be played all 6 weeks before the sermon. Also, at the end, the graphic it goes to (a door in the desert) is the graphic for the series, it was on 10,000 post cards mailed out and it has been in the announcement slides, so everyone will recognize it. I transition to it because it will be the background during the sermons this series.

I already have some feedback as to how to make it better, but I would like your thoughts about it.

http://vimeo.com/5011444

EDIT: The song is "You are God" by Russell Martin and is available for purchase in the iTunes Music Store: link

Matthew

PS: anyone know how to embed the video in my post?

[rbcyouthdude]

I'm pretty much liking it, it's cool.

michael

[kbob]

very nice as is. Love the final graphic too....wondered if you could have used that for a background, and tumble-weeded the letters in/out overlaying it instead?

Or, failing that exactly, perhaps have an open doorway opening and blowing shut, finally zooming out to show the final graphic...

But, really, very nice as is...

[tedanderson]

It's a very nice video but I am not quite seeing how it lines up with what you want to tell the audience.

[tomtv]

I agree but without knowing what you know that is a tough call.

i would add some movement forward with the "what if" and maybe bring it into focus as it comes forward. personally i would use a soft dropshadow that made it separate from the motion background. i like the overall concept but i always refine.

you asked for opinions, so there is one.

[Smob]

Unfortunately, the video was not available to me when I tried to get it. From the still, there are a couple of contrast problem between the words and background. Watch out for white letters and white background.

[Smob]

BTW, we are also doing the RETHINGCHURCH series. Let's pray that this reaches out...

[rev_65]

Originally Posted by kbob

...perhaps have an open doorway opening and blowing shut, finally zooming out to show the final graphic...

Yeah, for me there needs to be some way of connecting the beginning sequence to the final image.

Right now I see two very distinct parts with just a crossfade between them. I'm wanting some type of visual cue in the first sequence that matches/points to the final image. Whether that's through color or type face...

If your final image if high res enough, I'd suggest as kbob did, using the door element. I'd cut it out in PS and bring into AE, set it as a 3D layer and animate it closing over the opening sequence. It would have to be zoomed way in so that it fills the screen width. From there dolly back to reveal the final image. Of course you'd have to match it up with your cutout version.

I do like the little "floaties" in the first sequence and the text fly offs that echo that movement.

Blessings!

[Smob]

How sbout using doors as the particle? That would connect the front to the back

[katanna]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I took the best of the feedback that I got and made the video better!

Changes I made (From the one you last saw):
1) I added a particle layer on top of the text to make it look more integrated. It is a very subtle effect, but if you look for it, you will see it. I think it does wonders to make it look better.
2) I made the text "grow" so that it isn't just sitting there.
3) I changed the text at the end (a suggestion from the pastor).
4) Various minor tweeks to different things.

The version you see below is slightly different from the one we showed this morning in two ways:
1) I changed a few things from this morning's version, mainly I moved the "What if" to the beginning of the video, instead of having it come in a few seconds in (compare the video below and the video above to see the difference).
2) The version seen below is not the file that we will actually use, it is specifically exported with a fade in and fade out so that it can be shown on the web (the actual video we use doesn't have a fade in because ProPresenter will do the fade for us, and at the end of the video it holds the background for an extra 10 seconds).

Final video: link

Matthew

PS: I am still trying to figure out how to post Vimeo videos directly in my post...

[kbob]

Thanks for sharing the final version. I do love the text more with the growth and effects....

[rbcyouthdude]

Me likes better.

Michael