Please see the post Drama!Drama!Drama! for the beginning of this series.

Coming from a smaller church which for the most part had roots in the “small country church” mentality, I find myself blessed to currently be at OWC (Orlando Worship Center).

This is a church that invested in new soundboards, speakers, lighting, EasyWorship with a remote control projector and a 20×20 multi-use screen. There are abilities to use DVDs, CD and even Quicktime or avi & mpeg movies to enhance a particular service.

Though far from being all that technologically sound, the heart is there to use what we can to spread the WORD through new technology.

For me, the biggest part of this was having the freedom to explore video content and bring it in to a meaningful place in the service. Already my church uses High-Definition video for worship and bible programs to show Scriptures on the screen as pastor gives the message but again, for me, it is a bit different.

I have found the love of making my own videos (yes, a 42 year old Steven Spielberg, right?) and adding them in content to a live drama. The effect can have very rewarding results.

My first video shown was the opening title sequence to the Easter Cantata JESUS Name Above All Names. (You can see it here .) The video spanned the amount of time to set the “mood” or the “spirit” of which I wanted the drama/cantata to flow. It allowed everyone to settle down in their own spirits from the hustle and bustle of getting seated.

A more significant result came with the use of video and live action in the Christmas play Scrounge (the video portion can be seen here granted it was a fledgling effort but you will get the idea), where the main character would go see himself in the future in a casket. AS he approached the open casket (which the audience could not see inside of) a pre-recorded video ran on the screen behind. We placed the camera on the shoulder. From the casket cam, as we called it, the video revealed that it was himself in the casket. The audience saw him standing there and on the video saw him in the casket.  They bought it hook line and sinker to the point on the original audio you could here someone gasp. I didn’t think it would go over so well but many came to me afterwards and said the casket cam really got them…..

But for our Easter play this video backdrop for our mime entrance of JESUS to the Garden of Gethsemane on a moon filled night really set the tone.

Making commercials for our productions can be a lot of un for both the creator of the video and the church congrgation; it is also great promotion to get the word out about a production. See commercials for Scrounge #1, Scrounge #2 and JESUS Name Above All Names.

So video has been a portion of what I do ever since. See yesterday’s blog about Pastor Appreciation Day. and the refurbished Opening Titles for this year’s version of Scrounge.

Video rules!