Stop making bad church videos!

Why do churches think that making a crappy video is okay because there is a Christian meaning in it?  This is not directed at any video directly, so don't think I'm talking about you.  But you know what I'm talking about.

 A video that a church shows to help accent a sermon where the shot is out of focus, the microphones are picking up the tape turning more than they are the people in the shot, the actors were given roughly 10 seconds to improvise any and all lines, leaving awkward moments and "high voices."

You may question what high voices are.  "High voices" is a term I coined, about 5 seconds ago.  It is when the person talking (normally a woman) raises their voice and slows down their speech, enunciating strange syllables. This was done frequently in the show, Quigley's Village.

Collide Magazine posted an article that shows the top 5 signs of a bad video and how to fix them.  If you are making a church video of any sort, I pray that you read it.

Here is why you shouldn't make bad church videos (I have a point and I am not just ranting):
1) It does not reflect the awesomeness of Christ. 
Jesus is amazing.  I think we can agree on it.  There is nothing better in this world.  So why do we produce videos that show the exact opposite?  You wouldn't expect U2 (or any other great band you prefer) to produce an album where the band is just playing into their macbook microphones?  Its not that I believe Christ's awesomeness can't stand on its own, but that your video should not use that as a crutch.


2) You make the audience pity you. 
Maybe that was a little harsh.  Pity isn't the word I should use.  But the audience has to argue for you now.   In their head, or maybe aloud, they say, "Well, bless their heart.  It has a sweet message, and they didn't have a lot to work with."

3) It shows you are unprepared or unqualified.
You can do alot simply with a camera and people who have never really acted.  You simply write a script, and edit the video.  Showing a bad video shows that either you are unqualified to make videos for your church, or that you were unprepared and decided that a bad video would suffice.  Either way is a bad decision and looks bad on the church.

If you are working on church videos, take your time and write out what you want your video to accomplish.  I have made many videos with a $0 budget and whatever equipment I can find (which normally consisted of a camera and tripod.)  Don't lose hope- there is always time to change your video style :)