Easter E-Blast using Animoto

I know many tech folks are on the home stretch of a very busy season of Easter. It’s kind of odd, but we did our celebration at the Glen last Wednesday. Being a para-church organizati0n has it’s strangeness. Our department did however attempt at creating a piece that was originally intended to go out as an E-Blast, one of those automated shotgun approach communications done using Constant Contact. While our piece wasn’t used this time for reasons that extended beyond my control, I did however want to share it.

It was created using a rather amazing piece of technology called Animoto (www.animoto.com). In short, it’s an online service, free or fee based, that takes your pictures and video clips and allows you to add text, music (theirs or upload yours), and it creates a video of them depending on the order you place them along with other little tweaks that high-lite certain pics for effect. Our use is simple, we wanted an easy way to get beyond the typical slide show deal in PowerPoint for when groups want to take their event pictures of say that 150 guest Men’s Group weekend and show them at the closing service. The results are simply amazing, and so we wanted to see if we could extend beyond just pictures and really add a special Easter message using the text box feature and a few downloaded and purchased istock photos and videos. On the video clip, chose where it starts and ends within the clip (using their online min-preview window) and then drag and drop it between any of the pictures. Once you’ve got the order of images, text and videos done, you can then upload a personal piece of music if you’ve got it. Beware however, using something copyrighted is against the law, so proceed with caution and refrain from that hot new Jeremy Camp song for a bed. Animoto’s music choices are mostly free and the selection is growing. Once all that’s done, push the create video button. It then begins to render the video using some online computer server that adds all sorts of effects and transitions making one hell-of-a video, something that would take you days in Final Cut, and all timed correctly to your music selection. The one caveat is, if you need to add an additional picture, change their order, edit a text box or delete anything, you have to go through the process once again AND when it renders it, it’s not the same. Yep, it ALWAYS creates a unique, one of a kind video, every single time. While the render process is rather quick (our 1:49 min piece took approx. 18 min.), it’s definitely different and that can be frustrating or liberating, depending on how you look at it. Let’s say you like the beginning of the piece because it popped well with the music, but the rest wasn’t as good, you can’t keep just sections. Bummer! But, you could also have it render 3-4 different ones (a couple of hours) and have those given to the leadership say of that Men’s Group and let them choose which one they like! That’s amazing.

Jeff Morrison

Some quick tech speak, it will render it low rez for the web, but with there corporate fee based subscription ($250/year) it will render a high rez version for playback that looks very good. Also, at that price, the video length is unlimited, has no Animoto branding and it’s very easy to share using social media links too. So check it out, watch ours and please  comment,  we learned a lot on this one. BTW, the fabulous music is by  Jeff  Morrison, our resident Glen Eyrie Worship Leader and Program  Director.  The piece is Christ is Risen, and yes I chopped it up custom  for the  video but be looking for his new album coming with it on there   (http://jeff-morrison.com/), thanks Jeff, it was the perfect piece for this message.

…but Sundays’ a comin’

Well it’s happened. A blog.

I have to admit, I’m not really sure why today happened. Other than upon relieving myself at 3a.m. this morning, because of a late glass of cold milk and my wife’s amazing chocolate chips cookies, I couldn’t go back to sleep. You know that half-sleep state? Not deep, but not fully conscious? I felt compelled for some reason to seriously (vs. whimsically) consider going public with my thoughts. Compelled more so with a nudge. Was it the Lord? I’m really hesitant to “go there” in recent years as I’ve sort of taken it upon myself to actually ask people how they absolutely knew it was God telling them something. Most answers fall into the lame category when you get past all the manure they throw out for evidence. Very few don’t superficially proclaim the christian-ease language so often spouted. But there have been a few who’ve given me great insight, given me authentic believability. Don’t get me wrong, I very much believe God speaks, I just see folks hangin’ their hats on circumstances and calling that heavenly guidance. I’m also hesitant to go there because I’ve been guilty of that too. He spoke this morning though, I’ll try and honor that.

So go and read my “about” deal and receive a glimpse. As I look at Good Friday I’m reminded of the Easter Celebration we had @ The Glen Wednesday. Great worship by Jeff Morrison and company. He’s our resident Worship Leader/Programs Director. A few videos about the cross and people recalling the day they met the Lord. A wonderful message by Mark Heffentrager (I’ll post it for those interested), our Eagle Lake Camp Director,  challenging us to “handle” the empty tomb more appropriately in life as Christians. And then, for a closing, that ending of The Passion of Christ. Gibson’s theology not withstanding, he knocked it out of the park with images of hope and joy, a resurrected Jesus! I’d seen it many times, but as I was looking at where we might want to cue the DVD the day before, on Tuesday, I noticed something I’d never seen before. His eyes. First looking up, then back down but closing them (a prayer maybe) and then opening while looking straight forward. The gaze reminding me of a steely eyed purposeful Jesus as he set His eyes like flint. A gaze of purpose. A gaze of new beginnings.

Yes, it’s Good Friday. The day he lay in the grave. But remember, Sunday’s a comin’