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I recently worked on a video project with some friends of mine that turned out pretty interesting. It was a simple project with a simple vision, but for some reason ended up being a nightmare in production. I say “for some reason”, but if I take a good look back, I know the exact cause of the mess. We weren’t prepared.

We’d thought about the video, but not thought through the video. Collectively, we had all of the right equipment for the job, but had not taken the time to test everything working together. We picked a location, but didn’t plan out our shots. So we showed up and threw something together.

In hindsight, I didn’t even get to enjoy a process that I normally thrive in. And why? Because I didn’t do the hard work upfront. What could have been an amazing video that inspired a lot of people ended up being a project that I’d rather bury in the trash bin.

What was I thinking? There are a million books, blog posts, and leadership quotes proclaiming the power of planning and reminding of the woes of procrastination. But as I write this, I’m reminded that sometimes even when we know the right way to do things, sometimes we forget…or just flat out fail.

The important thing is that you pick yourself back up, learn what you can do better next time, and…hey…if you can get a blog post out of it, it’s even better. On our next project, I’ll rely less on the talent that comes naturally to me in the moment and focus on nailing down a plan upfront. Hopefully that will translate into a video that I’m proud to share.

Have you had any terrible projects lately?

Kendall Conner

What do you get when you combine production, design, and communications together with a passion for the Church? It turns out, this is the precise formula to make up Kendall Conner. For over 20 years, this Christ-led creative has been bridging the gap between media and ministry. In addition to serving as the creative pastor in his local church, he is the Chief of Operations for Church Motion Graphics, a ministry-focused design studio that serves thousands of houses of worship around the globe. Kendall specializes in equipping church media leaders and volunteers to utilize creativity in their services to share the hope of Jesus.

2 Comments

  • Benezer says:

    What’s the steps of the process for making a great video?

    • Kendall Conner says:

      Hi, Benezer –

      A basic process would look something like this:

      1. Start with a basic idea of what story you’d like to communicate

      2. Expand your story –

      Act 1 – Introduce people to the world you’re about to explore
      Who are your main characters? What do they want? What are their flaws?
      Inciting incident: Either by choice, accident, or both – life is thrown out of balance.
      That inbalance arouses in the protagonist a desire to put life back on an even scale.

      Act 2 – Progressive complications
      Things that prevent character from getting their life back to normal
      More and more obstacles that cause the character to have to choose to grow or stay the same
      Usually the villain/main struggle is what the hero would become if they don’t overcome their obstacles

      Act 3 – Climax
      Crisis occurs (where the character has to choose to be their old self or their new self)
      All hope is lost
      Resolution occurs (the audience has been changed by the story)

      3. Storyboard – Draw out sketches of what you want your filmed shots to look like.

      4. Develop an aesthetic for your video – What look and feel do you want? (Find examples)

      5. Assemble a crew – Start with a list of needs and then fill the positions with capable people

      6. Cast your film – Establish who will be in your video

      7. Assemble your set/studio or find a location for filming

      8. Gather your equipment and test everything before gathering to shoot

      9. Film your video

      10. Edit your video – Load clips, choose which ones are vital to the story, add music, add titles, etc.

      11. Export

      I hope that helps!

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