by Greg Hanson
Countless churches have adopted video projection over the past 10-15
years and many more are embracing it every year. While this trend is
part of the ever-evolving mechanics of church worship services, there
are a few hazards that should be avoided.
If
your church is new to video projection—or if you´ve been using it for a
while but have been employing poor habits—here are a few tips to help
guide you past some common pitfalls.
1. Use contrasting colors for words and background.
If
the colors are too similar, they will seem to blend together. This will
make it almost impossible for the audience to read what´s on the
screen. White or yellow text against a dark blue or black background
usually works well. If you prefer to use an image for a background,
select one that will still allow the words to be legible. When using an
image, a simple trick to keep the words readable is to cover the image
with a semi-transparent black box. By layering the slide with the image
at the back, the transparent box in the middle, and the text at the
front, you can use the image while still allowing the audience to
easily read the slide.
2. Use a maximum of 6-8 lines of text on a slide.
More
than this and it just becomes a wall of text to the reader. A larger
font and fewer lines of text, on the other hand, keep the text
manageable, readable, and understandable to the reader.
3. Avoid the excessive use of animations.
Animations
can be fun to play with while preparing a presentation, but too many
animations serve to distract the audience from your main message. The
presentation is supposed to enhance your message; it is not meant to
take over completely. Reserve the use of the more dynamic animations
for announcements and the occasional illustration. For more serious
times, though, keep the animations subtle.
4. Always run through your presentation in advance.
During
your trial run, try to use the same equipment and location that will be
used for the real thing. If possible, you can even do the run-through
at the same time of day. This will maximize your ability to identify
problems and rectify them before "show time."
5. Don´t make people rely too heavily on the screen.
An
audience member should be able to follow along and understand your
message even without seeing what´s on the screen. Remember that you may
have people in attendance who are blind (fully or partially), who
suffer from color-blindness, or whose view of the screen is obstructed
by a post (or even by someone wearing a particularly huge hat).
The
ability to use video projection to supplement the various elements of a
worship service allows for more participation, clearer communication,
and a greater impact on the audience. Yet it is essential to remember
that projection is only a tool. A useful tool, but a tool nonetheless.
When purposefully used as a tool to enhance your worship service, video
projection will engage your audience while keeping the main thing the
main thing.
© 2011 Greg Hanson / PowerPointPastors.com
