Do you want to tell your family you made it to Africa safely? Do you want your supporters to know that you’re thankful? Do you want your friends to know what you are going through emotionally? ….but you don’t want to write a blog?
Simply sit in front of the camera and speak a 45 second update. A word of caution: BE CAREFUL with these… no one except your dear sweet mother wants to see/listen to you for 10 minutes. Remember that you are building a relationship with your viewers and you are ministering to THEM. So make it more about how you can minister to them rather than make the video what YOU want it to be.
WHY do we VLOG at all??
-Because God has stories to tell through you. Your life journey is one of the clearest pictures of Love, Redemption, Truth, and Grace that people will ever see.
-Because media is a language. And one that our culture speaks very fluently. Most people are more likely to spend 5 minutes watching a video, than 5 minutes reading a blog. If we can learn to speak it well, we can engage our generation on a whole new level.
-Because when you can’t find the words, pictures are worth a thousand words. And videos are worth 2,000-capture the movement, the time… done well, a video can portray more than just the facts of a location; it can portray the emotions, the humanity, the divinity, the needs…
-Because these WR videos are a ministry to your friends, family, and supporters back at home. Not to mention the hundreds of people that you don’t even know. Videos are another form of ministry. Was there a video that YOU saw somewhere that helped guide you to where you are today?
WHERE do we VLOG?
-Where there is a story worth telling.
-Caution: Never make anyone feel exploited. American tourists already have a bad enough reputation around the world for being self-focused locusts; let’s not add to it. Most of the time, people will be excited to have their picture taken, but make sure that you build a relationship with the people FIRST.
HOW do we VLOG?
-With tact. Purpose. Heart.
-Learn how to be more than just an editor, more than just a shooter. Learn how to tell the story, and learn how to draw the story out of people. Ask the right questions.
-We obviously want you to enjoy yourselves and have fun while making videos on The Race. We need to keep in mind though, that when all your supporters see is videos of you goofing off, it doesn’t send the message that you are doing much to change the world, love the orphans, heal the sick, etc etc. So while videos should be fun, also remember why you are doing them.
WHAT makes an effective video for The World Race?
-Focus on telling your story in a way that keeps the attention of your viewer. Remember, this is a ministry first and foremost. It is not about you.
-There are some practical techniques you can keep in mind to help your videos captivate:
Variety
-Of clips (close, far, fast, slow, different angles, color, black and white, etc)
Movement
-Timing/Transitions: on beat with music
Music
-That FITS your objective
Text
-Use it to tell your story; narrate
Time:
-Under 4 minutes
