MediaShout User News
November 2004
Creative License
Free Music Survey
Featured Shoutable Product: TH1NK OutLoud
ShoutTip: TT5TATYMNKWRTUG
Out and About: Events Near You
Christians have a habit of sorting media into two piles: secular and Christian. The distinction is helpful at times, like when you’re describing a song or book or film that contains a message about Christ, but it often gets used as a moral judgment, as in "Christian music = good, secular music = bad." And that’s where the distinction gets us into trouble.
In its truest sense, "Christian" means "Christ-follower"– a human act. Music and books and films (and software, for that matter) are things. They can be used to serve Christ, but it’s we humans who enlist them in such service. And we can use just about anything this way, whether it contains an explicit Christian message or not. We have creative license to use the things of this world, including media, to point to its Creator.
But like any license, our creative license comes with some rules governing its use. The first is Honor God. When deciding whether it’s appropriate to use a particular piece of media, first ask, Will my use be honoring to God? Notice that the question isn’t whether the piece itself honors God. It may have no spiritual message, or it may even have an anti-God message. It’s how you use it that counts.
The second rule: Honor the artist. The works of songwriters, filmmakers, actors, and other artists and producers fall under your creative license... if you honor them in using their works - even if they themselves don’t honor him. If you use copyrighted worship music, get a CCLI license: The fee is distributed to the songwriters and others whose work plays such an important role in your ministry. With some pieces of media it’s tougher to obtain permission. Make a reasonable effort to do so and at least give credit to the creators so others can buy their work.
The last rule is Honor the audience. Some pieces may meet the first two requirements, but still might not be suitable for your audience. Will it cause people to stumble? Is its content or creator so startling, frightening or controversial that it would hijack the message? The audience to your presentations places implicit trust in you. Honor that trust.
– Todd Temple, President, MediaComplete Corporation
The Performance Media department at MediaComplete has partnered with many artists, as MediaShout has come to be the preferred tool for visual worship leading and VJing for many in the music industry. In continuing with this partnership, we would like to get our users’ feedback on some new music and its usability in the local church. This month, we’re featuring SONICFLOOd and Andy Chrisman. If you would be interested in receiving free music and offering your feedback, please complete this short survey below.
For more information on these artists, check out their websites:
SONICFLOOOd (www.sonicflood.com)
Andy Chrisman (www.andychrisman.com)
Featured Shoutable Product: TH1NK OutLoud
To view samples of each of these collections, please click on the CD graphic.
- Interactive DVD
- 64 page Leader’s Guide
- 6 copies of Posers, Fakers, & Wannabees for your students
- The Message Remix Bible
- Free Falling Up music CD
- Free BEC Artist CD
- Free TH1NK t-shirt
The DVD includes:
- 2 revealing video interviews in which the authors describe how they learned a lesson the hard way
- Highly stylized video clip, “the Dog’s Dilemma”
- 12 audio clips of Manning and Hancock reading passages from Posers, Fakers, & Wannabees
- 18 printable student worksheets
- 7 bonus music videos featuring Tooth and Nail and BCC recording artists
- Conversation outlines for large groups in MediaShout
- TH1NK OutLoud! postcards that can be printed and mailed to current and future youth members
- Bulletin inserts
- And many other TH1NK OutLoud! Resources
n either a living room or an auditorium, the video and audio conversation segments will challenge and inspire your students to stop pretending to be a child of God and really start living like one.
With the Holidays just around the corner we have compiled media products that will help you convey the message of hope, peace, joy, and thankfulness during this holiday season. Click here for holiday media and check back often for new seasonal items. Also keep checking www.mediashout.com/store for monthly closeout prices!
(The Top 5 ‘Tips and Tricks’ You May Not Know Without Reading the User’s Guide)
This month, we’re going to take a look at some simple tips and tricks that are found in the User’s Guide (you know, that white rectangular book that came with MediaShout and is still sitting in the box gathering dust). For more tips and tricks similar to these, look toward the back of each chapter of the User’s Guide.
1. Playing Cues Containing Subcues from a ShoutBox
When a cue is played from a ShoutBox, you can’t see its subcues, but you can still play them. Fire the cue to play the first subcue, then click the Fire Next button in the main toolbar (or F10) to fire the next subcue. (The Fire Previous button or F9 also works here.)
2. Pseudo-Animated Text Builds
If each point in a text build consists of a single line, set the cue’s transition for wipe:left to right, at a medium speed. Each point will then look like its being written onto the screen from left to right when its subcue is fired.
3. Panic Buttons
The Logo (F5), Black (F6) and Color Bars (F7) buttons in the main toolbar can be programmed to play any images you assign to them. Right click on the individual icon on the main toolbar and select ‘Properties’. Each panic button then works exactly like a standard Graphic cue.
4. Playing ONLY the Soundtrack of a video clip
If you assign a video file to an Audio cue, the cue will play the clip’s soundtrack only. This allows you to play a sound bite from the video without showing it, and without interrupting the current visual cue. Note that the video file will appear in the ‘Select Audio’ dialogue only if you choose all files in the ‘Files of Type’ field. (The same trick works if you assign the video clip as a soundtrack to a Lyric, Bible, Text or Video cue.)
5. Playback of small resolution video clips
Most downloadable video clips found on the Internet can be played from Video cues, although their resolution is generally poor. To prevent further loss of resolution during playback, set the Layout to centered & normal size so they’ll appear matted over the background color in normal resolution.
Do you have a little-known trick you’ve found to make MediaShout even easier? Post it on the MediaShout Forum in the Tips and Tricks thread, and after Thanksgiving we’ll choose the most creative and send you a Pre-Christmas surprise.
Where We’ve Been :: Catalyst 2004
Do you ever feel like you need more than a “conference” for where you’re really going?
Catalyst is way beyond anything you’ve ever seen- it’s a powerful “convergence” of next generation leaders. A fully immersive learning, worship, and creative experience where thousands of people, JUST LIKE YOU, gather each year. They are a part of an emerging culture on the verge of an unprecedented leadership awakening. An entire generation waits to be persuaded that Jesus is the relevant and logical answer to all their questions. It’s time for Catalysts to inhabit this conversation-to engage culture and be “heard” because of a deep commitment to truth, compassion, undeniable excellence, and creativity. Catalysts are agents of change. These two days ultimately end up changing you! Some leave this experience speechless-in awe 
of the energy and authenticity. Most are not be able to restrain themselves, contagious for weeks as they recall this defining moment. Catalyst took place October 7-8 in Atlanta, GA…you won’t want to miss next year’s gathering! To find out more info, just click on the Catalyst logo.
Where We’re Going ::
Soul Survivor Nationwide Tour
Tim Hughes is partnering with Pastor Mike Pilavachi, founder of the international Soul Survivor ministry, to bring the first Soul Survivor Nationwide Tour to the United States this fall.
The 11-city trek begins November 22 in Merritt Island, Florida, with each event designed to provide a dynamic day of training, resources, and worship for those involved with church leadership and worship ministry. Hughes and Pilavachi will lead worship seminars while tour sponsors WorshipTogether, Gospel Light, MediaShout, Yamaha, and Shure will provide resource and technical training. MediaShout will also be used to provide media for Tim Hughes.
Soul Survivor, a non-profit Christian ministry, exists to gather and mobilize young people to change the world, one community at a time.
"The plan for the tour is to just do what we do at Soul Survivor and take it on the road," says Hughes. "It won’t be a gig; no one will be there to try and impress you. It’s just about coming before God and being open to what He’s doing."
To find out more about the Soul Survivor Nationwide tour and to see a tour schedule, just click on the tour banner.
Looking Ahead...
| National Outreach Convention San Diego, CA November 3-5, 2004 |
Joyce Meyer Ministries Jacksonville, FL November 4-6, 2004 |
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| Christian Musician Summit Tacoma, WA November 12-13, 2004 |
EMA Annual Banquet (ABSC) Montgomery, AL November 15, 2004 |
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| Inspiration West Coast Long Beach, CA November 15-18, 2004 |
Joyce Meyer Ministries Anaheim, CA November 18-20, 2004 |
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| Youth Specialties (NYWC ’04) Atlanta, GA November 19-23, 2004 |
ACSI (3 separate events) Orlando – Dallas – Anaheim November 22-23, 2004 |
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| Soul Survivor: NationWide Tour Various Cities Nov. 23 – Dec. 3, 2004 |
All Things New Tour Various Cities Oct. 21 – Dec. 12, 2004 (Steven Curtis Chapman, Chris Tomlin & Casting Crowns) |
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| To suggest an event or to keep up with our calendar, visit the MediaShout in Action page. | |||
If MediaShout has greatly affected your ministry, we'd love to hear about it. Send us your story (including your name and your church/organization) to aboutShout@mediashout.com. If we choose your story to put in our newsletter, we'll send you a free MediaShout baseball cap!
MediaShout User News, November 2004.
© Copyright 2004 by MediaComplete Corporation,
All rights reserved.
PO Box 24625
Nashville, TN 37202
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