You Can (Easily) Be in Movies!

You Can (Easily) Be in Movies!
 

photo from pixabay.com Friends, I grew up near Hollywood and I loved all things about it. Thanksgiving at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Saturday trips to the Cinerama Dome and, of course, most memorable was my Girl Scout troop going to the taping of “Hollywood Squares.” Paul Lynde for the win! Phyllis Diller for the funny hair! Charlie Weaver for the off color joke that went over my head! Oh, you poor sweet young things, you missed out on some truly classic TV.   Well the decades have passed and my dream of fame and fortune on the stage has (apparently) slipped through my fingertips. But…thank you, Jesus for the iPhone. Because now I, and you too, can easily star in your very own movie production. And the best thing about it? You, yes you, can tell your church's or non-profit’s story easily and effectively just by using your phone. I discovered just how simple it could be by attending the “Inspire Donors with Compelling Video Storytelling” webinar last month sponsored by MobileCause.

Michelle White Hart provided four key principles:
 
Your message is more important than your production quality. (Stop worrying because the because the video doesn't look “perfect.”)
Raw videos (i.e., unrehearsed) uniquely capture authentic emotion and passion.
Hand-made video often outperforms high-end, produced videos on social media. (Yahoo! That means you do not need to spend boatloads of money.)
Smartphones mean everyone is a videographer. (You have a powerful tool in your hand. Find someone who loves listening to stories or who likes attending events and let them go at it.)
 
Some additional tips from Hart (and me):
Shoot your Smartphone video horizontally – not vertically.
Your video should be two-three minutes long…shorter is better.
Do a couple of practice videos – but if your very first one is good – be brave and post it.
Post your video to Facebook and cross-promote by posting to YouTube and Vimeo. Embed an especially good video in an email.
Think about “behind the scenes” videos to show the great work your volunteers are doing or let people see what’s happening at your church or non-profit during the week.
Perhaps most importantly, keep thanking your supporters in your videos. They’re making it possible for you to do what you do.
 
You may never get your name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But you know what? You can do something even better – you can let the world know how your awesome church or non-profit is, in fact, changing the world for good. So…get out your phone and start filming.

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Cesie Delve Scheuermann is a consultant in stewardship, development, and grant writing. Over the past decade, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she helped raise over $2.5 million dollars for numerous non-profit organizations. She is contemplating what to wear to the awards show when she is nominated for “lead actress in a family dramedy.” She served as the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference Lay Leader from 2008-2012. Her position with the Conference is funded through a generous grant from the Collins Foundation; she is available to consult with churches in Oregon and Idaho. You can reach her at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/inspiringgenerosity.
 
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