Radiate: Tristan’s blog

We showed this video on Sunday to go along with a sermon on Mark 12:38-44, which is the story of the poor widow who gave two copper coins. The widow gave humbly and sacrificially. This short video is meant to take a humorous poke at the opposite – how God does not intend for us give. Thanks to Josh and Pastor Fred for playing the main parts. Piece of trivia for ya: Josh is Fred’s son.

Before the video, we covered the song “Little Is Much” by Downhere, and after the video, Fred transitioned right into his message.

For several years now, I have struggled on and off with the importance of what I do. I have usually tried not to think about it too much, since I really enjoy creative arts ministry, I’ve spent years of my life and thousands of dollars getting educated for it, and I have a great job at a church I love. But sometimes the thoughts would creep in anyway: Why is it important that we have music in a worship service anyway? Why do I spend my time creating music, planning worship gatherings, brainstorming for dramas, and making short films when ___?

I’m sure you can fill in the blank yourself. Why spend time doing that stuff…

• When there are so many people suffering from poverty, oppression, disease, and starvation, and as an advocate or aid worker I could save their lives in Jesus’ name, or as a successful businessman I could use my wealth for their relief?


• When there are millions of people who do not yet have a Bible translation in their language, and I could become a linguist-translator?


• When today’s students see Christianity as completely irrelevant, and as a student pastor, I could help many of them to see Jesus in a new light and follow Him, helping to change the future of our world?


• When becoming like Jesus and “making disciples” is what really matters?

Recently God has been helping me go through the process of beginning to answer this question. Over the next several posts, I hope to lay out what I’m (so far) calling an old-new foundation for living as creative artists in the Kingdom. It’s old because everything I plan to say is just a remix or mash-up of what others have already said far more eloquently. It’s new in that I think we (artists, musicians, and worship leaders in the church) often fail to minister from this context, and if my experience is normal, most of us (myself included) have at best a tenuous grasp of our purpose… and I hope these thoughts are helpful in the process of rediscovery.

Over the next few posts, I’ll discuss the seeds of old thoughts that I hope will lead to some new growth.

The last video of the year! It’s hard to believe that the season is almost over. I’m about ready to head to Pennsylvania for some much-needed rest.

I have to set up this video a little.  We’re showing this at our Christmas Eve services.  Right before the video, Fred sets up a manger scene on live video as the conclusion to his message on the joy Christ brought us at Christmas.  So the video is made to fade from the live shot of the manger scene into the prerecorded shot of Mary and Jesus that begins the video you’ll see below.  Then, at the end of the video below, the image blacks out when Eric opens the door to our worship area on the video, and the music keeps going.  This is because we are going to have the people in the video actually standing at the back door ready to walk in.  When Eric opens the door on the video, he will also open it in real life, and the prerecorded video fades into a live shot of the people with candles walking down the aisle.   They walk the aisle and light the advent candles at the front of the church, and then they begin lighting other people’s candles, who in turn light others, until everyone in the worship area has a lit candle.  I’ll transition from the piano on the video to live piano by playing the last chord with the track, and then when everyone’s candles are lit, we’ll go into our candlelight carol sing.  The idea is that when each person’s candle is lit, they will experience a little of the same joy the people in the video experience, understanding what it represents.

This was the most technically challenging video I’ve made so far. Getting the lighting right was difficult, but I was fairly pleased with the way it turned out. I used a Tiffen warm black diffusion fx 1/4 filter to reduce the contrast just a little, soften the details, and create a more film-like look. I used a dolly for the panning/sweeping shots where the camera moves around the line of people so it looked smoother. Now if only I had a lift with one of those sweet camera booms so the camera could move in all three dimensions… well, that probably won’t happen any time soon, but I can dream. The small pools of blue light were created using a dark blue gel over a light that was boxed in tightly so I could illuminate only the subject without a bunch of light leaking out everywhere.

The light of the candles represents joy. Eric lights his candle at the manger scene, and then he shares that light with others in darkness. The joy spreads to each person’s face at the moment their face is illuminated by the candle. The candle’s warm, brighter light dispels the cold blue light they were in before.

Wow, that was a book.  Sorry.  Here’s the video:

Thanks to Jeanine, Greg, and Fred for some great acting and funny stuff in the interrogation scene. The polygraph was made from a rock tumbler, cardboard, pieces of various electronic things, and yes, a coat hanger with a pen taped to it. ;) No hamsters were harmed in the making of this film.  The guy with the coat hanger is our senior pastor, Fred.

Many thanks to Don M. and the Stepping Stones Recovery Center for their help with this video!  The lighting effects on the second half were attained using a Tiffen Black Pro Mist filter, a Tiffen 812 warming filter, and 3 halogen lights without softboxes (two 600W lights aimed at the camera, and one 300w aimed at Don) .