Church Video Ideas:  Passion Goes Multi-Site

Orginally published on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 at 1:31 PM
by Greg Atkinson

I just got back from the Passion Conference in Atlanta. From worship leaders like Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, Matt Redman and David Crowder to speakers like John Piper, Beth Moore, Louie Giglio and my new favorite speaker: Francis Chan - it was one God-moment after another. God touched my heart, challenged me, encouraged me, stretched me, ministered to me and got my eyes back on what matters most through the words and music of the above mentioned servants...

This was my 3rd year serving on the Passion staff. It is an indescribable thing to see God moving among 22,000 college students. These students literally invade the host city and leave it changed for the better. This year, each student brought socks and towels which were given to Atlanta’s homeless. I go each year because God moves in my heart and it encourages me to see the next generation so fired up for Christ and making His name known among the nations. Students gathered from all 50 states and several countries around the world. As happens each year, many students committed their life to Christ for the first time and many dedicated their lives to missions and have committed to, as Louie said, “pack up the American dream” and move to a nation and work with a people group that has never heard of Jesus.

Personally, I always look forward to seeing what the Passion tech team does with media/video - they are always pushing the bounds and taking things to the next level - this year was no different. Technology was utilized and pushed to the extremes especially this year, as for the first time, all the students couldn’t fit into one arena. This year there were about 18,000 college students packed into Phillips Arena (which is downtown, right beside the Georgia Dome). Another 5000 people were packed into the Georgia World Congress Center, which was across the street from Phillips Arena. The students rotated and each had time in Phillips and the GWCC. Each venue had LIVE worship led by the amazing Passion worship leaders. Regardless of what venue you were in, you would worship LIVE with your worship team then you would join (through the gift of technology) with the students and worship leaders in the other venue and all sing together. Your worship leader would lead the other venue in worship (you watching live and they watching on the video screens), then they would switch and you would watch and worship with the other venue’s worship leader via LIVE video.

Louie Giglio would come out at the GWCC early on and do a welcome, which was seen via video in Phillips Arena. They would then go to a split screen and show Louie in one venue talking to the worship leader in the other venue - and they would talk back and forth and have their venue raise up a shout. After Louie’s welcome, the worship leaders in each venue would continue on leading worship for their crowd, while keeping their eye on a countdown clock which was on the ground in front of the worship leader. Both worship leaders wrapped up their set when the countdown clock told them it was time. Now it was time for the message, and Louie had walked across the street and came on to the stage in Phillips Arena, so the people in the GWCC watched him on the screen. As I said, they pushed the bounds of technology and did it in a very professional and worshipful way, that wasn’t distracting.
I’ve been emailing back and forth with Brad Weston of Renewed Vision, the Video Director in the main venue (Phillips Arena). He’s a member of Andy Stanley’s North Point Church. His company created the ProVideoPlayer and the worship presentation software ProPresenter, both of which the Passion conferences, as well as North Point and 7:22 use.

I try my best not to get caught up in the smoke and lights and really try to focus my heart on worship, but I must admit the media used and how it was used was quite impressive. Their team had two guys create custom video backgrounds (created in After Effects), that they would use for a few of the songs, in sync with the music. All was run off ProVideoPlayer with lyrics run separately in ProPresenter 3 in both venues. The MiStrips and LED wall in GWCC were running off two ProVideoPlayer machines, one slaved to the other for the sets that had synchronized content for the strips and the main video.

For all you techies that want to know what kind of tools (gear) they used besides what I just mentioned, here you go: The Georgia World Congress Center had 2 sticks, 2 stage handheld cams, 1 jib, and 1 steadicam. Philips Arena had 4 sticks (2 for both sides), 2 jibs (1 for each side), 1 steadicam, and 2 stage handheld cams. The last night/late night meeting (which gathered about 24,000 people outside the Georgia Dome) had 2 sticks, 2 stage handheld cams, 1 jib, and one guy on a cherry picker running a camera from 65 feet in the air. He had a great view, but it looked a little too scary/shaky for me. I enjoyed my view from the ground. Even though I was far away from the stage, I was able to see thanks to the Jumbotron screen. All in all, it was a great moment in time and I believe God was honored and pleased with what took place over the four days. If you get the chance, I highly recommend you get the DVD and download any music, messages or podcasts that Passion puts out. You won’t regret it!

©2006 – Greg Atkinson (www.churchvideoideas.com)

Used by permission from author. All rights reserved by author.

Greg Atkinson lives in Dallas with his wife and their three small children. Greg served previously as the Director of WorshipHouse Media, after having served as a worship pastor for 11 years. He is the Founder of Multisensoryworship.com and Co-Founder of Wasteland Creative, where he continues to consult, teach and write about worship, media and creative communication. You can connect with him through his daily blog, Church Video Ideas, his podcast, Creative Synergy, or his email: .

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