Fun New Countdown!
Who doesn’t love driving by a really hilarious church sign? No matter your thoughts on how effective they are on the side of the road, these church signs are sure to entertain your audience before your service gets started.
Not sure if it’s right for your audience? Click here to watch all five minutes of these clever church signs. If you really like this one, don’t miss our first one!
There has been a lot of exciting stuff going on around here lately. One of those things is the release of our latest mini movie, The Bible In 50 Words.
If you caught Christmas in 50 Words, this is a similar premise, but an entirely different video. The original poem by Dana Livesay has been used time and time again in sermons, etc. and we were so pleased to have permission from him to use it in this video.
This unique video covers God’s story from Genesis to Revelation. As big believers in the power of story, we love how 50 little words can cause you to look at the Bible in a new way. We think it’s a great conversation starter for your service. Maybe it will help jump start a message on the Bible – the power of God’s word, how to study it, the importance of spending time in Scripture. Or, maybe it is a subtle reminder to your audience that Jesus cares about their story as much as he cared for those in the Bible. We have no doubt you’ll find it a great resource! Let us know how you’re using it.
As you may or may not know, the past 12 months have been a very interesting time for RT Creative Group, our parent company. Last March, we made the decision to sell WorshipHouse Media. Since then, we’ve been talking about where we could make the most impact for the Church.
Enter Graceway Media.
Graceway Media, formerly PowerPoint Sermons, is a company that we have long admired for its ability to create beautiful title graphics, motion loops, and still backgrounds. Its offices are just a few minutes away from us, which has allowed us to foster a relationship with its owners and a few employees.
Recently, we were talking with Jon and Josh Bailey, the founders of Graceway, and we realized that they might be interested in letting Graceway go so that it could partner up with a new company. When we showed interest in adding their company to RT Creative Group, the Baileys were excited about the prospect of our team taking the reins.
From there, everything has happened pretty quickly. And today, RT Creative Group is excited to introduce you to the newest member of our family, Graceway Media. As I mentioned earlier, Graceway does a fantastic job creating title graphics that can be used for sermon series, individual lessons, church announcements, and more. They don’t just have a couple of options, but rather they have thousands of resources and are constantly adding new material every day. The Graceway website has a powerful search function that allows you to immediately search by Bible verse or topic so that you can find the graphic that works best for you. Graceway also has a wide array of still backgrounds and motion loops that you can use to create your own graphics for sermons, notes, announcements, lyrics, etc.
Graceway can also print banners for your church from any of its graphics files. Whether you want to have banners announcing the next sermon series or an upcoming church picnic, Graceway can help you find the graphic you’re looking for as well as a banner that can be customized to include your church’s logo, time and date, and other pertinent information.
Please check out Graceway’s website and let us know how we can serve you. Should you need any help, we have people ready to take your calls and questions. Graceway has been helping churches since 2006, and starting today we are privileged to carry the torch.
Here’s a picture from Friday (Feb 3) the day of closing:
Four NEW Theme Packs
We’re constantly thinking through what the next product needs to be. We think about your day and what you’re doing and what would help you. The question, “What resource do they need most right now?” is a common one around here. Thus, the arrival of the Theme Packs.
We know that you are working hard to create cohesive looks to your service. These Theme Packs are the answer! They include:
-A 5-minute Countdown
-A Welcome Title (loop and still)
-A coordinating background (loop and still)
-A Close Title (loop and still)
We’re releasing four new looks and you’re sure to find one that fits your service style. If you need a little more we have plenty of options. Check out our add-ons:
Each product is available individually as well.
Still not enough? If you need a little customization, just click here.
Tell us what you think about the theme packs!
What We’ve Learned After 100 Mini Movies
This is a post written by Jeff Parker for EchoHub.com. Did it make sense to reprint it here? You bet it did.
I’m writing this the same day we (Igniter Media) released our 100th mini movie. It’s been a journey of more than eight years that started with Rob Thomas creating “Are You Amazed?” under the name Vertical Sky Productions and has currently culminated with Igniter Media being a 10-person company that is as dedicated as ever to creating media that declares God’s truths.
As you can imagine, over the years we’ve learned so much about God, ourselves, media, and the Church. These lessons have pushed us in what we create, why we create, and how we create. So without further ado, here are those lessons (give or take a few missing ones) in no particular order:
- Visual media is powerful.
- God is creative. And we are made in his image.
- Excellence should be the minimum standard.
- You can’t please everyone.
- The best videos are the ones you can’t help but make.
- Encouragement from our audience is a powerful motivator.
- Sometimes the best ideas come while you’re showering.
- Making a great video requires a great team with a great variety of gifts.
- Cody McCasland is a special kid.
- Our visuals must serve the message … not the other way around.
- Mediums keep changing …
- … but the Message never changes.
- We have some of the best jobs in the world.
- God is THE Storyteller …
- … and He writes some amazing stories.
- Sometimes Chachi forgets to wear the right wig.
- Sometimes Chachi forgets to wear his teeth (skip ahead to 1:10).
- Kids are cute. (Okay, maybe we already knew that.)
- Gary Smalley does a ‘killer’ Robot (skip ahead to 3:32).
- God uses everyone’s offerings in ways we could never imagine.
- Churches aren’t comfortable showing potty humor in their services.
- The ideal length of a mini movie keeps getting shorter and shorter.
- Story moves people in a way sermons can’t …
- … and, yes, sermons challenge people in a way story can’t.
- Not everything needs to finish with a nice, beautiful bow.
- It is possible to create a mini movie from scratch in one long night (just ask Rob).
- We can make Oprah cry …
- … and Celine Dion too. (She was Oprah’s guest the day they showed “99 Balloons.”)
- Some of our best work occurs just past midnight.
- Mini movies can paint a fresh picture of a timeless story.
- Cameras overheat.
- Robert McKee’s STORY seminar is amazing and exhausting.
- Try as we might, we can’t help but have a few tpyos.
- Animal print tights aren’t flattering for anyone, including Rob.
- Physical DVDs are on the decline — so says our storage closet.
- Apparently nothing we do will ever top one of our first videos.
- The Panasonic HVX-200 is the best video camera. Whoops, I meant the RED. No, I really mean the Canon 7D.
- Working extremely hard on a video and then seeing a great response is an incredibly satisfying feeling.
- Ideas are cheap. Execution is not.
- It’s a beautiful thing when the visuals complement the music which complements the message.
- Details are, at times, excruciating.
- Always keep both your message and your audience in mind.
- Your first draft doesn’t have to be perfect — just get the clay on the table.
- The best mini movies come from a place of personal struggle or conviction.
- Carefully consider each creative decision so you won’t doubt yourself when someone says, “It’s too _____” or “Why did you _____?”
- There can be a fine line between something cheap and something great.
- Secretly, we feel somewhat forced to create so much seasonal media …
- …but it’s what churches like to use, so we want to provide the content.
- Sometimes we have to make a video just so the idea will leave us alone.
- We’re pretty sure we have another 100 videos in us.
