Each year church media producers and communication directors across the country begin a time-honored and terrifying ritual: “The Church Christmas Pageant.”These local, church-sponsored theatrical presentations are usually videotaped for archives or bookstore sales, and although everyone begins the process with high hopes, they often leave media producers weeping or screaming hysterically, promising never to do it again. But you can avoid the church Nightmare before Christmas.
Most producers reading this have already started working on this year’s presentation, and in an effort to help you keep both your sanity and family intact, here are a few tips from the Cooke Media Group archives as well as a teaching I’ve done on YouTube to make this Christmas season a little more jolly:
You Can Avoid the Church Nightmare Before Christmas
1) It’s never too early to start your preparation. Year after year, producers wait until the last minute, thinking, “I’ll let the Music Director do all of his work first.” Nothing could be worse. Start planning now. Get your hand on a script and music as early as possible, and start thinking about staging and shooting. Certainly, things will change, but experienced producers and directors know it’s easier to change an existing plan than create one from scratch at the last minute.
2) Bring your crew into the process early as well. Here’s a sure way to avoid the Church Nightmare Before Christmas: Start generating excitement and ideas from your volunteers and crew members. They usually want to offer suggestions and ideas but are rarely asked. Remember – you don’t have to take all their ideas, but being a good listener motivates them to be a more substantial part of the team and creates a better attitude.
3) Help the Music Director understand the difference between “stage lighting” and “television lighting.” What’s the point of going to the trouble and expense of shooting the Christmas musical if your end product’s video level won’t register? Help the Music Director understand the limitations of the camera. Don’t be obnoxious or “know it all,” just work with him or her and help them understand. Also – be sensitive to the spirit and vision of the Music Director. Supplement the lighting where necessary, but do your best not to “blast” the stage and ruin the dramatic experience.
4) Create a Shot List. Most church TV Directors try to “wing it” and hope they can stay on top of things during the performance. Don’t take chances. Create a shot list during the rehearsals, so when you get to the actual performance, you can relax a little and concentrate on the timing of your cuts and dissolves. Indeed, there will be changes and adjustments, but that’s minor compared to all the screaming and yelling you must do if you’re unprepared. And speaking of that….
5) Stop Screaming and Yelling. A screaming director is a director who has run out of ideas. Every crew member on your team loses a little respect for you the minute you start yelling. Learn to control your temper and guide your crew through the program with encouragement, strong leadership skills, and creative ideas and suggestions. I’ve often advised young directors to read Dale Carnegie’s classic book: “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” It’s the best book on this subject I know, filled with insights and techniques for helping you achieve your goals through other people.
