Kathleen and I attended a Sunday Christmas service this year, and right in the middle of a serious, powerful worship song, we suddenly heard the “buzzzz” of a drone. We looked up, and sure enough, a drone was flying around the sanctuary. Despite being in the middle of that worship song, I can testify that at least a third of the congregation was looking up and pointing at the drone. I’m sure it was a fantastic shot, but was it worth distracting the congregation from the purpose of that service?
I think it was legendary film director John Huston who said something to the effect that if a director creates a shot that’s so amazing the audience notices it, that director has failed, because he’s distracted them from the story. That was exactly what came to mind as that drone was flying around. It’s the same with a cable camera. To my knowledge, only a few cable cams have been installed in churches, and my thoughts are pretty much the same.
RELATED: Beware the Drones – Are You Secure?
To be fair, if you’re filming a worship or other musical concert – particularly something contemporary, you can probably get by with these tools because the live audience knows the event is something special and not a typical church worship service. In a similar way, perhaps if the congregation is in their twenties and used to a media-driven service, I imagine that could work. But outside of those specific situations, I’m highly skeptical about cable cams and drones in church. As a church or ministry media director, we should be more concerned about the story we’re telling than having fun with the latest technology.
Remember that as a video director in a church or ministry setting, you’re there to enhance the service, not distract from it. That boundary will change with the size, attitude, and experience of every congregation, but as a general rule, we should always be asking, “Is it worth it?” “Is what we’ll capture for video or television worth ruining or, at minimum, distracting the live congregation who came to focus on God, not cameras flying around?”
The answers to those questions (and others) matter.
This article about drones and cable cams in worship originally appeared here, and is used by permission.
