Okay, so I’ve been thinking about what makes a great song presentation for the services I plan and these are some tips I came up with when creating song presentations for your service using your favorite presentation software:
Background Choices:
One of my Favorite Backgrounds from Shift Worship
You want to choose carefully the backgrounds you use for a song. Although it’s tempting to put flowing water behind the song “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” resist with all your heart. Okay, you don’t have to run screaming from the idea, but most flowing water backgrounds I’ve seen make for very hard to read text. Consider water abstractions or the like. Whatever your topic, you don’t have to be super literal. Remember it’s a background. It has a job to do. It is a part of the whole picture, not the headliner. For some great backgrounds at a unbelievably low annual price, go to Shift Worship.
To Move or Not to Move:
Consider the mood of the song, the pace. At what part of the story that is the service does the song take place. Are you preparing the congregation for the Lord’s Supper? Are you trying to pump them up at the start of worship? Sometimes the best background is a still background. If you want a softer mood without a lot of hoopla <–love the word!, it is definitely worth perusing your still collection for that perfect image. Other times, subtle motion helps to gently cradle the song as the congregation sings. Still, other times, you might want vibrant colors and motion that will inject energy and work with the worship team to drive home the message. Whatever it is, just be conscious of how the graphics work together with the song, the style and the moment.
Colors…
Vertical Color Bars from Shift Worship
You could always say “Choose the appropriate colors!” But what would that even mean? Well, you want to try and consider a palette for each service. You may try to account for seasons, the sermon series graphics, the mood you are trying to set, etc. Learn your color wheel. Complementary and secondary colors go well together and contrast nicely. Don’t get too crazy. Also, pick a color from your background and vary it slightly for use as the font color, if possible. This will blend your text in with the background to make them one coherent thought.
Tell a story:
As you build your service, consider how all the graphics work together throughout to tell a story. This will have to be thought through with the song list as well, but often times the song leader has already chosen their set. If they have done their job, it, too, will have a story to follow. Try and make it the SAME STORY! Simply be cognizant of how the different backgrounds are working together in succession with the songs to enhance the experience. Check out the Service Planners at Shift Worship for regular ideas about how content might tell a story.
Composition:
Good backgrounds have been designed with text placement in mind. There should be ample space in your background for your text. Upper left, centered, upper right, lower left or right, middle left or right…these are all options. Unless your working a song on a long play, stick to the same text placement throughout a song. Since you will probably stick to one background per song, this shouldn’t be hard. Also, consider your sanctuary. For instance, I worship with a portable church and our screen is fairly low and the congregation sits on a level surface. So the back of the church is at the same level as the front. Because of this, I avoid using backgrounds that force a lower text placement so that my brothers and sisters at the back of the room can see clearly. Also, right, left or center justify the text accordingly.
Don’t You Go Changin’
Only use one background throughout a song. Unless you’re doing a long play that’s been carefully planned shot for shot, changing up the background can confuse people and make it difficult for them to follow along. One background per song creates continuity and helps the congregation stay together. Changing fonts and styles too much during the service will give the congregation that uneasy “I-just-read-a-ransom-note” feeling and leave them wondering how their kids are doing down the hall.
Only the Shadow Goes
I try, as much as possible, to avoid the drop shadow. If, no matter how hard you try, you cannot get text to show, you might consider dropping that background from your library. Backgrounds should be designed with text placement in mind and with little to now contrast variation so that you can consistently get good looking text on them. If you are close, but still having a bit of trouble, use a small stroke outline that is a bit darker (and the same color) as the background. You’ll find that this will separate your text from the background, but will not create too much distraction. Most people won’t even see the difference, but it will increase readability.
Hold the serifs, please!
Serif fonts are the ones with the little thingies on them like this…”This is a serif font, please use me on the written page and my less elaborate cousins on the video screen.” The serifs can make the text blur together on the screen, especially with motion video behind it. When it comes to font choice, stick with the basics. And try to stay in one font family for the entire service. Most times, I’ll use the same font that is incorporated in the current series graphics (BTW, work with your designer, or if it’s you, work with yourself, to make sure you are tying these elements together.)
And…Breathe.
Give your text room to breathe. I try not to put too much text on each slide. If I can, I limit it to 4 lines. Much more than that and it gets difficult to read. There are times when it is difficult to avoid, such as when the men and women are singing different parts of the song at the same time (you know, that cool sounding “Row, Row, Row Your Boat effect!) but whenever possible minimize the amount of text on any given slide. Also, if it’s not you, work with the presenter to help them understand the value. They’re going to have to pay more attention and be on top of things, but the congregation will appreciate it.
Font Size
It’s great to maximize your text on the screen, but not always necessary. Work the size of your text into your composition, but remember to always consider readability first. A good background choice should never force you to display your text too small.
You have just entered…the Safe Title Zone
Safe Title Zone
There’s this little thing in broadcasting called “Safe Title Zone.” Basically, old time analog televisions of yesteryear could not display all of the video signal. Typically, up to (sometimes more than, like my grandma’s old console TV) 10% of the outer part of the video was lost due to this. So, broadcasters created this “safe title zone” to ensure that titles and graphics were displayed properly. Okay, long explanation for a short tip: Don’t put your text too close to the edge of the screen. Be aware of how it looks projected. I know that sounds simple, but you can lose sight of this if you spend all day staring at a computer screen with too much coffee running through your system like me so it bears repeating: Don’t put your text too close to the edge of the screen!
The Fly-In Transistion is FORBIDDEN!
Well, not forbidden, I guess, but I sure wouldn’t use any “slick” powerpoint transistions between slides, songs or anywhere. They’re confusing, cumbersome and don’t really enhance anything, except maybe the fact that you’re still using Powerpoint, which, is also forbidden. Just kidding. Mac guy, had to get my dig in.
Really, though, these are not hard and fast rules, just suggestions. But if you’ve never considered how your media works during your service, then these might be a great start to helping you get more from your media. If you have more questions, check out boethos.com, give me a call or shoot me an email. Thanks.