Would Christmas Disappear? (Ad)
Video is a great way to catch people's attention, especially on social media. Here's a simple - yet effective - Christmas ad that you could produce with a phone camera, scissors, and colored paper. Based on the concept of a feltboard, Laurie Wozniak of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York used clip art, construction paper, scissors, and a cloth backdrop to create a simple Christmas image and using a handheld video camera (it could be the one on your smartphone), she took a series of still shots then using the editing feature on her camera and Vimeo, created this charming video. (Please click on image at right to watch this video.) Here's how she did it: 1. Found templates of a decorated Christmas tree, Santa Claus, and a wreath in a clip art resource. 2. She traced and then cut out all of the pieces from construction paper. 3. Using a neutral background which she laid on a table, Laurie put the primary pieces (green wreath, green tree, red Santa suit) on the surface. 4. She then photographed the images from above, then added a layer of detail and took another image from the same vantage point, repeating this process until all of the detail was layered on the neutral background. (To put it another way, she photographed each step of the assembly process of this image,) 5. Using her editing software (Flip Camera), she assembled the still images in reverse order, to give the effect of things disappearing. 6. Congregations can add information inviting viewers to their Christmas services. 7. Post on Vimeo or You Tube. 8. Promote on your congregation's Facebook site as well as your Google Places page, Twitter feed, etc.
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