The Church Production Podcast

What started as a short Easter service documentary about a converted Muslim in America, turned into a sermon-length film that is bringing hundreds of atheists and Muslims to Jesus. It was produced by Peoria, Illinois’ Northwoods Community Church, and the film titled “Who Do You Say I Am?” won the Capture Summit Church Filmcraft Festival recently held in Houston, Texas.    The documentary recounts...

In this episode of the Church Production Podcast , host Joseph Cottle sits down with Scott LeBeau—longtime lighting director, creative leader, and, unexpectedly, professional bowler. Scott shares his remarkable journey from serving on the facilities and lighting teams at Life Mission Church and New Life Church in Colorado Springs to pursuing a lifelong dream of competing on the PBA Tour. Scott div...

In this engaging Church Production Podcast, Life Mission Church’s Worship Pastor Zach Dinsmore and AVL Director Joseph Cottle share how they balance friendship and leadership. Discover their Christ-centered principles for building relational equity, navigating shared vision, and fostering unity between worship and tech teams, even through challenges like differing visions and unexpected transition...

Phil Cooke is a PhD, author, speaker, and longtime production director in Hollywood, broadcast television and the local church. He's passionate about church production leaders figuring out the message they're trying to tell. And in this Church Production Podcast episode, he talks with Joseph Cottle about all of that, alongside some great advice for young and veteran production leaders alike.   Coo...

20 years ago, Will Chapman says the Lord asked him to start the media ministry at Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen, Texas. He did so with an intern and five committed volunteers. Over two decades, he grew that ministry exponentially and has moved on to the title of online minister there – but this new role is more like an executive producer or station manager, getting the church’s content out to d...

Is your church thinking about or already moving from a portable location to permanent facility?  Recently, Radiant Church in Kansas City, Kansas switched from a mobile setup. They were a church plant that was meeting in a rented space every week until the recent move. David Jeong, the AVL Lead at Radiant Church grew up a preacher’s kid in South Korea and says he had no plan to work in ministry, “I...

Four steps to achieving a consistently high-quality live stream mix without the need for an additional sound engineer or mixing console. The livestream audio at LifeMission Church in Olathe, Kansas is getting so good that people are taking notice. Caden Van Dorn is a production tech at Life Mission. He’s an audio specialist who is being asked to help other churches around Kansas City figure out th...

In this episode of the Church Production Podcast , host Joseph Cottle sits down with Austin Allen, the lead filmmaker at Times Square Church in New York City, to discuss Unseen , a short film that recently won Best Overall at the Capture Summit Church Film Craft Festival. More than just a film about faith, Unseen delves into the often-taboo topic of mental health within Christian communities. Whil...

Discover the world of church video production and storytelling with the Church Production Podcast, hosted by Joseph Cottle. In this engaging episode, we sit down with Amanda Needham, Managing Director of the Telly Awards, an institution recognizing excellence in film and video production across all screens. Join us as Amanda shares insights from her experience judging the Church Film Craft Festiva...

In this episode of the Church Production Podcast, host Joseph Cottle sits down with Jody Eldred, an award-winning filmmaker and producer with over 40 years of experience working in Hollywood. From directing, cinematography, and editing to color grading and camera work, Jody has worn many hats across a diverse range of productions for major television networks. Now, as a committed Christian, Jody i...

Learn how Grace Church is navigating the balance between live and pre-recorded content, and how they are continually innovating to meet the needs of their congregation. Discover how Grace Church has adapted their services for both in-person and online attendees, leveraging technology and creative strategies to enhance their worship programming. Ben also discusses the lessons learned during the COV...

In this episode of t he Church Production Podcast , we dive into the unique role of James Harding, Director of Ministry Coordination at First Baptist Rogers, Arkansas. James, who also serves as the President of the Metro Media and Communications Association (MMCA/METRO), shares his journey from production to a pivotal leadership role that bridges the gap between ministry needs and operational real...

Discover expert insights on managing large-scale projects with Justin Firesheets in our latest podcast episode, "Top 12 Truths for Heading Up Big Projects." As project manager at Church of the Highlands, Justin shares invaluable lessons from overseeing numerous complex installations across multiple locations. From navigating technology pitfalls to involving diverse stakeholders and vetting service...

Join us on the Church Production Podcast as we delve into the art of lighting for post-production with Emmy Award-winning producer and filmmaker Isaac Alongi. Hosted by Joseph Cottle, this episode explores essential tips and techniques for achieving stunning lighting setups that translate seamlessly into the editing room. Discover why large, soft light sources are key to enhancing facial features...

Join host Joseph Cottle as he sits down with Luke Manwaring, the creative force behind Bethel Music's captivating visuals. In this Church Production Podcast episode, Luke shares his journey from England to Redding, California, and how a simple church announcement sparked his passion for video production. From making amateur youth group videos to crafting visuals for Bethel's worship anthems, Luke'...

Shortly after the pandemic shut down their live services, the main film team at Alabama's Church of the Highlands was entirely focused on reproducing the church's online services. With no margin to create music videos, the church's worship team was forced to find the equipment, the staff, and the expertise to produce their own music videos. Learn what they know now, that they wish they knew then i...

Many churches use Dante digital audio networks, but transfer video via legacy SDI backbones, making their video workflows confusing and complex. This conversation with Church Production is designed to help churches structure more straightforward systems that are easier to navigate and provide a higher quality end result. Presented by AJA. 

Streams and online video content become primary avenues for spreading the church's message. Demands on church video producers grow as church's compete with commercial video content. Learn more in this interview with two church filmmakers who discuss the changes the pandemic has brought to church video production. Presented by NanLite

After a series of seemingly harmless mishaps involving production rigging, Church of the Highlands decided to get formal training for their staff and a professional evaluation of their rigging equipment. Join Church of the Highlands' Dennis Parker, Eric Rouse from EPS (Entertainment Project Services) and Church Production's Brian Blackmore for a discussion on the before and after effects on riggin...

Mount Paran Church is the world’s first house of worship to install a sanctuary loudspeaker system built upon L-Acoustics' L-ISA Hyperreal Sound technology. Join this discussion on the results of the project with David Mendoza, technical director at the church, and Tim Corder, director of strategic accounts, house of worship at Diversified, the integrator on the project and L-Acoustics’ Josh Maich...

"As a worship leader I hated feeling separated from the audience. Especially when I was trying to talk to them," says Don Poythress, a Nashville, Tennessee-based singer, songwriter, and worship leader at Abundant Life Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. He has hearing loss and struggled with using in-ear monitors, which made him feel cut off from the congregation. Then he learned about the 3DME activ...

The ETC FOS/4 line of LED lighting fixtures for video applications features a patent-pending combination of green, lime, blue, indigo, cyan, amber, red, and deep red LEDs to ensure optimal color representation and the most saturated light possible.  Learn more in this discussion with Alex Schwindt, independent filmmaker and former church film team director and Jim Uphoff, entertainment product man...

One serious advantage among many: due to the webcam's 4K resolution, you can set up multiple preset shots and switch between them using just one camera. Find out more in this podcast with product reviewer and content creator, Mark Hanna and Huddlecam Pro HD's Paul Richards. 

It may be a revolutionary way for churches to think about their video infrastructure, according one of our panelists. Check out this discussion of the options and opportunities the Panasonic Kairos IP/IT Centric Video Processing Platform may offer to churches in this recorded panel discussion with Dennis Choy from Saddleback Church in Southern Calif., Dave Clark from Fellowship Church, Grapevine,...

PTZ Optics and StreamGeeks are partnering, for the third time, to produce Worship Summit Live on July 29, 2020.  It's a full-day virtual event with a wide range technology related topics, a time of worship and even a professional development track. Learn more at worshipsummit.live.