VIDEO TIPS ON SHARING YOUR BORN AGAIN TESTIMONY
 

By: Norm Rasmussen

Here is a precious 2 minute video exhortation about sharing your testimony:  http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=a2abdf8ab174160c5cfe  

Probably the most powerful and effective means God has given us to share our testimony is to share it LIVE. The second most effective way is to share it on video. From video, DVD and audiotapes can be made. Written testimonies must never be underestimated either. Listeners want to SEE the person who is testifying if at all possible. It adds believability to what the person is saying.

When using the medium of video to record someone's testimony, there are TWO critically important factors that need to be taken into consideration. FIRST - Good sound. SECOND - Good lighting. It is easy to obtain both with a little bit of understanding.

Good sound is critical because people simply refuse to listen to bad sound on video. People are used to good sound on videos, so to give them noise or weak sound is all that is needed to get them to NOT listen to your testimony.

When using a standard camcorder, it is best to have an extension microphone that plugs into the side of the camcorder. The handheld mike can then be close - within just a few inches - of the person testifying. This eliminates camcorder noise, as well as other background noise.

Of course, a wireless microphone works well, but a decent quality one is not cheap to buy. Batteries get weak, whereas a handheld mike doesn't need batteries. Radio Shack has several quality microphones that don't require batteries.

If for some reason you simply choose to tape using the built-in mike that is on the camera, then get as close to the camera as possible. A distance of 5 - 6 feet is best. Any further and quality sound fades quickly. If at all possible, when filming with the built-in mike, film in a small, quiet, enclosed room. Voice will be trapped in the room and will be recorded much better.

Eliminate as many distracting, outside noises as possible. Phones ringing, dogs barking, kids playing, fans blowing, squeaky chairs, nervous tapping or banging . . . try as best as you can to not film where these noises can be heard. They will in no way enhance the broadcast ability of your video, but only detract from it.

Amateur videographers are not aware that professionals will tell you to use roughly five times more light on your subject that what the human eye thinks is necessary. The professionals are right. You can never have too much light, but you sure can have too little.

Sufficient light is easy to get. We started out taping testimonies by simply going to the hardware and purchasing a couple of aluminum reflector, clamp-on style lights, and putting 300 watt bulbs in them.

We placed them as close to the testifier as we could get away with (if their eyes start protruding from their eye sockets and start nearly touching the floor, we know we have TOO MUCH light!). Obviously it takes awhile for people to get used to bright lights in their eyes, but they adjust to it after a few minutes of speaking.

Direct light on the testifier' s face is fine. You might shine it down at an angle on them to eliminate glare on their eyes. Try to stay away from harsh shadows from the nose and under the eyes.

Any kind of indoor light will work. Just don't spend a lot of money on lighting. It is cheap and easy to get, even if you have to turn your car headlights on your testifier. We don't recommend gas lanterns or burning sticks! Your average American light bulb works real fine. Just use enough of them to make the speaker's face light up like the noonday sun.

I am a "close up" addict. I believe the person testifying should barely have both ears showing on either side of the screen, (at least most of the time). The closer the camera pans into the subject, the more the viewers feel CLOSE to the speaker. Saying it another way, the farther away the person looks on the screen, the farther people who are listening drift away from what is being said.

If the testifier has another person operating the camera, the camera operator can slowly zoom in and out at critical moments to add to the impact of the testimony. Testifiers who cry need to be zoomed in on at that moment because the capturing of tears can have MORE impact than a thousand words can sometimes accomplish.

Most Cable TV Public Access stations are geared up to play standard half-inch VHS videotapes.  More and more, they are converting over to Digital/DVD format.  That's the format we recommend you film on if at all possible. Of course, if you have S-VHS capability, that is much better yet than standard VHS.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail us and we'll help you as we're able. Sharing one's testimony on video can be fearful for some people, but the Holy Spirit gives incredible grace once a person chooses to do it for Jesus. After all, He's the author of the story that has been written in your life. Do we have the right to not let Him publish it?

We encourage you to read the document: IMPORTANT TIPS ON SHARING YOUR TESTIMONY on this web page as well, to perhaps give you some pointers before you start putting your testimony together on paper and video.

Thank you, precious saint of the most high God, and may God richly bless you!

If you would like to read Norm's born again testimony, you can click on this link:  http://precious-testimonies.com/BornAgain/L-N/Norm.htm