Category: NYWC

  • My Social Media Event Toolbox

    social-media-toolbox

    Tonight I am packing for NYWC and I thought it’d be cool to capture a gear list. People see me running around and doing a lot of stuff, here is the equipment that makes it all happen.

    – Panasonic HD video camera (podcast footage)

    – Panasonic hand held camcorder (I take 2 of these, use them for daily recap videos)

    – Flip camera (for quick stuff I take from Big Room to Facebook, love it)

    – iPhone (all around communication device. Digital camera, calendar, Twitter machine, Facebook status updates, Mobile Flickr posts)

    – Nikon D60 (only one is pictured but I take two, plus about five 4 gig SD cards. Light and reliable, these are workhorse cameras for me)

    – Lenses (Standard lens, 300 for close-ups and Big Room stuff, wide angle to capture the bigness of some stuff)

    – Camera bag (You won’t see me without this at NYWC. It carries a lot of gear and lenses)

    – Wireless mics (for big video camera)

    – Mixer (for postgame show)

    – Portable hard drive (Hey, I capture a lot of media!)

    – Macbook Pro (Onsite I use web apps mostly, but I also use CS4, Final Cut, iMovie, iPhoto)

    – iPod headphones (Carry 2 sets, they are cheap so if I lose them its no big deal)

    – Media card reader (Carry 2 of these, you never know when someone will hand you a weird media card)

    – Mac display adapters (Got one of each variety– I’m handy like that for my friends)

    – Power cables galore (Convention handbook says you will always find me near an electrical outlet, it’s true! While I pictured one of everything I actually bring one for my bag and one for my room of almost every cable I use)

    – USB, Firewire, RCA, Minijack cables (I bring about 10 varieties, cheaper to carry them than buy them)

    – Business cards (Shoot video/pictures with someone, hand ’em a card)

    – Batteries (Mostly 9v and AA, this picture reminds me I need to stock up on AA)

    – Extra battery packs (I have a spare battery for everything, except my Macbook which lasts exceptionally long)

    There’s actually a lot not pictured here that I use a lot, as well. But this is the stuff I carry with me almost all the time. In addition to this I have lighting, tripods, more electrical stuff… and three full time volunteers!

    Seem excessive? 4 video cameras, 3 digital cameras, enough microphones to hold a press conference… Spend a couple hours with me and you’ll see that I use it all. I work my gear like my golf bag. I play ’em all.

  • A Unique Opportunity at NYWC

    Bragging for a second. This is also my first Final Cut project. With all the video stuff we’re doing at work, I want to learn some new skills and be Ian’s back-up. He was really patience in showing me the basics of Final Cut the other day. I was happy to get about 90% of this project done by myself. I can’t wait to learn more skills!

  • NYWC is Gonna Be Fun

    National Youth Workers Convention

    I’ve been so busy working on spreading the word about National Youth Workers Convention that I’ve literally forgotten to post about three exciting things I’m a part of in all 3 cities.

    1. The FUN team is back and better than ever! Last year was YS’s first serious forray into social media during a live event. We didn’t really know what it should look like and we did some stuff great and not-so-great at others. This year I have a great team of volunteers in each city and we’ll be focusing on bringing together some fun live elements, some relections, and some video.

    2. Social Networks, Video, and Your Ministry. I’ll be leading a grande lab with my co-worker and flipping video genius, Ian Robertson. If you want to learn how to mix social media skills with the power of video in your ministry… I will dare say this will be valuable for you. We really are going to show you how to use cheap cameras, cheap editing software, and great ideas into video magic for your group. Sure, we have high end “pro” toys we could show of. But true skill is using what you have to make something great.

    3. Teens and Technology fishbowl. I’m not really “teaching” this one, but in all three cities I’ll be facilitating a fishbowl conversation around this important topic. I have no real idea where it’ll go and that’s the joy of a fishbowl. But it will be fun to see what the problems are that are out there and come up with some solutions.

    If you’re on the bubble about coming this year, I just want to encourage you to make it happen. Unlike any other time in convention history… participants will be shaping the conversation of the convention. And that conversation will just be beginning at NYWC… more on that later.

  • Cultivate Leaders in Tough Times

    A few weeks back I talked about a quick trip I made up to Irvine to do a video shoot with Dave Gibbons, pastor of Newsong Church. I was privileged that he made time for me and thought enough about YS to share some thoughts about why a youth ministry training event is still important even when times are tough financially.

    Even in the best of times church decision makers wrestle with continuing education dollars. It’s so refreshing to hear senior leaders who understand the value in training and encouragement from people in your tribe. If you’ve never been to NYWC… there is a magical component when you meet hundreds of other youth workers and you have an instant bond. The community of a shared burden and experiences is so renewing!

    p.s. Random sidenote. Check me out! This video is well lit, in focus, and I even did a quick sound check before we began.

  • Two fantastic videos from NYWC

    I am a huge fan of the stories told at NYWC. Even before I came to work at YS, I always thought they managed to tell the right stories at every event to warm the heart and encourage the soul to keep going.

    These are two great short films produced by Ian, our maven of media.

    Christopher Yanov

    Becky Russell

  • Nashville’s Ghetto Recap

    This is quickly becoming one of the fun things I do… I totally love being a part of the podcast. Here’s something I heard 3-4 times this weekend that blew me away. People love the way I end the show. I kind of get tired saying it, but it’s one of the driving things behind the whole show… “you may not here it from anyone else, but we want you to hear it from us… what you do matters.” One guy even told me that sometimes he doesn’t have time to watch the whole thing so he just scans to the end to hear that, because he needs it. Amen.

  • Quick check-in

    I’m always amazed at my inability to blog from NYWC. I think it’s a combination of my insane schedule and a lack of good internet connectivity. More importantly, I feel like I don’t have much to share while in the midst of NYWC since I’m soaking it in so deeply.

    So here are some random thoughts in no particular order.

    – I’m looking forward to getting season one of “NYWC as a YS staffer” out of the way. 2008 has been a major learning curve for me. I feel like I admit ignorance way too much. I look forward to 2009 because I’ll be more useful beyond what I was able to handle here. I know that is gray and fuzzy, I don’t want to bore anyone with details.

    – I’ve said this before but I want to say it again, people are people no matter what they do. I’ve had some stirring conversations with speakers and authors… but I’ve also had very similar conversations with people who don’t write or speak for a living.

    – Nashville is a great convention location. I love the arena environment!

    – A ton of people asked me if the convention gets boring having gone to all 3. No, not boring. Not really repetitive. If it were boring I would need to find a new job.

    – I have huge respect for convention volunteers. My only frame of reference is a PGA Tour event. I think it’s a lot like that. Simply put, if we didn’t have the volunteer we couldn’t do it. Thanks to our volunteers!

    – I’ve gotten more sleep than in Pittsburgh. The reality is that my body is just waking up at 5:30 AM Pacific time. My roommate, Andy Thompson, thought I was kidding. With no alarm I woke up at exactly 5:30 on Friday morning. Today I woke up at 5:27.

    – Security at the Sommet Center is a little crazy. They are diligent, to say the least.

    – Is it really Christmas shopping season?

    – It’s true. I’m staying over on Monday night so I can get a good nights sleep before going home. I felt like my recovery process after Pittsburgh was elongated by my lack of chillaxing.

    – I’m looking forward to checking out the details of Obama’s transition team when I get home.

    – Mark Yaconelli, pictured above, brought the funk today.

    – I am thankful for Ian [Dude] Robertson. Every time I do an interview I am praying I don’t ruin it. It’s happened, it’s embarassing and every shoot makes me wish I knew more about the camera.

    – Just heard this on the Nashville news, “NASA astronaughts are working on their hardest project ever, they are installing a device that will make drinking water out of urine.“

  • Off the Nashville

    It’s butt early, but I am freshly showered, packed, and waiting on an airport shuttle to take me to the airport. This morning I’m taking the dark flight over to Dallas for my connection. Anyway, just in case I wasn’t clear enough… my blogging will likely be convention-centric for a few days. Don’t worry, I’m back next week to push theological and political buttons.

    Now, onto live blogging and daily recap videos.

  • NYWC Nashville: Pre-thoughts

    I am geeked about going to Nashville in a couple days. I know what you’re thinking, having been to Sacramento and Pittsburgh NYWC how can I possibly be excited about a 3rd one?

    – Oddly enough, a room full of youth workers always gets me excited.

    – Nashville is the “big show” on our circuit. There will be more people in Nashville for NYWC than currently live in Romeo, Michigan. No lie.

    – I get to hang out with my live blogging crew for nywc.com/live. Ryan, Shawn Michael, Jason, and Andy.

    – More time chilling with my new homie, Andy Marin.

    – Unlimited time cracking up with Cathy and meeting folks while shooting future episodes of the YS Podcast. I think we get so tired that pretty much everything is funny to us. But it’s still a good time.

    – Friday’s General Sessions will electrify an already excited audience. Don’t make plans for after the general session… you want to go to the talkback sessions, trust me.

    – Other than one time where I was at the bus depot at 10 PM on Christmas night 1995 on my way to see my then girlfriend, Kristen Tucker, absolutely scared to death that some bum knew that I secretly had a pearl ring in my backpack and he was going to jump me for it…. I’ve never been to Nashville longer than it takes to change a plane or empty my bladder and buy a coke.

    – I want to find out where the casinos are in Nashville. Is that why everyone calls it Nashvegas?

    – I find myself constantly saying (internally): Graceland is in Memphis you moron. The Grand Ole Opry is in Nashville.

    – I’m hoping the get more than 15 hours sleep. I totalled it up, that’s what I got in Pittsburgh. I’ve built my schedule a lot better this time.

  • YS podcast: Adam’s Ghetto Version

    Literally, we shot this podcast on our handheld cameras and my Macbook’s isight camera. Pay attention to the intro and it will make perfect sense.