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This thread is for posting your Video - A/V Workshop Design, Decor, and/or Equipment suggestions.

Wormy in theater seats

If you have questions, post them in the "HELP" forum.

See photos of Video Workshops over here.

In addition to seating suggestions below, we have a discussion about installing theater seats which can also be found in this workshop forum.

We often announce new "video finds" and ideas on our Facebook page:

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Last edited by Neil MacQueen
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Use Children's Bible coloring books to create murals on your walls.

Photocopy the page onto a transparency and project onto the wall with an overhead projector. We also found pictures of ancient temple and scenes from Jerusalem and did the same thing from an art book. It helps to have 2 artists. One who can fill in with color and a more skilled artist to follow up with shading. The effect is wonderful.


ADD "Movie Poster-Like" Features to your Bible story murals.

Create dramatic titles and "reviews"

Example:

"The Greatest Story of All Time"

"Produced by God"

Starring: Moses and You

Last edited by CreativeCarol

We painted a filmstrip in our video workshop, called HolyWord Theatre.

My husband (a very helpful handyman) took a large dowel and drilled holes (just big enough for a pencil to fit in) at both ends of the dowel. The pencils were about 20 inches apart which is how wide we wanted our filmstrip to be. Then I just inserted two pencils, held them to the wall and drew the filmstrip. We have concrete block walls, so it was a little bumpy, but worked really well. I did have to stop and sharpen the pencils several times.

Then we divided the entire strip so that we could fit in all the names of the books of the Bible in each frame. (each frame is not the same size because some books are so much longer than others .... I Thessalonians vs. Micah for ex.) My daughter and I painted pictures that corresponded with the Bible books in some of the frames. It turned out really cute! This is probably my favorite of our workshops as far as decorations go.

P1010879P1010880

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Rotation.org Moderator added photos.

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Last edited by Luanne Payne

Our video room is painted a dark blue.

Using "glow in the dark" paint, we stenciled different size stars all around the top third.

As the children enter, the lights are on. Then when it's time to begin, the light go off (except a small one in the back) and the "night sky" becomes filled with stars as the video begins.
Simple and very effective.

Last edited by Neil MacQueen

We just finished our Movie Workshop!!! We have real theater seats from an AMC theater.  

Our church's name is Arisen Messiah, so we named our cinema the Arisen Messiah Cinema, or AMC THEATER for short 

 

We have painted the walls a royal blue and added stars to the ceiling. We have put up black 1 panel curtains, so they don't gap in the middle.

 

We have used "rope lights" around the walls, they look like the lights beside the aisles at real theaters. We want a Popcorn Popper and got something we didn't expect-a dorm-size refrigerator!!! It is no secret what God can do!!!

Last edited by Wormy the Helpful Worm
Another good resource for movie posters can be your local Christian bookstore. I explained what we were doing with the rotation method and asked if they had any extra promotional posters that we might be able to have. IF the owner didn't have an extra poster, he was willing to give me the one that they used for promoting the movies in the store, after it had promoted the movie for awhile. It pays to ask.

Tips for Decorating your Video/A-V Workshop

We have continued to add to this list!

#1 Tip: Remember to leave SPACE in your room for CREATING audio-visuals from time to time, and not just viewing them.



SEATING
Theater seats are great, but they can take up space. Sometimes they are easy to find as theaters and schools upgrade. Bolt them to a thick piece of decking. Be sure you and several strongmen can move them as you will undoubtedly need to do so at some time in the future as your ideas and needs change. At my church, we added an industrial set of wheels to the platform so we could move it in the room.

chair

My favorite idea is those plastic Adirondack chairs.

Cheap, comfortable, stackable, easy to find. Try them out, not all models are that comfortable, and some are flimsy. We like the ones made by US Leisure found at various home improvement stores. We didn't like the ones with curved backs because they didn't fit the kids.


Director's Chair"Directors Chairs" are a cute idea, and they are movable. Put the names of Bible characters on them.

Beanbags are a bad idea. Too noisy.

Floor cushions for overflow are nice, but not for everybody, and some kids will fall asleep on them.

"Rollie Office Chairs" seem like a good idea as well, but aren't cheap, and may have some kids rolling a bit too much. Don't buy new, buy used from office rental companies.

A couple of couches are a great idea too.


MURALS

Murals are a wonderful idea, but remember to incorporate space for drawing boards and hanging flipchart pages from your discussions, etc. It's an interesting idea to incorporate the SCREEN as part of your mural, but invariably, you will reconfigure where you put your projector/furniture, so my advice is to use a HANGABLE screen you can shift left/right over time and not cover up the coolest part of your mural! (i.e. You have to think long-term).


POPCORN MACHINE

Popcorn PopperEven though popcorn "machines" are a lot more expensive than regular kitchen poppers, the church will soon get hooked and start using it for other events. Just remember you'll need floor space/counter space for it.

Update: Orville Redhcher is selling a small cinema-style table-top kettle popper for about $100. Its kettle size makes enough for about 4 kids at a time.

Big popcorn kettle machines on movable carts are expensive, but BOY will your church find many events to use it at!


LIGHTING

DIMMER switches are a great idea. Fun stage lights or colored clamp lights also add some ambience and give you options to use them for skit. Put those on dimmer switches as well.

Glow in the dark stars and signs are a great idea, especially for some younger kids who don't like the dark.


BLACKOUT CURTAINS/SHADES

If you get a 1200+ lumens projector, you won't need to blackout the room. Just have shades or window coverings.

Decorating Tip:

Install a series of pull-down shades --each painted to look like a Bible story movie poster.


LCD PROJECTOR AND CART

An LCD projector is a must. $300 wil get you a modest one for the a classroom. Dollar for dollar they are far less in today's dollars than the film projectors we used to have "way back when."

I don't recommend "hanging" or mounting the projector because you will invariably want to move it around for projects. Keep it mobile, and have a place (or cart) you can lock it up in.

Buy a projector CART. TIP: Don't buy a small cart! Over time you'll want cart space to store things.

A "good" set of powerful computer speakers attached to your projector are perfect for most small/medium A-V workshops. Some churches have put in bigger sound systems, but some rooms/class sizes don't need them.


REMOTE CONTROL

Have a "Handy-person" PERMANENTLY ATTACH a large key chain-type object to your REMOTE CONTROL. You'll thank me later. (open the remote control case and note where you can drill a small hole to put a ring through it).

Luanne Payne adds an ideaA BIG DVD REMOTE
It’s dark and I cannot find the pause button, why do they make these remote control buttons so small! Voila, here’s a wonderful solution. A remote that has only the essential buttons that are widely spaced, large size, and in color.
Buttons: Menu – Home – Up – Down – Left – Right – Go – Stop – Pause. Great for all those DVD’s that now come with interactive quizzes. (Here's an example of how an interactive quiz can work.)


OTHER THINGS

CABINET for costumes and props and supplies. (It's fun to throw a Moses costume at kids to help debrief a video.)

FLIPCHARTS to draw on.

TRIPOD to put your camera on for when you are making video.

An OVERHEAD PROJECTOR to show your script on the wall so that kids don't have to read a script from papers they invariably hold in front of their face.

A movable PVC FRAME to throw up some quick butcher paper 'backdrops' for your A-V skits.

A VACUUM to pick up popcorn.

Movie Poster - The Promise
MOVIE POSTERS (check ebay)

Search Ebay for Bible movie titles. Some are quite expensive, but many are under $20.  ...or make your own when you study a video! blow up some clipart to help get started.

Check here for other places we found bible movie-size posters https://www.rotation.org/topic/701079063591814012.

CHEAP SOUND SYSTEM: Buy a MICROPHONE and small guitar AMPLIFIER. You don't need to buy a professional "PA" system! This will come in handy for 'interviewing' Bible characters, and for amplifying student comments so that the cheapie microphone on the videocamera will be able to pick them up. Kids love mikes too. Focuses their attention and cues them to talk. Very playful.  Note: the output jack of the typical LCD projector's audio can be adapted to plug into a small guitar amplifier. Which is to say, you don't need to buy a professional "PA" system. Ask around your congregation for a member who has an old USED guitar amp sitting around, or go to your local music store and tell them what you are looking for.

<>< Neil MacQueen

Bible Movie posters can be found on Ebay!

sonofgodposter

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Last edited by Luanne Payne

Speaking of creating good viewing spaces for the kids....

 

At Wormy's Church, our Retired Fellowship sponsors 6 or 7 "Faith Film Nights" a year at which we show important and thought-provoking films that don't get shown on the theater. These are followed up by discussion. Comfortable seating, snacks and popcorn are a must.

Last edited by Wormy the Helpful Worm


Re: theater seats
Posted By: Cathy Hoop

We decided to build auditorium style risers in our theater room instead of buying theater seats. A group from our church built them really easily - then we carpeted them and bought big pillows at Wal-Mart. The risers are more flexible with the numbers they can accommodate than are the theater seats. (But then we were going for a different effect than a move theater feel.)

 


 

 

Re: Risers

Posted by Neil MacQueen

 

I've seen several churches who have opted to build two or three tiers in the end of a room and add chairs or cushions. In one case, the upper tier could be leaned up against the wall and fastened there ...making the bottom tier a STAGE for other uses.

Connecting to the Web in Today's Video Workshop 

With the increasing availability of good and free video clips and Bible movies on YouTube, today's Video workshop really needs to have INTERNET ACCESS.

In addition, we here at Rotation.org continue to add more and more links to these great new video resources in our Bible lesson forums. 

Other than a cable, there are several other ways to bring the internet into your workshop.

WIFI: 
If your church already has WIFI, test the signal strength down in your classroom. Consider adding a WIFI booster to improve the signal strength.

Use Your Cellphone's Web Connection:
Most of today's cellphones can become a "wifi hotspot" with the flip of a switch, and your web-enabled TVs, tablets, and computers will be able to "see" and connect to that hotspot. It's great in a pinch. Just make sure you have "enough bars" in your classroom.

 Read more about The Rise and "How-to" of YouTube as a Sunday School Resource and other technical helps here at rotation.org.

Last edited by Luanne Payne

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