More Research

Just checking some other stuff. If you dig the pieces, let me know.

Change is Gonna Come

Soon, you'll see a new Crossroads Creative. We're working on our new site, and the basic version of it should be up June 2nd. About a month after the initial launch, we'll have all of our pieces up (around 130 in all), with a new skin, and a, dare I say it, new logo.

Ever since I saw our current logo, I hated it. To be fair to the graphic artist who created it, who is also a personal friend, the design was my idea.

Here's the current logo:

Yuck. Too busy, and too not good. Here's something I quickly built in Photoshop, and is much closer to what I'd like:

Already better. Our graphic Artist will be working on this design and others, and when it's done, I'll do a post on it. Any critique from any of my readers is totally welcome.

Anyway, look for the changes, and tell EVERYONE you know about us.

Friday Funny

For those of you wondering what's up with all the videos I've posted, Crossroads Creative is about to add a bunch of stuff to the website, and I've been testing Flash converters.  I've searched high and low for cheap converters, only to find out that we had Flash Professional CS3 all along. So, I guess I'm going to go with Flash Pro CS3.

Anyway, hers's funny pic installment #2.  You write the caption...

More Research

More Research

More Research

More Research

OK, those of you who have seen the recent posts with Flash video, only to be taken down, may be asking "Why." Well, here's the deal. Crossroads Creative is about to redo some stuff, and I'm just testing out some Flash conversion tools.

So, here goes...one more test video.

And another one...

Yeah, that was me.  OK, and one more...

Friday Funny

Okay, I'd like to take credit for this idea, but I've seen it crop up here and there, mostly on my friend, Charles Shyblosky's blog. It's a great idea, so I thought I'd start doing it on my blog. Here's how it goes...I put up a picture and you write the caption. Deal? Deal.

Here goes Friday Funny #1. You write the caption.

More Accidental Progress...

OK, since our service from Hades last Friday, a couple of things have happened:

1. ProPresenter's update is out, with the fix for the problem we had with the videos.  Great job, guys!

2. We have a new lighting console on the way. We decided to get a new one after the following occurred:

The console that was (and still is) wigging out is actually a rental for our regular console that was having the same issues. During our staff meeting Tuesday, my pastor asked when I was taking the console out to be repaired, and when I informed him that it was out, and that the faulty one was actually the rental, he gave me a funny look. I then explained that I had just got the info for the return authorization, and that it should be all good once we had the board repaired. At that point, our youth pastor spoke up and said that even thought they had theirs repaired, it was still giving them issues (the same ones, BTW). With that bit of info out there, my pastor looked at me and simply said, "Let's just get a new one."

Fine with me, but here's the kicker:  he then says, "Turn something in for my board meeting tomorrow night."

OK, so, to say that I know nothing about lighting consoles is giving me too much credit! So, I sent out text messages, emails, and made some calls. I was surprised to get so many replies, but in a way, it made matters worse, since NO TWO PEOPLE had the same suggestion. The guy from whom we buy almost all of our gear gave me some suggestions, and I finally settled on a Lecprecon LP-X48. It's more than enough for what we need, and it'll be here soon.

BTW, the three wiggy consoles were all Zero88 FROG consoles. Ours are both FAT FROGs, and the rental is a Leap FROG (pictured).

0 for 3 from Zero88, which is a shame, because I've really enjoyed programming on our FAT FROG. It's kind of a sentimental thing, I guess. It's the first (and only) console I've ever done ANYTHING on. Hopefully whoever buys mine after it's repaired will have better luck, and I hope my Leprecon does the same for me (pun fully intended!).

The Night That Will Not be Discussed Again...

My church NEVER has technical issues. Our gear is great, our tech team operates like a well-oiled machine, and our services run flawlessly.

So, what the heck happened last night!?

During the 4 pm band rehearsal, none of our in-ears' mixes were right. Our console was accidentally reset (I guess), and all of the settings were lost. If this were the only issue of the night, it'd be no big deal, BUT...

This was only a foreshadowing of things to come.

We had guest speakers, who are missionaries to Africa (yeah, cliche, but true). I found out (at 3 pm) that the wife was going to sing, and we had to hook up floor wedges. Again, no big deal, except that she had a PowerPoint to show DURING her song(s). Also, NBD, except that they sorta got lost on the way to the church, and got there at about 10 minutes before service. We loaded the PowerPoint on our teleprompter, and were set. Obviously, she got no soundcheck, but our sound guy's pretty good (really good, in fact), so that didn't worry me.

But then, IT happened.

At right about service time (6 pm), I heard my name being paged. ProPresenter, our presentation software, wasn't playing audio. the computer had audio, but not the program. Weird. I restarted the program. No result. Restarted the computer. No result. Shut down the computer. No result. Downloaded update. No result. Reset program display preferences defaults. BINGO, we have sound. The audience actually applauded when the countdown started (probably the first time in history a church congregation has given an ovation to a countdown video!).

We could have started service without our two-minute video countdown, but we REALLY needed video for the service; it was Baby Dedication weekend (which are all on video). The band was ready to start without the countdown, but guess who the bass player was his weekend? Yep, you guessed it...me!

Okay, the two-minute countdown ended, and worship started. No problems. First song over, Baby Dedication video plays. Perfect. Second worship song. Fine. Then, the drummer was VERY late starting the click for the third song, so the worship leader decided to kill it (we started 15 min. late because of the aforementioned ProPresenter glitch) and just move forward with the service...as the drummer started clicking off the third song. It was as if the whole band (and most of the congregation) was yelling "Nooooooooo" in slow motion.

The worship pastor had the congregation sit down, as our presentation operator rolled our announcements video. No sound. I actually heard people sigh and "ohhh" in disappointment.

So we skipped the announcements and proceeded with verbal announcements and offering message. When we went to start the special song (Natalie Grant's "I Will Not Be Moved," which is a bit of a rocker) the drummer rolled the click for the not-played third worship song, a COMPLETE ballad! The look on his face was priceless. Better still was the sound of the supposed electric guitar volume swell that lasted about 15 seconds longer than it should have. The swell started, crested and faded out BEFORE the click even started!

So, we got through that, all of us wondering "What could go wrong next?" I don't know why people have to ask that, because about 5 minutes later, our accountant's husband (who's also a board member, and Saturday night service's head usher) tripped the alarm in the accounting office! The best part about that is that he didn't know the code (to his wife's own department), so he had to call her. Obviously, that took longer than the grace period afforded once you trip the alarm. So...WAAWAAWAAWAAWAAWAAWAAWAAWAA!!!!!! the alarm went off.

Oh yeah, our lighting board we have temp-ed in because ours is not functioning correctly, is not functioning correctly. A couple of the lighting scenes mysteriously went dark WHILE THE PREACHER WAS ONSTAGE!

Several of us tried to explain to our ministry guests that this stuff never happens. We may have over-compensated, because I'm not sure they bought it, although, the missionary's wife did make a comment like "the devil really hates us."

After service, I got ProPresenter to work. It turns out that there is a bug in their program. I notified them, and a fix is on the way.

Has this absolute craziness ever happended to any of you? Please say yes!