I had a great new week in Bangkok, Thailand. WMC-AP provided media support for the ThirdWave Global Youth Conference last January 2-8, 2012 where around 200 leaders from 50 nations gathered to worship, pray and be empowered.
This is an overview of the trip. We might have a part two or maybe a series to tell you more about specific techniques and equipment, so watch out for it.
Gearing Up
Armed with prayer, cameras, sound equipment, Sean and I prepared for the trip. Sean will be working with audio and me on video. We made a list of the necessary equipment including cameras, tripod, recorders, tapes, microphones, etc. We had them nicely packed in a crate and bags ready for the flight to Bangkok.
My goal is to make a highlights video of the conference. That would look like one-minute-per-day on the edit. It’s crazy! I can easily fill up two 16 Gig card on a day. Thats a few hundred clips about 2 hours total and that is still being conservative. I chose the CanonEOS 7D to shoot highlights of the week. It’s portable and the clips easily fit on a portable editing workflow. Yes, I will be cutting on site. I brought a MacBook Pro, a hard drive and a mouse. And oh, the software? I’m daring to use a trial software, cool!
Story Is the Star
Above all the technical concerns, we need to turn our heads up to the mission – to capture and tell the story. Yes, the specifications of the camera, and other gear matters but it’s just part of the whole thing. It’s you who’s running the camera and shooting. These equipment are tools to fulfill the mission.
Like any exciting youth gathering, I already have pictures on my head. It’s just a good motivation when going for a mission like this. It get’s your mind alert and eyes open for the shots.
We start firing our cameras even before getting on the plane (like everybody) but we always need to remember our goal. When we hit Thailand ground, first thing is to get in touch with the key person and get as much basic information about the event, hotel, and schedules.
At the airport, while waiting for others to arrive, I started taking shots of some important meet and greet moments. On the road, keeping an eye on landmarks, signs, people.
At the conference, you can immediately see tons of potential stories. Everyday is different. That could be overwhelming or you can choose to have fun and shoot as you enjoy the moments.
Worship is an intense scene. Full of spirit and emotion. It can get a little crazy sometimes. What matters is you worship with the people, look around and capture.
Workshops and group activities has it’s unique story too. Passionate speakers, attentive listeners, taking notes, praying, reading, interacting and more. You just have to spend time and observe to get your cue for the shot.
The Bangkok tour is amazing. It’s our world meets the other world. It’s refreshing to touch, smell and see the culture and the people. Of course a rich material for your camera!
I’ve been shooting short 5 to 10 second clips but I’m also doing random quick interviews. I was able to get decent sound with an external mic mounted on the 7D.
It was a great week witnessing and capturing the ThirdWave story where church leaders are strengthened and enabled. During the week, I did three short videos, an update type of piece. Just last week, the highlights video was delivered.
I hope to share more details on the shooting, clips wrestling, and all the fun side of the project next time. God bless!
