Send us a Text Message.The guys are joined by Tessa Voccola, Brand & Content Manager for RVRB Agency, to share about what it takes to capture high quality content for live events. She also shares some tips on the value of pre-production and the importance of fueling yourself outside of your creative roles. To partner with RVRB for your event, visit their website:https://www.rvrb.com/Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.On this episode, the guys are joined by Luke McElroy and JT Bowling of the Monochrome Podcast to discuss how to build online communities and how to develop deeper connections within those communities. Check out the Monochrome Podcast:https://saltcommunity.com/podcast/Get more information about the SALT Conference and their community resources:https://saltcommunity.com/Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.The guys are joined by author, leadership coach, and friend of the podcast Phil Bowdle to discuss how to navigate leadership, conflict, and tension within church media teams. Visit Phil's website for the resources that were discussed in today's episode:https://philbowdle.com/Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.In this community-inspired topic, the guys share three of their top tips for how to survive, grow, and thrive as a church media freelancer. Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.The guys chat with their first ever AI guest: Chat GPT 4o! From recommendations on sermon resources to suggestions for event ads to encouragements for the Blackbar community, Chat GPT 4o provides a unique look into the capabilities and potential of AI as it could be used for church media ministry. Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.On this episode, the guys dive into 3 common marketing and advertising mistakes that churches tend to find themselves stuck in. They also discuss the potentials of Canva's acquisition of Affinity and how it might actually give Adobe a run for its money. Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.On this episode, Caleb & Nick are joined by guest host Tim Jackson, team member of BNY productions and Ohr LED, to discuss some of the most exciting (and noteworthy) announcements for Christian churches and creatives from 2024's National Association of Broadcaster's show. Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.On this community-inspired episode, Caleb and Nick dive into the topic of religious vs secular art and whether or not God can work through something if it's not explicitly "Christian." Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.On this episode, the guys are joined by guest Troy Picou, the children's pastor at Grand Rapids First, who has made a name for himself by creating extravagantly creative props, puppets, illustrations, character animations, and many, many other amazing things. Troy was gracious enough to share a behind the scenes look with us on how he's reaching the next generation of believers well.  There's a fair bit of visuals that accompany our conversation today, so you can check out the VOD of the episode on our YouTube channel or you can find Troy Picou online on both YouTube (@troypicou) and Instagram (troypicou). Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.The guys share 15 free tools that they use to support and simplify their creative workflow, and Caleb does an intro to 3D animation training with a focus on the free animation software called Blender. NOTE: Zach discovered after the fact that the project management application called Monday was a free month trial, not a free permanent seat. He still recommends it, but you would need to pay to use Monday when the trial is up. Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.The guys are joined by guest co-host JP Dorsey, previous President of North Point Bible College GR and pastor at Grand Rapids First, to discuss whether or not social media us truly a good or bad thing for society at large. They also discuss OpenAI's newest video software called Sora and how churches can practically and ethically integrate AI systems into their workflow.  Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.Nick & Caleb are joined by guest co-host Dan Desrosiers (S1 Episodes 6, 7, & 85) to discuss how churches can best leverage media to connect with and grow their communities in 2024. They also discuss how to approach the nuanced conversation of upgrading your gear to your pastor and leadership team. Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.Nick and Caleb talk with Mike Soroka, IT and networking guru, about why churches should care about modern cybersecurity, and they share some easy first steps every organization should take to protect their data. They also discuss Disney's expired copyright of the Steamboat Willie character, and how important it is for creatives to understand copyright and public domain.Join our Stream Team!https://forms.gle/2mpip9aVwHCkhyXm8Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.The guys share about what they learned from the 2024 Passion Conference team on how to gather the most effective and impactful sermon clips for your church. They also talk about the new podcast format alongside their newest Q&A style segment called Blackout!Join our Stream Team!https://forms.gle/2mpip9aVwHCkhyXm8Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.On the last episode of 2023, the guys share some thoughts from a church creative's perspective about Carey Nieuwhof's recent blog post on declining church attendance. They also discuss the implications of the conclusion of the SAG-AFTRA strikes as well as Instagram's most recent algorithm changes. Read Carey Nieuwhof's full blog post "5 Church Attendance Statistics Every Church Leader Needs to Understand in 2024" here:https://careynieuwhof.com/church-attendance-statistics/Episode Timestamps: 2:59 SAG-AFTRA Strike Resolution25:47 Instagram Updated Its Algorithm... Again37:55 Why Church Attendance Is Declining & What Can We Do About It?  Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.In the church and ministry creative field, last minute changes are as frequent as Sunday service, so on this episode the guys wanted to share some practical tips on how to navigate the unpredictable in a healthy way. They also share some predictions about the potential of Unreal Engine's Project Avalanche software, and they take a look at what can be learned about church photography from the advanced features of Sony's A9 III camera.Episode Timestamps:5:00 Could Unreal Engine's Project Avalanche Dethrone After Effects?27:36 What Can Sony's New A9 III Teach Us About Photography?44:18 How To Be Creative When The Plan Changes Last MinuteJoin the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.The guys welcome guest co-host Alex Lyons as they discuss how to approach AI with faith and wisdom. They also kick off the episode analyzing and learning from the new Eddie Bower logo redesign. Episode Timestamps:3:20 Eddie Bauer Logo Redesign28:40 Beyond Fear: Embracing AI with Faith and WisdomJoin the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.With the success of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour movie, the guys discuss how experiences like this could impact the ways that we both approach and engage in worship within our faith communities. They also get back into the Mac vs. PC debate on the heels of Apple's newest M3 Chip showcase.Episode Timestamps:2:42 Mac vs. PC in 202323:48 Could Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Affect Our Church Services?Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.The guys lose their minds over the exciting new Adobe software features showcased at this year's Adobe Max event! They also circle back to last week's conversation to tie in how Meta's new social personality AI can impact the way we create social content, and they break down how the technology used for the recent Toy Story Funday Football broadcast could help churches approach children's ministry in a new way.  Episode Timestamps:3:31 - Meta's New personality AI28:33 - Toy Story Meets Football?!50:00 - First Impressions of Adobe Max 2023Join the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/

Send us a Text Message.Caleb & Nick welcome guest co-host Garrett Vandenberg as they discuss the ethics, theology, practical application, and potential future of Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and AI generated music all within creative, faith-based spaces. Episode Timestamps:4:53 - The Ethics and Theology of AI Generated Music45:31 - The Future of AR/VR ChurchJoin the Blackbar Discord to keep the conversation going:http://discord.blk.bar/