On my way back from the US, for the first time I was struck with how viewing video content on handheld devices is growing – it’s not something I had been overly aware of before, but on my flight from Dallas to Chicago – 3 of the passengers in the seats around me were viewing video content on a hand held device. The girl next to me was watching Family Guy on her iPhone, the guy in front of me was watching something (not sure what it was) and the woman opposite me was watching a movie.
It struck me at the time – taking out the idea that Christian TV is predominantly for Christians to teach, educate, inspire etc. how do we evangelise through the media using hand held devices – is there a way we can do this, what does it look like and will people want to consume it?
Well I think there is a way – BUT we have to get much more creative and much cleverer about how we do things. Firstly preaching is a no no – if you are not a Christian there is no way on planet earth that you would choose to “download” an evangelistic preach – even if its delivered in an attractive way, its just not going to make your play list. But I would even take this one stage further and say anything that is “branded” as a Christian product/video is very unlikely to get anywhere either. I think when it comes to this format we have to get “subversive” and produce material and STAY AWAY from the Christian market – we have to get it out into cyberspace in places Christian material is rarely found, onto platforms where Christians rarely venture and use clever “viral” marketing amongst our friends etc. to get our video clips etc. to the top of play lists etc. so that people wonder what they are missing out on – so they gain a kind of “cult” status.
For me as always the critical thing is creative content that people will want to watch, that will provoke them to laugh, cry, think, etc. BUT something they will react too. This coupled with clever marketing will help get the Christian message in a credible way onto these devices – as long as people don’t think they are watching Christian material that is out to “convert” them.
We also have to find creative ways of financing the production and marketing of this – that does not compromise the “subversive” nature of the material – i.e. looking for the viewers to finance it. Perhaps this is something that can be financed through a strategy of fundraising that appeals to people who want to invest in evangelism BUT they won’t get anything out of it – or maybe existing ministries and media players can assign some of their existing budgets to the production of this kind of material – however we do it, it’s a market place we have to find a way into as I guarantee that the use of handheld devices will grow phenomenally over the coming years – and if we are not there as Christians where will they hear the Gospel?
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2 comments:
Just read your last three blogs... I couldn't agree
more! Somebody needs to seriously start re-thinking the way we do
things for the younger generation. New wine needs new wineskins. We
need some heaven-sent inspiration, not just for content but the way we
'broadcast' from the rooftops what Jesus whispers in our ears.
I pray that the Holy Spirit uses me to this end. And one thing that I
realised at the CBC awards is that the younger generation needs to
turn to their 'fathers' and 'grandfathers' too (Malachi 4) It's a two
way thing. That's something even the mainstream world hasn't tapped
into, I think.
Also, just quickly, have you considered this new Media Training thing
that Cross Rhythms are doing? Maybe this is the UK's version of Teen
Mania's Creative Media thing, I dunno. www.crossrhythms.co.uk
You're right though, we need
to all work together to see it through.
I totally agree, especially in the UK.
The people who do this well - as in it gets well received - I think will NOT be 'trying' to 'convert' people - just show them an insider view of something they may never have seen before.
I'm thankful that, as a 21 year old atheist, I met up with a bunch of people who never tried to convert me. What did happen, and it surprised me, was that I got to see an inside-view of their stories, what all this stuff meant to them and why. That made me interested.
That wouldn't necessarily translate well into video, but I think the idea of stories you can watch, or ignore, will be important. And video is all about stories.
Your point about no 'preaching' goes without saying. Just never gonna happen, not with anyone I have ever met.
I think the notion of small, personalised audiences on handheld will be important. It's hard to pitch to a mainstream network at the best of times (so Im told). If that pitch is 'Id like to show people what Christian faith could do for them', it may well be much harder.
I can see how smaller efforts - stuff that is interesting say only to people who know me would end up on their iPods. If you didnt know me, and we didnt have that connection, then no - you'd tune it out.
Thanks for such an interesting piece. I'd love to see more along these lines.
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