Production Questions for Weekend Gatherings

19. Aug, 2011 0 Comments

Results are often determined by the questions we ask. Hoping for a great outcome without asking questions leads to disappointment and frustration. When the right questions are asked, it leads to clarity and it’s more likely a successful outcome will be enjoyed. I lead a diverse team of artists at Oak Hills Church and one area we focus on is production. We have learned that asking the right questions and defining who is responsible for providing an answer is critical to our success.

You know how important it is to have someone on the details if you are responsible for the weekend gathering at your church,. The Production Arts Team at Oak Hills Church recently explored a comprehensive list of questions that are critical to the success of a weekend gathering. I am blessed to work with many talented people and I am grateful to OHC’s Production Art Director, Daniel Gertson and OHC’s AV Technical Director, Steven Cobb for their input in developing this list of questions.

We hope you find this list helpful and invite you to share additional questions we should explore.

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Areas to Consider when Creating a Weekend Gathering:

Environment: Lighting, Audio & Temperature
Elements: Lyrics, Musicianship, Graphics, Video & Service flow
Relationships: Campus Minister, Worship Leader, Band, Audio Engineer, Media Operator, Lighting Operator, Host & Ushers
Communication: Announcements, Distribution of materials & Quality Check Lyrics/Sermon slides

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Questions to be asked by the PRODUCER prior to the Weekend Gathering:

Question:	Primary Responsibility:	Secondary Responsibility:
What church-wide announcements need to be communicated?	Producer	Production Assistant
What campus specific announcements need to be communicated?	Producer	Campus Minister
Has the message manuscript been distributed to the host and/or elder?	Producer	Production Assistant
Have all the service elements been put in Planning Center?	Producer	Production Assistant
Have the lyrics, graphics, sermon video, other videos and announcement slides been placed in Media Shout?	Producer	Worship Leader
Do lyric or sermon slide backgrounds fit together? Do they match the series graphics and/or each other?	Producer	Production AssistantVisual Arts Coordinator
Has the Host been provided with announcement info?	Producer	Production Assistant
Has the stage set been completed and is the stage ready for practice?	Producer	AV Technical Coordinator
Are there any props to be displayed?	Producer	Production Assistant
Have lighting cues been programmed?	Producer	AV Technical Director
Does the lighting color scheme match the series colors? Do the colors in each cue go together?	Producer	Production Arts Director
Are details of special elements ready to go?	Producer	Production Assistant
Has there been a walk through of the service flow with the production leader, worship leader, host and/or campus minister?	Producer	Worship Leader

DURING-Gathering:

Question:	Primary Responsibility:	Secondary Responsibility:
Are people being invited into the worship center prior to the service start?	Producer	Worship Leader
Does the music/singing/speaking/video sound good?	Producer	Worship Leader,Campus Minister
Does the lighting look appropriate?	Producer	Lighting Coordinator
Is the audio level appropriate?	Producer	Audio Engineer
Are there any misspellings/typos in the lyrics/sermon slides?	Producer	Worship Leader
Is the video playing correctly?	Producer	Director
Is the host/elders/speaker being cued for each transition?	Producer
Are the host/elder/speaker’s transitions smooth and/or meaningful?	Producer	Campus Minister
Are the ushers being cued to distribute communion or pass offering baskets? Are there enough ushers?	Producer	Host Coordinator
Are prayer partners ready for prayer time? Are there enough prayer partners?	Producer	Host Coordinator
Is the info in the announcements being conveyed correctly?	Producer	Campus Minister
Are we staying on time?	Producer
Is anything going on that could be distracting?	Producer	Campus Minister,Worship Leader
Is the worship and/or live message being recorded properly (video and/or audio)?	Producer	AV Technical Director

POST-Gathering:

Question:	Primary Responsibility:	Secondary Responsibility:
Has there been a post-service debriefing between services?	Producer	Director,Worship Leader
Have all necessary changes been implemented for the next service?	Producer	Director,Worship Leader

Questions to be asked by the CAMPUS MINISTER prior to the Weekend Gathering

Question:	Primary Responsibility:	Secondary Responsibility:
How will the vision be emphasized during the weekend gathering?	Campus Minister	Producer
Does anything need to be distributed during the service? If so, has the head usher been notified?	Campus Minister	Producer
Are there any special elements that need to be planned for?	Campus Minister	Producer
Who is serving as the Host (making announcements and managing transitions)?	Campus Minister	Producer

Questions to be asked by the WORSHIP LEADER prior to the Weekend Gathering:

Question:	Primary Responsibility:	Secondary Responsibility:
Who is leading worship? Are the songs and chord charts in Planning Center?	Worship Leader	Producer
Have the song “road maps,” announcement info, and all element info been placed in Planning Center?	Worship Leader	Producer
Have the Media Shout lyrics and media been quality checked prior to service?	Worship Leader	Producer
Have the worship and production team members been scheduled and confirmed?	Worship Leader	Producer

Questions to be asked by the WORSHIP LEADER during to the Weekend Gathering:

Question:	Primary Responsibility:	Secondary Responsibility:
Are the worship leader’s transitions smooth and meaningful?	Worship Leader	Produce,Campus Minister