Mike Walker Creative

I came across this nugget from the great Phil Cooke regarding mobile phone broadcasting. If you are a content producer/provider this is the wave of the future. Imagine being able to send your content direct to peoples cel phones….

This is a great tool that will need the right strategy. This combined with the power of Ministry Give are incredible tools to reach directly to people. The broadcast networks gave us “potential households” this gives you direct access to people and the ability to track them as donors or viewers. Cool stuff….

Every year churches all over the country gear up for Christmas productions. This has been the second year in a row I haven’t had any production responsibilities for a church, but every year it’s still fresh on my mind.

I have a very simple philosophy on church production….go big or go home! When I say that you need to understand I am not saying that the production needs to overshadow everything or that you need to pull out your full bag of tricks. What I am saying is this, in the church world we get to tell THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD…so why not be good at story telling?

I just got back from trips to NYC and Las Vegas. Their messaging is big and larger than life. In some cases complex and in some cases very simple, but they they are still saying it loud and proud. Why can’t the church do the same? In some cases it’s a taste thing, in some cases it’s a talent/skill level, the one thing I don’t buy is that it’s a budget thing. You can do plenty of great story telling on a smaller budget….I have done productions that cost upwards of $750,000 and I have done productions with less than $1,000. Get creative and tell a good story. It’s not about having a ton off moving lights, it’s not about HD video, it’s not about technology at all (even though they CAN be valuable tools)…it’s about getting creative and making a good presentation.

In thinking through a good presentation, don’t get locked in to entertaining yourself. Just because you and your staff think it’s a good idea doesn’t make it relevant to the majority of your attendees. Does your presentation make people want to come back for more or did they get their fill until next year? The choice is yours on how you want to approach it, but my approach has always been to gain return attendees after the first of the year….it’s good marketing

I have seen a couple of really good Christmas eve presentations in the past 2 years. At the end of the day do what you can do well. If you can pull off a large elaborate event….do it….if you can’t then maybe simple is the way to go…but either way do it well. Your audience demands it. If you want proof then look at your numbers from previous years and in the weeks that follow.

I read a book about a year ago called The Long Tail. The author studied trends in both the music and film industries and it got me thinking about both.

Having a background in the music industry I can speak in to it from a more educated standpoint. As I listened to and thought about some of the great songs and artists in history one common thread I noticed is that of artistry. They were all leaders and change agents in their own right. Names like Nirvana, Metallica, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, and Michael Jackson, while yes older names, all changed the landscape of music and the status quo. Even in Christian music names like DC Talk, Amy Grant, and even now Hillsong have created something new and different, and the industry was changed because of them.

My question is, where are todays artists? The people who are coming in with fresh new ideas and are going to change the face of music.

As of late I have been on a search for something new and exciting in Christian music especially. Unfortunately Christian music, like the church, tends to be about 10+ years behind. I live in Dallas, home of KLTY which at one point set the standard for new upcoming Christian music. At the time they were led by a friend of mine named Jon Rivers who is a man who is a true artist himself that happens to be a radio personality, and because of Jon the industry was changed. After Jon left KLTY has gone through a phase of a lot of advertising and a whole lot of nothing interesting. Bring back the artists…

Artists change things and refuse to accept the status quo. They don’t do it for huge profit margins or record sales numbers. They do it because it’s inside them and they have to get it out.

Hillsong radically changed the face and sound of todays praise and worship market. We should celebrate what they have done. The problem is that in celebrating them too many other organizations have copied them and not put out their own artistry and voice.

I believe there is a huge disconnect in the understanding of the worlds of talent and of artistry in the church world. I have worked side by side with people who are great artists and people who are great talents…and you need both.

Talented people have an extraordinary gift in a given area. For some it’s singing, for some it’s an instrument, for some it might be technical such as lighting or audio. They have a talent for their craft. They do it and do it well.

Artists are those, however, with something to say…something to add to the conversation….something that changes our ways of thinking. Artists almost always have some extraordinary talent, but talented people do not always have artistry. I think too many people in Christian music and the church don’t understand this and it’s a big reason why music and the arts have gotten watered down in recent years.

One of the first artists I worked with when I broke in to the touring market was one of THE FIRST Christian artists (actually one of the first artists period) to use interactive video inside a concert tour. He changed the market. Now almost all artists look to take out interactive video with their shows. He was a game changer.

When was the last time you heard a song that revolutionized your life in Christian music or church? When was the last time the churches or Christian tours led the way in technology? There are a few out there….Northpoint in Atlanta, Willow Creek in Chicago, Life Church in Oklahoma, Hillsong in Australia….but by in large where are the trend setters? The people who are tired of the status quo? Sure we have heard some good performers, but who is changing the game? Who is challenging us? Have we really become a society of cheap knock offs whose highest aspiration is to be just like Hillsong? Hillsong is incredible and should be celebrated. What do you bring to the conversation?

I could go on about this for a long time, but I will wrap with asking the question….where are the artists and leaders who are going to lead us in to the next 20 years? There’s lots of talent….where are the artists?

Recently I got invited for a private screening of Will Smith’s new movie, “7 lb”. The movie was real heavy, but probably one of the best all around movies I have seen in at least 10 years. The writing, the acting, the story telling, the cinematography were all over the top well done.

As I walked out of the theater with a group of friends we were all commenting how blown away we were and not a single one of the comments had to do with special effects or technology. It was all wrapped up in the art of story telling within a movie…it’s an art I think has been lost somewhere along the way in a lot of areas, movies, tv shows, music (especially Christian music), concerts, etc…

While I am a technology guy I really feel like technology has gotten in the way of the message in recent years. I’m not sure if it”s because of the rapid advancement of technology and we are constantly trying to keep up, a lack of imagination, or laziness…or maybe a combination of the 3. I don’t know…

As a live events guy I have noticed the trend for several years. Organizations tend to throw more video screens, newer lights, LED technology, more videos all to keep up it seems, but where is the message? The presentation has gotten so overwhelming that I think it’s become more about the technology…again…where is the message?

I read something interesting the other day that made the statement “technology is a very powerful, but the one thing it can not do is lead”. I really feel like maybe in the process of staying cutting edge or cool, that maybe the message has suffered.

It would be interesting to see what would happen if you took the screens and lights away for a month to see just how creative you could get. You might discover some things about your teams as well.

A few weeks ago Tony Morgan issued a challenge to churches to stop marketing for a time. I think it would be interesting to see churches take a step back from technology for a time and dig deep to rediscover your core message and then let the technology support that message.

My phone has been ringing off the hook today from several GREAT people in the church tech world and they are looking for positions (staff or contractor). If you are looking for quality people please contact me via email and I will pass on resume’s as I receive them.

If you are one of the people who have called or were thinking of calling, please email me your resume’ at mwalker@mikewalkercreative.com

I just arrived back in country from Brazil. As I walked in to look over items on my desk I saw the cover of a magazine article with a stage design…that drove me crazy. It was way too busy, had nothing to do with the messaging of the organization, was lit poorly, etc…

The old saying of “just do something” is not always the correct response. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all.

I am ALL in favor of pressing forward and doing things that create momentum, but at least show there is progress happening. If you are still at the same level today that you were 2 years ago there is a problem.

In the words of Bill Hybel “move me, scare me, change me, but don’t leave me the way you found me”. Don’t rest of what you have done, and more important…if you (or your staff) have become your own biggest fans….it’s time for change.

Have a plan. Make it look like you thought about things and that what you are putting in front of people is intentional and not accidental….or do nothing at all.

I came across this from Mark Horvath.

“reason non-church friend doesn’t go to church. He can get the blinged out, high def, carnival Jesus by staying home and watching TV.”

What a great question and insight from someone who doesn’t attend church…and who it sounds like won’t. It got me to thinking about what the real turn off is. As simple as it is, it’s really a matter of the heart and a person/organizations motivation.

Being a media guy who has worked with churches as well as the entertainment world I love great presentation done well. That being said, I do think it’s healthy to ask the question why…why is it important to have all the bells and whistles? Is it because it gives a better chance to reach people we wouldn’t otherwise reach? Is it because we need to keep from being outdated? Is it because deep down there is an ego we are trying to feed?

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for all the cool tech. I am an audio file so good audio is paramount to me. I believe great video is important…not because it’s cool or cutting edge, but great content and high def screens can go a long way to making a large room feel more intimate. At least for me, it’s all about the audience. Better technology done right gives you a better chance to communicate to your audience. Great tech with done with the motive of being cool while being disguised with empty words of “trying to reach or connect with people” is exposed quickly. You can talk all you want, but your audience knows…so…..why use all the stuff?

What’s your motivation? What messages are you wanting to send? What’s really behind your messages? As the old saying goes “you can get by on charm for 10 minutes, but the you better know something”. You can wow your audience for a time, but if they come to the realization that it’s all for show they will move on to someone or somewhere else.

I read this on Seth Godins blog. Great article!

I often visit with a client and they want to know what type of speaker they should buy, what console to use, what lights they should be purchasing, etc… The first things you need, no matter what type of organization you are, are passion and architecture. The tools always take care of themselves.

This looms huge during times of a slow economy. I can’t tell you how many people I have seen spend bad money after bad all because they are looking at tools first instead of passion and architecture.

I came across this article on apples website. I thought it was a really good read for audio folks and musicians alike. Greg Price has been on the road with some huge names from Ozzy, to Bob Dylan, to Van Halen. It’s definitely worth the read. 

For anyone who knows me, I love leading change and I love leading turnarounds. Which is to say I like walking in to situations that are running/working at less than optimal, analyze them, and get them working at their most efficient. Whether it’s teams, business models, or whatever I like being able to work on a turnaround. 

One of the things I have found important is having the proper balance to the team of youth, experience, people who have been with the company or department for a while, and those who are fresh faces with fresh outlooks. Each situation is always a little different depending on the needs and goals. 

I came across an interesting story the other day about Josiah Wedgewood. Most of us have heard of Wedgewood China, but I never knew the story till recently.

Josiah was born in a time when you learned your families trade, apprenticed at it, and then opened your own shop. This was during the 1700’s so we are talking about trades like blacksmithing and pottery makers.

Josiah learned his family trade of pottery, but didn’t want to be the average company so he took on some new spins to the trade in firing the pottery, glazing it, signing his name to it, and then selling it at 4 times the amount that everyone else was.

As his business grew he had to bring on more help. Here’s what I found to be interesting. In bringing on more help he hired only the untrained. He found that it was easier to teach the untrained than it was to unteach them first. 

I still contend that in MOST, not all, situations today you need to have a balance of experience versus youth, but I think it’s an interesting thing to consider when building or rebuilding teams. 

I have found it best that if you have some people that have experience or have been around a while, if they will jump on board, they can be a huge asset, but when leading change you really need to do some things to spur the change and movement.  Fresh faces and ideas are always key….so are establishing some very attainable goals, and quick short term victories to establish a belief in the process. 

If you do have a young team. Don’t just give them the reigns. Let them do their craft, but they still need leadership. Teach them and train them. Over time they will take your team and organization to a new level, but it requires the time investment on your part.