What Did You Miss? Capture Summit 2021 in Review

Mark Foley, an award-winning producer, director, and technology editor, lends his first-person impressions on this year's Capture Content Creation + Filmmaking Summit.

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Have you ever tried to come up with a clever few words to describe a truly transformational moment or experience? Words I like to use all the time, like “cool” or “awesome,” suddenly seem so cliché. How about these words instead? Rekindling that desire or passion to serve Christ in the best way He wants us to? Yes, I think that is so much better.

Over the course of two jam-packed days of learning and fellowship, Capture 2021 filled that role and more, both in person and online. It was as if there was an unspoken mission on the part of everyone who attended, from professionals, volunteers, and the sponsors. That unspoken mission was to figure out how to take the next step in reaching out by using the tools that God has provided. Now in its 5th year and with over 23 breakout sessions, Capture 2021 allowed attendees to reach out, to ask questions, and to learn something new, all the while helping attendees refine the process of telling a compelling story.

Capture 2021 was held on-site at Hope Community Church in Apex (Raleigh), North Carolina, and also online, and it had something for everyone. From the inspiring opening keynote presentations from Nick Benoit and Eric Bramlett, to the incredible breakout sessions where I learned so much, to the eye-opening, amazing Church Filmcraft Festival. There was even a t-shirt cannon manned each day by none other than Church Production Magazine's fearless editor, Brian Blackmore. And then, to wrap things up, there were cool door prizes presented by the Capture 2021 sponsors to close out the event on the second day. Just watching the door prize winners do the “Price is Right” run to the stage was so much fun.

Day 1: Nick Benoit Co-Founder and Creative Director of Bravingbird

Let’s cut right to the chase. To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect from keynote speaker Nick Benoit. I know now that he is a devout Christian Dad and Cubs fan. But here is what else I found out. Nick Benoit is a captivating, passionate, intense, funny, heartwarming, and most of all “real” keynote. Out of all those descriptive words, I think I liked the “real” part the most. 

Nick Benoit addressed how church creatives, as crucial carriers of the Bible, must craft messages of vital importance through storytelling, as Jesus did.

A master storyteller, Nick weaved in and out of a compelling message and story starting out with GI Joe the pigeon! How pigeons can find their way home across hundreds, if not thousands, of miles. That they are acceptable to God, even though we think of them in not-so-flattering terms. Nick’s presentation, aptly named “The Crucial Carriers,” described how, as storytellers like Joseph Raskin, we all have the responsibility to use our “gifts” to tell the story of Christ. How we must “find the courage” from within. How Jesus framed everything in a story. How we need to craft messages of vital importance and lastly, how stories are crucial carriers of the Bible, and that God has given us stories to tell. That is what we do, right? We shape and tell stories that we hope carry the message of Jesus, and that's what (I think) Nick was talking about. His was a moving presentation.

Also, please be sure to check back with us soon when we sit down to talk with Nick, one on one, for an exclusive Capture 2021 feature.

CAPTURE 2021: Day 1

After a great time of worship, it was off to the races. It started with a visit to the Technology Showcase that featured over 21 sponsors and a fantastic camera demo from Sony, with set lighting provided by ARRI. Then I started my first round of sessions by jumping into a whole new creative world with an overview of Epic Games (think Fortnite, 15.5 million users, 3,000 employees) and Unreal Engine hosted remotely by Brian Pohl, technical program manager of the Unreal Engine Fellowship Program. Way too cool. His session was all about using gaming applications and bringing them into non-gaming applications for projects in film and television. Dare I say it was “UnReal.” Sorry, I had to put that in!

At first, I thought I was going to get lost going down the rabbit hole of unfamiliar technology, but Brian did a great job, breaking things down into what I call “tech bites.” Brian covered a ton of ground, explaining how real time technologies are being used to allow content creators, VFX artists, and filmmakers to jump to the next level of production value. I was stunned at one set of tools called Meta Humans. The examples and faces that he used were so realistic it was hard to believe these digital creations were not actual humans. The other tool set I liked was called Quixel.com and is a free set of assets like trees and other things to fill out your “new reality.” One more takeaway was just how much time Brian took to answer questions, some simple, some very technical. Lastly, Brian reminded me that technology doesn't present itself evenly. That we (yes, me included) are going to have to jump into new stuff and not be afraid to make mistakes. To paraphrase Brian Pohl: “UnReal Engine is changing content creation.”

As the morning progressed, I had the opportunity to sit in some other great sessions, like Storytelling with Jesse Henning. He had some great advice, telling his audience to "give every character a story, even the bad ones.” That got a lot of laughs. But seriously, how many times do we wonder why a character acts a certain way? Why should we leave people guessing? After some additional opportunities to look at more cool gear, it was off to a Collaboration Lunch hosted by Eric Bramlett. It was a great way to meet up with new people from all over the country and participate in fellowship.

The rest of Day 1 flew by with sessions, such as a Quick-Start Guide for UnReal Engine with VFX artist Woody Davis. Woody also had a great hands-on demo later in the day where he even pulled in attendees (and me) to be part of the demo. He also said he would recreate me next time in the digital world, so I could bug my kids forever.

Woody had this to say about Capture 2021:

“I’ve been to Capture in the past. I’m not sure what I expected, but this year's Capture conference was easily the biggest … the most professionally valuable and, over all, the most impressive it’s ever been.

I had so many meaningful conversations—and they came from all over the place. This year I came to talk about virtual production and Unreal Engine, and I had amazing chats with everyone from speakers to attendees to vendors.” Woody added: “We talked a lot about how to dip our toes into the water of this new and exciting discipline, and I even got to present a live motion-tracked green screen set.”

Thanks, Woody. What a great way to learn—by doing! Another awesome session I attended was Reaching People Where They Are: The Future of Streaming/IMAG with legendary producer Chuck Fishbein. Very well attended, of course, along with some more to think about. Then back to the Technology Showcase featuring an intimate Canon hands on with the C70 in the Fireside Room.

Rounding out Day 1 of Capture 2021 was the Church Film Festival. The quality of the programs was quite impressive. From the heartfelt testimonials to bright and vibrate music videos, the message of Christ Jesus was amplified over and over.

Winners were:

Best Concept Video - Action Dad, NewSpring Church, Wichita, KS

Best Music Video - Joy, World Changers Church, College Park, GA

Best Promo Video - Church Center App, Riverbank Church, White River Junction, VT

Best Series Starter - My Secret Life, NewSpring Church, Wichita, KS

Best Testimonial - 180º for Christ, Living Hope Church, Olathe, KS

Best Indie Video (by a church with under 1000 in attendance) - Dangerous Disciplines, Riverbank Church, White River Junction, VT

Best Overall Video - Action Dad, NewSpring Church, Wichita, KS

Day 2: Eric Bramlett, Creative Arts Director, Community Christian Church, Chicago

Eric was a great choice to jumpstart Day 2. Disarmingly funny yet with a serious message, Eric talked about how we as creatives love gear and how we (creatives) love showing the final project. Eric really dug in, walking through the Bible to share how God uses us to show Himself to those seeking His truth. But he also had a great message on the Sabbath, and my take was that he meant that it is ok to hit pause and regroup sometimes.

Day 2 draws included sessions by Video Director Sarah Fishbein on maximizing the reach of filmmaking, Creative Producer Shannon Boyer's coverage of camera and switcher set up, and Feature Project Producer Laura Tapp's words of wisdom on building a volunteer film crew.

Other solid sessions for Day 2 included Shannon Boyer on Camera and Switcher set up for live streaming, and Laura Tapp with Assembling an Amazing Volunteer Film Crew. She had some good tips on respecting volunteers' time and effort, all while still providing a meaningful experience. Lastly, Laura stressed having fun, all while working to improve each performance.

And Sarah Fishbein with Maximizing Your Reach: Filmmaking in the Online World. Sarah brought a powerful message on how we must rethink our presentation of worship strategies.

She included here take on a long hard look at how people might view a service, and even pick out a new in-person church. Along the way there was more of the Technology Showcase, which never really stopped, another Fireside Room Canon demo, and another Collaboration Lunch hosted by Eric Bramlett. Again, a great way to meet up with new people from all over the country and participate in fellowship. Chuck Fishbein also did another great session on studio lighting.

There were a lot of great sessions throughout, but I was really taken aback by the authenticity of Josh Etheridge's session on Next Level Cinematography. From camera angles and lens choices to the intangibles like diagramming shots and camera movements, keeping the camera in motion, stylistic choices, and leaving time for unplanned shots. I loved Josh’s closing thoughts on filmmaking, as well: “Be Intentional,” and to paraphrase, “We are creating for the Creator.”

Here are some of Josh’s thoughts:

“I’m glad something like Capture exists because, as creators, I think we have a responsibility to represent our Creator in our work … Having a place to gather together, talk about challenges of church filmmaking, and learn how to create better films is crucially important to our growth.

“I think the Church should be leading the entire world in creativity, because we represent our Creator and excellence grabs the attention of all. I wish churches would put A LOT of thought into their technical decisions as well as creative decisions and raise the bar of what’s acceptable. I think a place like Capture is important for this reason.”

I am thinking after Josh’s session, there were a ton of people who wanted to run out the door and shoot footage. I know I did!

Then, in a blink, it was on to the door prizes from all the great sponsors—and Capture 2021 was over. So much good stuff and good people in just two days! What a trip. I am still processing it all a few days later. A truly eye-opening experience and one I won’t soon forget.

So, as much as I would honestly like to continue, I would rather leave you with these most sincere words from Rebecca Stahlbusch, general manager of Production Media Inc., the show's creators:

“In 2020 we, like everyone else, had to pivot to an all-virtual experience. We learned a lot from that. It allowed us to connect with people who have not been able to travel to Capture in the past. But there is something special and tangible about being together as a community in real life. Being away from your everyday environment and all the things that tug at your attention makes a huge difference in being able to connect with people and absorb the content. To really unplug and take that much-needed sabbath retreat. The anticipation of coming together again, in-person, really pushed us to bring new and exciting experiences to Capture 2021. We added live demos from our sponsors, more interactive workshops with gear and practical how-tos, intimate tabletop discussions, and my favorite, the worship band. Being able to worship together as a group was moving.

“We are already working hard on Capture 2022, taking in all the feedback from the attendees, and we cannot wait to announce what is coming next. Stay tuned!”

The Capture team would like to extend special thanks to our sponsors:

Canon - Platinum Sponsor

Sony - Gold Sponsor

Videomaker - Silver Sponsor

ARRI, B&H, Cinamaker, Digitek, JB&H, LH Computer Systems, Ross Video, Shure, SmallHD, SNS, Twelve-Thirty Media, VideoHelper - Bronze Sponsors

Worship House Media and Sony - Church Filmcraft Film Festival Sponsors

Adobe, Blackmagic Design, Full Compass and Nanlite - Contributing Sponsors

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