I wanted to share a few things we’ve used at our Cru meeting that you might be able to use.
Opener Video
Here’s a video we show at the beginning of our meeting. It serves two purposes:
- It functions as a cue to sit down and be quiet (we show it most every week)
- It communicates a little about who we are and what we’re about
We just put it together last week, so I’d love any constructive criticism (especially on how to improve any wording to make it more powerful).
Update: There is blank space at the beginning to give everyone a chance to sit down. And outro music at the end to give time for the MC’s to come up with some backing music (the sound guy can fade it out as they start).
Fall 2011 – Cru Intro Text Video from Tim Casteel on Vimeo.
Shout out to our intern Michael Allen who did the bulk of the work! Michael is splitting his time doing 50% campus work and 50% video for us.
For those of you out there that know a thing or two about video editing, I would HIGHLY recommend buying the Motion app for the Mac (a steal at $50) and then using the amazing pre-made templates (where we got this video) at motionvfx.com
It will enable you to make slick text based videos.
To download the hi-res video for use at your meeting, click here (I changed the end to a generic “college students” so it wouldn’t have anything Arkansas specific).
Music
While cool, upbeat music may be #27 on the list of important things about a weekly meeting, it’s important nonetheless.
What’s the first thing students encounter when they come to your meeting? Your music that you’re playing before the meeting.
And what happens when they hear Newsboys or Rebecca St. James pumping out of your speakers? You immediately confirm their worst suspicions that you are cheezy and out of touch with their reality.
As much as I am not a big fan of hip hop, at the weekly meeting we tend to be hip hop heavy. I run the music at our regional winter conference and can conclusively say that hip hop makes a marked difference on the “vibe” of the crowd. It makes your meeting a party. Literally. People dance.
So here’s a playlist we’ve used this fall for our cookouts and Cru weekly meeting.
You’ll need Spotify to use it/listen to it. If you need an invite, leave a comment and I’ll send you one. It’s worth a little effort to
1) Not pay a dime for new music and
2) Not be left to the whims of your soundguy’s ipod.
Update:
For those of you who don’t have Spotify, here’s the playlist:
Phoenix – Lisztomania
Passion Pit – Sleepyhead
Trip Lee – The Invasion (Hero) Ft. Jai
Broken Bells – The Ghost Inside
Vampire Weekend – Giving Up The Gun
Lecrae – High Ft. Suzy Rock
Muse – Starlight
Vampire Weekend – A-Punk
Flame – Joyful Noise
Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks
Vampire Weekend – Run
Lecrae – Walking On Water
Lecrae – 40 Deep Ft. Tedashii & Trip Lee
Phoenix – 1901
Cults – You Know What I Mean
Jason Derulo – Whatcha Say
Robyn – Dancing On My Own
The Shins – Sea Legs
Paper Route – Last Time
Jimmy Eat World – A Praise Chorus
Young the Giant – My Body
Matt & Kim – Daylight
White Rabbits – Percussion Gun
Shout Out Louds – Walls
Sleigh Bells – Rill Rill
Cults – Go Outside
Jónsi – Go Do
Peter Bjorn And John – Young Folks
Passion Pit – Moth’s Wings
Capital Cities – Safe and Sound
Death Cab for Cutie – You Are A Tourist
Jimmy Eat World – Pain
M.I.A. – Paper Planes
Tapes ‘n Tapes – Freak Out
Yeasayer – Madder Red
Broken Bells – The High Road
Rogue Wave – Good Morning (The Future)
Vampire Weekend – Horchata
Dashboard Confessional – Don’t Wait
The National – Bloodbuzz Ohio
Animal Collective – My Girls
The Dodos – Fools
Broken Bells – Vaporize
Scissor Sisters – Fire With Fire
Freelance Whales – Hannah
Ellie Goulding – Starry Eyed – Jakwob Remix
Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks
Empire Of The Sun – Walking On A Dream
Okkervil River – Lost Coastlines
Sufjan Stevens – I Walked
