We’ve spent a lot of time talking about online church around the properties. And we should – as the Church continues to grow and expand into more modern (and relevant) mediums, it’s worth exploring all sides of the experience.
I remember when North Point went live and I thought that was pretty cool. Yet, roughly one year later, CrossPoint is pushing the technology even further…
Seriously cool, right?
On one hand, it’s exciting to see that online church is embracing modern technology and moving with it (moving fast, even!).
One the other hand, it seems like the conversation about online church hasn’t really even dwindled, but here we are taking it a step further.
That said, what are your thoughts? Weigh in!
PhillipGibb says
The idea is great. Will certainly get a lot of new people coming to take a look.
As for 3D, just hope it does not turn out to be an expensive gimmick. This is the case even with movies.
But, hey, Lead on.
Only question I have – from my complete lack of 3D knowledge – how does one view the sterioscopic images in 3D? The glasses I have from Avatar did not make a difference.
Matt Phelps says
It looks like they are using the red/blue 3D technique, you’ll need a pair of the red/blue lens glasses.
PhillipGibb says
ahh,
thanks.
I must find a pair to see this in action.
Jonathan Blundell says
Their video is somewhat vague.
It almost feels like a trailer for a new sermon series rather than – hey we’re broadcasting in 3D now.
If you click the upcoming series – DNA – the post it leads you to this trailer as well.
Is there a press release or news post suggesting this is what they’re actually doing online?
Tom says
“It almost feels like a trailer for a new sermon series rather than – hey we’re broadcasting in 3D now.”
Totally agree with that. I watched it twice myself.
Mark says
Why oh why oh why??????
Ok – I appreciate the fact that embracing new technologies is great and I love when the church does this. I’m always looking for new solutions for our church but 3D???
Really????
Is this not a bit knee-jerk-bandwagonesk?
There is only one reason why 3d technology is being pushed and it’s not because the technology is great (it’s still rather cruddy). It’s because it gives Cinema Houses a reason to charge more for seats and TV manufacturers a reason to make the newest gadget that we really don’t need!
Sorry for the harshness of this but 3D is a particular bane for me.
I’m one of those people who wears glasses for shot-sightedness. I’ve not got a really bad prescription but it’s poor enough for me to need glasses as I dislike when everything is fuzzy and I need them to drive. Now there are 2 massive discomforts I experience when I view 3D using polarizing methods.
1) I have to balance the glasses over my own glasses which simply is never fun. Depending on what’s being provided usually will determine the amount of discomfort I have and the amount of times I’ll have to re-adjust the 3D goggles.
2) Headaches! I don’t think this is down to my prescription glasses either as plenty of people have this issue. Do you know the one I mean? I best describe it as this: You know that weird tickly feeling you get if you force your eyes to go cross-eyed? It makes your eyes feel all funny at the back. This then induces headaches for many – me included!
3D is a poor technology and until it works in a visual VR kind of way it will never really be proper 3D – it’ll always just be a gimmick that a lot of people find irritating.
Well dont for embracing new tech and pushing on the boundaries but this one seems a bit too far….
Tom says
“Sorry for the harshness of this but 3D is a particular bane for me.” I don’t think it’s particularly harsh. You’re not hopping around the comments talking about much it sucks (nor is anyone trolling about why it’s so amazing).
Questioning, discussing, and examining this kinda stuff is exactly what we should do!
At least, I that’s how I feel about it 😉
Jim says
i didn’t have my glasses.
Jim says
glasses, please?
Tom says
Just put ’em in the mail for you..
BenJPickett says
Looks neat but meh. That is the red and green used for the 3D effect and they did a good job with the implementation but I’m with Mark. 3D isn’t needed for this, in fact I find it more of an annoyance.
As far the glasses you get from seeing movies in Digital 3D, you would need a special monitor that supports the D3D and I imagine software to render in D3D as well. But I doubt I will bother with 3D TV, with 1080P being low resolution for a couple of years now; http://hd.engadget.com/2006/10/17/cmo-to-ship-47-inch-quad-hd-1440p-lcd-in-2007/.
Tom says
You bring up a good point.
I think it’s particularly interesting to see this because mainstream 3D is still a few years off, but the Church is normally years behind modern technology.
On one hand, it’s a neat idea to try because it’s more bleeding edge. Than again, the 3D implementation is still using the anaglyph images.
Brian Kaufman says
I would first ask what filter the decision to offer 3D technology went thru? Is this the type of church that uses vivid sermon illustrations to where video, and further, 3D video enhances its ability to communicate and spread the gospel? Or, is this a “we should because we can” scenario?
I haven’t yet bought into the 3D movie experience. While I am excited to see new ways media can become more immersive I’m not sold on the idea that churches need to implement it to take a more effective approach to discipling, engaging, connecting. For full disclosure I spent 2 years as a Media Director in a huge church that was big into the lights, smoke & lasers rock show that so many churches replicate. I have become somewhat disillusioned by the mainstream layers added to the simplicity of the gospel. Not burned out, just disillusioned.
That said I do appreciate CrossPoint’s passion, creativity and risk-taking to bring a fairly new concept from the mainstream to the churchstream. Just please don’t categorize it as “Christian 3D”.
Matthew Singleton says
Hey guys. I thought I might answer a few of these questions/observations about about the 3D series at Cross Point.
First, you guys are right on… this video was an internal promotion for a series we do every year at Cross Point called DNA (not a promotion for the church going 3D by any stretch). It’s essentially our series about the vision, mission, direction of our church.
Second, the comments about 3D being annoying, discomforting etc are right on as well… especially if, like most of us, you don’t have the budget to actually do it well.
Third, is it gimmicky, trendy and “knee-jerk-bandwagonesk” … absolutely. The entire point for us was to have as much fun with this annual 3 week series as possible, to add a new layer and anticipation to what might be considered by some as rote.
With it being only three weeks in duration and only producing about 6-10 minutes of actual 3D content for our Sunday services… we thought that approaching the idea of vision with a 3D twist would really engage people in a new and fun way. I highly doubt we are the first church to have some fun with anaglyph in the proper setting and am super confident we almost went blind in the process.
I guess you could say the DNA series is kinda our ‘Bread and Butter’… only this year we decided to throw some jelly on it too.
I hope that this may clear up any questions anybody has about our series… maybe next year we will add those lasers… 🙂