What’s Cool: Admit it, you really want to be a VJ (and we don’t mean those talking heads on MTV). Live video mixing, or VJing, could be the next major movement in modern worship. If that turns out to be the case, ArKaos GrandVJ should be the official software of the revolution. GrandVJ makes it easy to cue video clips and overlay live video with clips and effects in order to create visual worship experience or environment. Despite its ease of use, GrandVJ boasts a ridiculous number of features. The program runs on both Mac and PC (a rare feat these days), accepts multiple camera inputs (so you can run IMAG through GrandVJ), includes an impressive effects library and an automated video generator with beat detection (think “iTunes Visualizer”), and supports several video formats (QuickTime, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, Windows Media, and Flash text and animations).
GrandVJ also scales to the level of your computer and experience. If your graphics card can handle it, GrandVJ enables you to combine multiple video layers and set layer modes to them. If you’re a novice user, assign clips and effects to the keys on your standard keyboard and fire them off with the touch of a button. Once you’ve got the hang of that, plug in a MIDI keyboard and adjust the speed and opacity of your clips and effects. This software puts the visual landscape of your worship space at your fingertips.
What’s Not: At 279 euros (about $400 USD), GrandVJ isn’t cheap. On top of that, you’ll need an extra computer, projector, and screen on which to run the software because GrandVJ isn’t built to handle worship lyrics. In fact, we hear the last thing you want to do is attempt to cue worship lyrics using this software. That means you still need presentation software, a computer, a projector, and a screen for your lyrics, announcements, and sermon notes. Live VJing isn’t yet a core part of the modern worship experience, and given the additional cost involved, it may be deemed a luxury in many church communities. One final word of warning: In the wrong hands, GrandVJ could be the most distracting thing to ever happen to one of your services, so proceed accordingly.
Bottom Line: GrandVJ is the best tool we know of for creating movement in your worship environment. As Barton Damer says, “Grand VJ is a visual instrument.” When used appropriately, it can heighten the worship experience by engaging the visual worshiper. With a copy of GrandVJ, a live video input, and a handful of loopable video backgrounds, a visual worship leader can get creative. Why don’t more churches use GrandVJ? Good question.
Our Rating:
Official Site: www.arkaos.net