New Department Answers Needs of Digital Age

<p><img class="imagecache-scale_to_478_width" src="/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale_to_478_width/images/news/inline_images/ca%20studios_01_0.jpg" alt="" /></p><p>El Cajon, CA — In light of the apologetic opportunities of video media, Catholic Answers has created Catholic Answers Studios. The new department, overseen by director of video John Vercillo, is working on multiple projects, including videos for posting online and others to be offered as DVDs (such as the segment above of apologist Karlo Broussard shot recently in the <em>Catholic Answers Live</em> studio).</p><p>“We’re excited about this new direction,” Vercillo said. “We’ve got plenty of content to pull from. It just needs to be repurposed into video, and now we’ve got the means to do it.”</p><p>The Studios is focusing on three areas: products such as DVDs; social media platforms such as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/catholicanswers/">Facebook</a&gt; and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/catholiccom">YouTube</a&gt;; and segments of the <em>Catholic Answers Live</em> call-in radio show, which have long been a staple of Catholic Answers’ YouTube channel.</p><p>“For years Catholic Answers Press offered videos with solid content but modest production values,” director of publishing Todd Aglialoro said. “Now we will be able to create top-quality video resources for apologetics and evangelization.”</p><p>DVD video products will continue to be a staple for Catholic Answers as a media company. But the exponential growth in online social media and mobile device usage has Catholic Answers Studios taking aim at the internet.</p><p>“This up-and-coming generation of digital natives is hungry for the Faith,” Vercillo said. “They’re becoming a larger part of our support base, and we want to feed that hunger.”&nbsp;</p><p>Catholic Answers Studios videographer and video editor Andrew Hermiz has logged long hours producing new content.</p><p>“Our online video efforts include webisodes, live streaming events, training courses, and quick-hit apologetics,” said Hermiz, a self-proclaimed film buff.</p><p>“These Catholic Answers Studios products will be a perfect complement to the growing library of books, booklets, tracts, and CDs published by the Press,” Aglialoro said.</p><p>As the dynamic new arm of Catholic Answers, the Studios has as its goal the same goal of the overall apostolate: to bring&nbsp;the fullness of Catholic truth to the world.</p><p>“We’re taking on a lot—there will be growing pains,” Vercillo said. “But we’re committed to this new direction. In fact, there is no commitment greater than that to Jesus Christ and his Church. We are blessed and excited to be able to serve him in this way.”</p><p><em>— Richaél Smith</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>