Mark Hanna is Sony Electronics’ new National Manager of Faith with a dedicated focus on engaging with and supporting churches of all sizes. He is a worship facility’s primary point of contact and can assist in technology overviews and demonstrations, recommendations, pricing, and promotions, as well as sales. As the leader of Sony Faith, Mark can be found at many trade shows and industry events meeting with the community and showcasing Sony’s Faith-related options, including cameras, lenses, switchers, projectors, displays, audio, and much more.
TFWM: Tell us a bit about yourself.
Mark: I come from an Army family and I’m a former tech director. I’m married and have two boys (15 and 19). I opened a video production company in 2004, which I have run off and on for the past 19 years. I was on staff at Hope Community Church from 2007 until 2014. Since then, I have alternated running my company, consulting for churches, and being the video producer for the marketing department at an IT trade school. I have a heart for technology and its use in the church; I got my start in church tech running sound for a little chapel back in 1994.
TFWM: You’ve got mighty big shoes to fill – Craig Harper has been an institution at Sony. Can you tell us how you got involved with Sony?
Mark: My home church built a multisite campus a while back, and we used Sony cameras in the installation. That was my first real experience with Sony equipment. I met Craig at NAB about a decade ago. We had a good conversation, and I remember being struck by the fact that I was there trying to convince manufacturers that churches were clients worth listening to, and here is Craig working for this huge company that already understood. Since then, Craig and I talked sporadically over the years as I did product reviews, so when he got ready to retire, my name made its way back to him, and we built a friendship during his transition. He and I talk weekly, and while some of it is about work, we also spend plenty of time just talking about our families and the things we have going on in our lives. This is the perfect role for me because it combines my technical expertise, my connection to and passion for the community, and my longstanding faith.
TFWM: How do you think your past experiences will play into your new role with Sony? What unique perspectives do you think you bring to this position? How has your past experiences with Sony helped shape these views?
Mark: As a former church tech guy, I’ve done the “church in a box, long weeks, late nights, 14 Christmas services, train volunteers, and Sunday is still coming” workload. I understand that churches have huge expectations and limited budgets, which leads to the most creative uses of technology. I know we had to think outside the box to accomplish everything we did when I was on staff, so I can appreciate what our clients are trying to accomplish. Sony’s goal is to solve customers’ pain points and being so immersed in this space, I understand the unique challenges churches face.
TFWM: What do you think the biggest challenge is for houses of worship moving forward from a broadcast perspective? What are some of the trends you see?
Mark: From a broadcast perspective, the biggest challenge I see for the faith community is the saturation of people’s attention. The church’s online presence has to compete with so much other content that churches always strive to be unique. This is contributing to the primary trend I am seeing, which has been happening for a while, and that is the collision of live production events with a post-production look. Or, as everyone has heard, things are going more “cinematic.” It’s not JUST churches, but I think it’s more prevalent there.
TFWM: Why is Sony Faith so well-suited to working with houses of worship? How is Sony uniquely situated to build long-term relationships with faith providers?
Mark: Sony is unique in the imaging market because we run the gamut of products from projectors to displays and microphones to cameras. The breadth of our products is hard to match. We have products to fit churches of all sizes and budgets. Because we put such a premium on our image sensor, the cameras you buy today (regardless of size or price) can be made to match the cameras you buy on your next upgrade. Since I have been in this job, I have talked with churches with cameras older than my kids, and I have no intention of changing anything anytime soon. We pride ourselves on the fact that we don’t just sell people a box and move on. You buy a product from us and you’re a part of the Sony Faith family.
TFWM: What are some of the best solutions you feel Sony offers to the house of worship market?
Mark: I think many churches aren’t aware of the width and breadth of the Sony product line. Sony is known for cameras, but I don’t know if anyone appreciates how many cameras we make. We cover the whole gamut of cameras: point-and-shoot, mirrorless, cinema, PTZ, and system cameras. However, we also make microphones, drones, and switchers. So, the best solution we can make is the one that gets the church the result they are looking for the first time and every time.
TFWM: What are your goals for Sony Faith moving forward?
Mark: My initial goal for Sony Faith is to continue the great work my predecessor, Craig Harper started. Craig has been a staple in the faith industry. Not only does he know everyone, but he also has a great story to go along with them. Beyond that, I hope I can continue to be a resource to the Capital C church.
TFWM: Anything you would like to add?
Mark: Churches that don’t have a plan to leverage digital platforms are missing a huge opportunity. The statistics on people visiting your site and watching your church online before ever coming in the door support this. I think the pandemic forced the issue for many churches to start streaming, but beyond that there should be an actual PLAN. One of the things I love about Sony is we have lots of options that enable churches large and small to act on their plans. If your church is doing content creation at any level, we have products and solutions to fit your needs and budget, as well as the expertise to help guide that process.
