FRONT OF HOUSE
COMMON STREAMING MISTAKES AND HOW TO FIX THEM | Kent Morris
Now that live streaming is all the rage for church to the stream and save up for a new mixer for what matters: faces. We all hone in on faces
services, it is becoming clear there is a right way the live service when it comes back around. and our brains know what they should look like,
and a wrong way to do church online. While we One common mistake is to leave out audience so when they have harsh shadows or the wrong
have had decades to hone our skill set for live mics. Naturally, they are most useful when there tint, we reject them and their message. Spend
events, streaming is a rather new practice, so is an audience, but even now, dialing in a small the time to get a key light on the pastor coupled
the rules are not well established. To address amount can give a sense of dimension to the with a secondary opposite light to soften
this issue, here are some common streaming stream mix. Of course, too much will eliminate shadows and a rear light to bring dimension
mistakes and how to fix them. all definition in the mix. back to the face. Be sure the band and vocals
have well-lit faces and hands as well.
Before streaming can begin, there must a
workable plan in place. The first step is to
decide the purpose of the stream. Is it an
extension of the live service and acting like an
ancillary event or is replacing the live service as
driven by current health concerns? Given the
situation at hand, the immediate application
is as a direct replacement for the in-house
worship service. As such, it is imperative to
acknowledge the reality of the room – the seats
are empty. Don’t try to shoot around the empty
spaces or ignore them. Instead, embrace them
and note in the service the seats are empty, but
the church is full.
Realize each live stream just has to be good,
it doesn’t have to be great. As the weeks
progress, the quality of the presentation will
improve, but the key take-away is to produce
a viable product, not compete with Hillsong.
If you have two modest cameras, use them
Be aware: something will go wrong just before
the stream begins. Do not panic: this is a
Be aware:
normal situation. It happens to all of us. Calmly
something decide if it is vital to the service and if not, let it
will go wrong a minute while the problem is fixed.
just before the Since churches all live stream about the same
stream begins. robust connection and use better quality
roll. If vital, it is permissible to delay the start for
Do not panic:
time in a given area, get and maintain a stable,
encoders and link devices because the traffic
lanes are about to get full. Dedicate the live
this is a normal
stream computer to that one task only and be
certain all software licenses are up to date and
Windows/Mac updates have been installed well
situation. It
before start of service.
happens to all
In conclusion, live streaming represents a new
opportunity to impact your community for
of us.
Christ. By focusing on the important aspects
creatively, but within reason. Dedicating the of the stream such as clear audio, no sudden
second camera for an awesome, but limited movements,
application shot is a waste of resources. illumination of faces and using a stable internet
smooth
transitions,
proper
Instead, if the cameras can’t zoom remotely, Teach presenters who come on and off stage, platform, your church will reach hundreds of
set up one for a head-to-torso shot of center such as announcers, to place themselves people in need.
stage and the other to capture the full stage. cleanly out of the camera’s field of vision before Try not to use fancy swipes and wipes when commenting or motioning to the tech crew. As transitioning between shots. A simple cut will an aside, keep all conversations off-screen as suffice. low as possible and to a minimum. Encourage
the crew to text or use pre-determined hand
Don’t send the main audio mix output to the motions instead.
stream. Right now, while live events are banned, Proper lighting is essential to delivering a live
take the time to develop a solid aux-fed mix to stream. I’ve seen many churches focus on
the stream, or better still, dedicate a full mixer elaborate lighting backgrounds while ignoring
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April 2020
Kent Morris
Kent is a 40-year veteran of the AVL arena driven by
passion for excellence tempered by the knowledge
digital is a temporary state.
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