FRONT OF HOUSE
THE NEXT | Kent Morris
As we work toward the latter half of 2020,
the temptation is to throw our hands up
in exasperation as we struggle to lay out
technical plans for the future. Do we ramp up
gear purchases for large praise teams and
orchestras? Do we devise methods to put on
our traditional Christmas program in the time
of a pandemic? Questions like these keep us
up at night and frustrate our ability to be ready
for the future. However, instead of starting with
what we don’t know, which is a lot, let’s begin
with what we do know, which is significant, in
order to develop a viable plan.
We know “normal” is not on the near horizon,
meaning we need to codify our livestream
methods and steps now since they will be part
of any event we host the rest of this year. The
first move is to note what has worked and make
it integral to the plan. For instance, assigning
someone to monitor the stream on-site in realtime
is the surest way to know what you are
sending out is what is being delivered. It’s not
enough to monitor the uplink as many pitfalls
occur between the up and down.
Next, codify the process of setting the stage
for livestreaming to make it easy for anyone
to follow. A list of steps, such as “clear water
bottles and sheet music from platform 15
minutes before service begins” is a simple way
to ensure the program goes as planned.
It’s also a good thought to verify each piece of
equipment is functioning as intended and is set
to the right mode. So often, ubiquitous Black
Magic ATEM units are on and running, but
somehow have been set to the wrong mode
after rehearsal, making it imperative to check
and recheck the settings before the service
begins.
We also know any return to live congregation
participation will be short on people and long
on procedure. By this point, most speaking
pastors and worship leaders have learned to
function without the immediate response and
feedback of a live audience. Encourage leaders
to maintain this mindset as people begin the
journey back to church because the number
allowed at any one time will be reduced 60-
80% and may be rescinded entirely if renewed
health concerns arise.
Additionally, we know the mid-term future
will be balanced between live and livestream.
It is highly unlikely the church will return to a
live-centric model since people have grown
accustomed to attending remotely and the
online reach potential exponentially exceeds
even the largest capacity sanctuary. As a result,
video and audio will need to mixed separately for
in-room and online attendees. Video for remote
must use establishment shots unnecessary for
those present in the space. Likewise, audio for
livestream requires more artificial ambience and
a different tonal balance than what those in the
room need to hear. Thus, additional engineers
and, if possible, a separate mix environment will
be essential.
Finally, we know “church” as many of us have
experienced it over the past twenty years, has
been an anomaly. Generally speaking, church
services have, for two thousand years, been
largely gatherings of a few to a few hundred,
not several thousand in one place. The entire
concept and process we have developed
focused on large-scale AVL may never return
to a position of primacy. We must, therefore,
be ready to adapt once again to the norm of
small settings.
Livestreaming, at its core, is a studio experience
and, with a reduced live audience, replaces
grandeur and power with intimacy and focus.
So, while we may not need to purchase a
digital console with 96 inputs, we may want
to research the best quality 32 input desk with
features designed to engage those online.
And know this: whatever happens, God saw it
coming, orchestrated it to His will and will equip
us to handle it.
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.
130 August 2020
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