Worship Musician Church Video + Streaming Handbook | Page 16

CHURCH VIDEO + STREAMING HANDBOOK
COMMON STREAMING MISTAKES AND HOW TO FIX THEM | Kent Morris
Now that live streaming is all the rage for church the live service when it comes back around. with a secondary opposite light to soften
services, it is becoming clear there is a right way One common mistake is to leave out audience shadows and a rear light to bring dimension
and a wrong way to do church online. While we mics. Naturally, they are most useful when there back to the face. Be sure the band and vocals
have had decades to hone our skill set for live is an audience, but even now, dialing in a small have well-lit faces and hands as well.
events, streaming is a rather new practice, so amount can give a sense of dimension to the the rules are not well established. To address stream mix. Of course, too much will eliminate Be aware: something will go wrong just before
this issue, here are some common streaming all definition in the mix. the stream begins. Do not panic: this is a
mistakes and how to fix them.
normal situation. It happens to all of us. Calmly
Teach presenters who come on and off stage, decide if it is vital to the service and if not, let it
Before streaming can begin, there must a such as announcers, to place themselves roll. If vital, it is permissible to delay the start for
workable plan in place. The first step is to cleanly out of the camera’s field of vision before a minute while the problem is fixed.
decide the purpose of the stream. Is it an commenting or motioning to the tech crew. As extension of the live service and acting like an an aside, keep all conversations off-screen as Since churches all live stream about the same
ancillary event or is replacing the live service as low as possible and to a minimum. Encourage time in a given area, get and maintain a stable,
driven by current health concerns? Given the the crew to text or use pre-determined hand robust connection and use better quality
situation at hand, the immediate application motions instead. encoders and link devices because the traffic
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
creatively, but within reason. Dedicating the
second camera for an awesome, but limited
application shot is a waste of resources.
Instead, if the cameras can’t zoom remotely,
set up one for a head-to-torso shot of center
stage and the other to capture the full stage.
lanes are about to get full. Dedicate the live
stream computer to that one task only and be
Be aware:
certain all software licenses are up to date and
Windows/Mac updates have been installed well
something
before start of service.
will go wrong
In conclusion, live streaming represents a new
just before the opportunity to impact your community for
stream begins. of the stream such as clear audio, no sudden
Do not panic:
Christ. By focusing on the important aspects
movements,
smooth
transitions,
proper
illumination of faces and using a stable internet
this is a normal
platform, your church will reach hundreds of
people in need.
situation. It
happens to all
of us.
Try not to use fancy swipes and wipes when
transitioning between shots. A simple cut will Proper lighting is essential to delivering a live
suffice. stream. I’ve seen many churches focus on
elaborate lighting backgrounds while ignoring
Don’t send the main audio mix output to the what matters: faces. We all hone in on faces
stream. Right now, while live events are banned, and our brains know what they should look like,
take the time to develop a solid aux-fed mix to so when they have harsh shadows or the wrong
the stream, or better still, dedicate a full mixer tint, we reject them and their message. Spend
to the stream and save up for a new mixer for the time to get a key light on the pastor coupled
16
SPECIAL EDITION
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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