FRONT OF HOUSE
THE ART OF THE TALKING HEAD SHOW | Kent Morris
Talking head events in a church setting resemble their secular corporate counterparts with a few notable differences . In a corporate presentation , the focus is on promoting the brand and the CEO while in church , energy is aimed at ways to deliver the timeless message in an engaging and non-distracting manner .
A corporate meeting is typically held in a hotel resort ballroom and features distributed audio with moderate low-end extension for the bumper music plus balanced white stage lighting augmented with moving lights designed to pump visual energy into the proceedings during introductions . Video is solely I-Mag based with separate set-ups for livestreaming on a closed network . In contrast , church events in this vein are often based around missions or ministry outreach and focus on delivery of information , but within the standard Sunday set-up of the local church . It is not a dedicated layout designed for the application . It relies on modifying the existing AVL for a different purpose .
To that end , it is vital for church techs to understand how best to serve a conference or seminar using current gear . The first tip is to assign one person as the “ mic wrangler ” dedicated to mounting and dismounting headset and lapel mics for each presenter . Though it sounds simple , this task is difficult once the speakers begin to enter and exit the stage , often out of sequence and ahead or behind the timeline . Add in battery issues , mics moved out of place and cable problems and the complexity of the role becomes apparent . The mic wrangler should have an assigned table marked with brightly colored spike tape and labeled numerically . The use of small pound cake tins from the local grocery store provide a secure place to rest handhelds and bodypacks while lowering RF emissions near the stage .
Next , there should be an A2 ( Audio Second ) to communicate with the mic wrangler and to confirm clear signal on upcoming presenters via the cue section of the audio console . In addition , the video director needs to be able to reach the A2 since that person is the only one in the room with a clear view of the proceedings who is not consumed with mixing the show or manning a camera . The A2 also monitors the intercom and relays only vital details to the A1 .
Along with the A2 , the lighting engineer needs to keep a “ heads up ” toward the stage in order to catch any presenter who moves outside the normal ring of light . If possible , a video confidence monitor should be positioned
facing the stage in plain view of the speakers to make them aware of needed instructions such as , “ please speak louder ” or “ please exit to your right .” The person running ProPresenter can make the determination of what to communicate and when so as to deliver the instructions without distraction .
Finally , the production team needs to understand conferences require far longer time commitment than a standard worship service . It is not unusual to work fifteen hours a day for several consecutive days to meet the need for morning worship followed by plenary sessions , break-out seminars , a lunch-and-learn , afternoon classes , an evening worship set and primary presenter . The effort is extensive , but the rewards are as well , with attendees receiving in three days what would take a month of training in a normal setting .
Talking head events don ’ t carry the excitement of a Sunday morning worship experience , but they do convey important information in a digestible format and are worth preparing for and executing well .
Kent Morris Kent is a 42-year veteran of the AVL arena driven by passion for excellence tempered by the knowledge digital is a temporary state .