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May 2012

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IMAG: A Tech Directors Roundtable

Four church tech directors offer guidance on doing live video for your worship services.

by Jim Kumorek

With the price of video cameras dropping, Image Magnification (IMAG)—where live video of the platform is projected on large screens in the same room—has become quite the rage in houses of worship. We’ve seen it done well; we’ve seen it done not so well; and we’ve left some churches wondering, “What on earth were they thinking?”

So we asked some members of the Church Technical Director Roundtable forum (www.ctdrt.com) to see what they had to say about the why’s and how’s of IMAG.

CPM: Why should a church do IMAG?

Probus: IMAG acts as an enhancement for larger rooms, to get the intimacy that you don’t have in larger rooms. Doing it because ‘everyone else is doing it’ is a horrible idea. I have often been in churches that have decided, ‘Hey, we have a camcorder, screen and projector, so why not?’ It becomes a distraction when it is not done well.

Funderburg: The unwritten rule for IMAG is if your furthest seat is more than 80-90 feet from the stage you should do IMAG to create an opportunity for those in the back of the room to feel as though they are in the front row. Sometimes IMAG is used when there are obstructions or harsh site lines for those who can’t see what’s happening on the stage.

Sessler: A lot of churches are doing IMAG because they think it is the cool thing to do, or because NorthWillowLifeCrossBackPointe Church is doing it. However, the reasons for IMAG have a lot more to do with giving congregants a quality worship experience than what the church down the road is doing.

CPM: Are there reasons for a small church to do IMAG?

Chappell: I think most small churches should not do IMAG if the stage can be clearly seen. There are better places for the money can go.

Funderburg: IMAG can help in rooms of all sizes. In smaller rooms, however, IMAG can still be effective to direct focus and bring energy into the room. We try to create a similar experience no matter what campus an attendee may go to. This formula allows them to choose the Eagle Brook campus that is closest to them, knowing they are going to see and experience the same thing they would at a larger venue.

Sessler: I would question [why a small church would do IMAG]. If the venue is small enough for everyone to see the platform, why complicate things?

CPM: Does the desire to do IMAG affect the choice of video projectors you install?

Sessler: Yes and no. Some may argue if you’re doing IMAG, DLP projectors are a better choice. I would suggest that most sufficiently bright LCD and DLP projectors are good enough for 90% of the churches in this country. I suggest buying the brightest projector you can afford and send it a quality signal from good cameras and a switcher.

Probus: I would also have to consider the processing of the projector. Does it [add delay to the video signal]? If so, how bad is it? Also consider looking at the images of the projector with a camera. Does it have any ‘stair stepping’ or blocks around the person or object moving?

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Jim Kumorek is the owner of Spreading Flames Media, providing video/media production and writing services to the A/V/L, technology, architectural and hospitality industries. He has led audio, video and lighting teams in churches as both staff and a volunteer for over 10 years. He can be contacted at james@spreadingflamesmedia.com.