Videos are a great way for churches to reach the community, and TV’s placed in the overflow area can help with craning necks. Of course, large screen images projected behind the pulpit can bring the speaker closer to the people sitting in the back of the sanctuary.
But where do you start finding the right equipment for your church? If you’re operating on a shoestring budget, take heart. Most of the expensive pieces of equipment can be rented for large-scale events bringing down the initial cost significantly. Also, off-the-shelf, consumer-type equipment can be used. Some may balk at not using waveform monitors and vector scopes to adjust the subcarrier and phase synchronization of sources. That equipment is important, but it should not deter you from getting started with what you can afford.
Maybe you’ve already experimented with single-camera shooting, and found the resulting video to be dry and boring. When you try to pan and zoom around, the video gets disorienting and perhaps even nauseating to watch. But God has blessed you with volunteers who would like to help out, so you have two cameras now, but synchronizing the footage during editing proves to be a time consuming task. The solution is a two or three camera shoot—“edited” live.
A multi-camera shoot frequently consists of at least three cameras, placed on the left, center and right sides of the area to be shot. The three camera signals are fed into a video mixer, also called a “switcher.” The switcher allows you to select and combines signals from various sources and “mix” them to one final output. It may sound simple, but the technical issues and coordination of personnel and equipment is daunting. We’ll try to get you started, but practice makes perfect.
First, you will need two or more cameras. They do not need to be digital, because we’ll be using the analog outputs from the camera. These cameras need not to be the same, although it is recommended. For now, we can use single CCD cameras. Although 3 CCDs render richer colors under most conditions, the price range is can be prohibitive for multi-camera purchases.
Many consumer camcorders have a “demo” mode that kicks in when the camera is not in use for a specified amount of time. That must also be disabled, as you don’t want a big advertisement for your camera in the middle of a service. Also, if you put a tape in most consumer cameras, the power will shut off after a certain amount of time (usually five minutes) if the tape is not recording. Because the tape heads are in constant contact with the tape, the self-power off prevents unneeded wear and tear on the tape heads, as well as to conserve battery power. So, either you can record continuously on the camera during the event, or just take out the tape.
You’ll want a camera that has an LCD screen, so that the videographer does not have to look through the miniscule viewfinder for hours on end.
Cameras that cannot be manually white balanced (Digital 8 cameras, and perhaps some other low-end cameras) are not recommended. Auto white balance means that whenever the camera thinks the white balance has changed, it will adapt. Most of the time, it’s only the lights that have dimmed or changed color, and you’ll notice the colors in the video shifting while you’re shooting. Before each shoot, white balance the cameras on a common white spot on the stage. If there is no white area, have a person hold a piece of white foam core, or piece of paper on the stage.
The next feature you should look for in a video camera is the zoom range. Be weary of “digital 400x zooms.” Disable them if you can, as digital zooms make the picture blocky and unusable. You want the longest “optical zoom” range as possible. Most consumer camcorders will have 10 to 12x optical zoom ranges. For starters, it is best to try it out in your own church before you buy to see how far the zoom can go relative to the camera position.
To support your camera, you’ll need a good tripod. The more stable the tripod is, the less shaky your shots will be. The tripod should use a “fluid head,” which will make your camera movements much smoother. Cheaper tripods will produce jerky movements especially when you pan and tilt.
Next, we need to somehow get the signal from the camera to the switcher. To do that, we’ll be using the composite output from the cameras, and also need cabling that is both durable and high quality. Because most runs exceed the 25 or 50-foot lengths that pre-made coaxial cable comes in, you may find yourself making your own cables. Make single cables that are the required length and avoid connecting cables together in the middle. Interconnects are the weakest link, and will fail at the most inopportune times. Use RG-59 cables, which are the same as those for your cable TV. You can also use RG-6 cables if you can afford it, but the quality difference is minimal. Bulk cable can be purchased at the local hardware store, and they normally come in spools of 250, 500 and 1,000 feet. A composite video signal can run for about 750-1,000 feet before any significant degradation in the signal occurs.
Installing the cable is quite a task, and you may want to consult the services of an electrician so that you adhere to the local fire code and put the connectors on the cables correctly. Measure the length of cable you need from each camera to the location of the video switcher. Give plenty of slack of cable to turn corners and other unforeseen obstacles. I use BNC connectors because they are more durable than RCA connectors are, and mor importantly, they “lock.” However, you’re most likely forced to use RCA connectors on the camera end. Adapters are available at minimal cost. You would much rather replace an adapter than to resolder an RCA connector 5 minutes before show time. Avoid duct-taping any connectors, especially the fragile RCA connectors.
Now that you’ve got all the signals going to one place, what kind of video switcher do you use? Choose one that allows for at least two monitors – a “Program” monitor to see what’s actually being sent out to the world, and a “Preview” monitor to see what will be up next. Some switchers have a neat feature that squeezes the four video sources onto one preview monitor.
Next, you’ll want to record your event onto videotape, so simply connect a VCR to the program (final) video out to a VCR, and ask your soundboard operator to provide you with a mix from his board. You can use any VCR as long as it meets your quality and budget requirements. I normally use SuperVHS VCR’s. But when I want to record digitally, a small miniDV camera with an “analog in” allows for up to 80 minutes recording time.
You can use the RF and RCA outs on your VCR to distribute the signal throughout your church, although a much better way is to use a distribution amplifier. Just like splitting audio signals with a “Y” cable is a no-no, the same applies for video, but the effect is even more pronounced with video. Splitting a video feed drastically affects the quality of the signal to both monitors. The result is a dim, blurry picture. The use of a distribution amplifier allows each monitor to receive a full-power video signal, which results in brighter, sharper and a rock-steady picture. Yes, that also means running additional cable, as each monitor requires its own cable run.
Professionals use a series of two-way intercoms to communicate between the director, in this case the one who is operating the switcher, and the camera operators. There is another solution, albeit not as elegant. But one benefit is that it is wireless. For communication and coordination between your crew, you can use FRS (Family Radio Service) radios. The newer FRS radios use a “cell phone” type of earphone jack. Try to find an older radio that uses the normal Walkman-type 1/8-inch jack and plug a pair of bargain bin earbuds into it. Otherwise, you’ll spend almost $20 per radio to purchase a similar looking accessory, the only difference being the plug. I recommend the earbuds because they are cheap, and when the surrounding environment is loud (contemporary worship services or concerts), your camera operators can wear a pair of ear protectors like the ones used a shooting ranges to hear the director clearly.
Try to use radios that can flip between all 38 channels, and have additional sub-channels available. Because FRS is public, you’ll run into situations where interfering radio traffic occurs, or others intrude into the channel. The director needs clear communication with the crew, so a quick frequency change is required.
Since the director will be doing a lot of transmitting, have a spare set of batteries handy. I’ve found that the batteries will be drained after a good one half to two hours of directing.
Now that we have the basic technical operation aside, we need to work on how to coordinate three camera operators, and actually pressing the buttons on the switcher. Note that with extra personnel, the director calls the shots and a dedicated switcher person does the job. However, in many cases, you are the director and switcher person. It’s just about all you can do as you’ll have both hands and your eyes tied up, so don’t try to do any more than those two roles (i.e. soundboard)
In addition to directing the cameras operators to zoom in and out, focus, pan, etc., the director needs to communicate which camera is “live” and on air. While on-air, the operator needs to keep their shot steady, while the other cameras can adjust their shot as per the director’s request. To do this, the director will call out “Ready X,” where X is the camera number. The operator should then steady their camera and be ready to go live. The instant before the camera is switched to, the director will say, “Take X” which means that the previous camera is released, and the new camera is live. It is imperative that the operators know exactly which camera is live. Broadcast cameras have a tally light that is triggered by the switcher, but this more affordable set up does not, thus, the director must be diligent and clear in their commands.

Phil Pang is a videographer based in Toronto, Canada. He can be reached through his website at www.hosannaproductions.com, or via e-mail at phil@hosannaproductions.com.