Technical leadership at Church on the Move in Tulsa, Oklahoma recently decided to upgrade the church's video capabilities. After looking at several cameras they purchased five Hitachi SK-UHD7000-S2 cameras saying the video from the cameras was excellent, and the price was right.
Johnathan Basquez, Production Director, Church on The Move (COTM)
According to Johnathan Basquez, Production Director at Church on The Move (COTM), “COTM has been a long-time fan of Hitachi cameras, and this is our third round of Hitachi cameras.” When asked why, Basquez explains, “The first issue is value. And high-quality video provides a better experience for the congregation in our 2,000+ seat auditorium.” Basquez continues, “Having high quality video is important inside our main auditorium where our pastor delivers his sermons. Because of the size of the auditorium, we feed LED walls which help people to see the pastor’s facial expressions as well as images from a white board he likes to use.”
Tom Doerner, Live Video Director at COTM, knows that many churches are investing in cinematography cameras these days to record their Sunday services. But, he says, “That is not the path for COTM, which has always used broadcast cameras for the past 20 years. Through those years, all of those cameras were Hitachi cameras.” Doerner adds, “In 2024 we were using Hitachi cameras that were limited to 720P, and we needed to go to 1080P. We wanted a camera with a 1080P output that was upgradeable to full 4K for the future.”
Tom Doerner, Live Video Director, Church on the Move, Tulsa
Doerner also likes that because the cameras have similar menus and buttons as their older Hitachi cameras, it is easier for volunteers to learn how to operate them.
According to Doerner, at COTM, video production is about more than capturing video: It is a way to recruit volunteers, motivate church members, and help volunteers build character through team building. He says “Volunteering takes a personal commitment, and the nature of live TV means the volunteers must pay close attention the whole time and work as a cohesive team.”
COTM TV productions need about 14 volunteers each Saturday and Sunday, working as a team in 4.5 to 5 hour services. Doerner concludes, “The impressive look of the Hitachi SK-UHD7000-S2 attracts volunteers to the video production unit every Sunday and everyone always shows up.”
Watch COTM video productions at youtube.com/@cotm.
