There is nothing that will spark interest in online worship quite like a global pandemic. It seemed like one Sunday we were all busy putting our productions together for our worship communities and the next we were scrambling to figure out how to move forward. For some, the question was, “How do we start worshipping online?” For others, it was, “How do we expand and adapt our current online worship for a situation that we can’t control?”
“It might sound too simple, but remind your team of where their audience is, so tell them to look into the camera.” Dennis Choy
Many churches had some online ability, but never considered online worship to be more than an add-on to their in-person production; suddenly it had become a lifeline. Something that churches of all sizes had in common, and a question that remains with us as we emerge from the pandemic: “What things can we do and what can we improve upon to make our online worship a success?”
You may be surprised to know that when CPM asked some online worship experts that question, not one of our experts said that specific gear was the deciding factor. The advice we received was practical, mostly common sense ideas about online worship-- from online worship producers who have the experience to know what works and what doesn’t. Most of these ideas are easy to implement, and each simple suggestion can make quantum improvements to online worship productions.
CP: What key aspects of producing online worship do you feel are the most important to get right?
ERIC BRAMLETT
ERIC BRAMLETT: Take the time to create a clear path for a “next step” for an online attender. Once you have it, stick with it. Creating an “action step” opportunity for online attenders is possibly the most difficult part of the online church process, and also might be the most important. It’s important to keep it simple and memorable. For example, stay with one texting number that gets repeated over and over, or consolidate your website so that the same URL is displayed over and over for taking a next step. People need to be as familiar with the ways to connect to your church as they are the popular jingle, like 1-877-Kars-4-Kids.
SHANNON BOYER: Eric makes a great point. Yes, creating a clear path for a next step for an online attender is so crucial for continued engagement from our audiences. When creating an online campus and producing online worship, remembering to keep that viewer engaged and connected should always be at the top of the list. And, as we’re saying, it can and should be done in simple and direct ways. Also, at Generation Church, we take time out each week to film unique content for our online audience. It changes how you think about content when it is specifically designed for people who aren’t physically present in your church. This can help you see how best to reach out and connect in meaningful and intentional ways.
SHANNON BOYER
ERIC BRAMLETT: That’s true. Online attenders want to know that what they are watching is made for them, and not merely a simulcast of an in-person event. So, creating unique film content for an online audience is a great idea. Also think more “Music Video” and less “Concert Film” for music, so brainstorm moments with your music team that allow you to be creative in terms of setting and scope of production for an online audience. What you capture then has the potential to be shared separately and inspirational to others beyond the scope of the Sunday service.
CP: What advice do you have for on-camera team members and others who are creating content for online worship?
DENNIS CHOY: I love what Eric and Community Church are doing. To his points, I would add: avoid creating unintended timestamps whenever possible. Remember that you are trying to create a product that can be watched anytime, so avoid saying things like “Earlier today I was at my son’s soccer game,” that could work in person, but not necessarily for someone watching online. So maybe say “Earlier this week” instead. It is more versatile and helps keep the seamless illusion. It might sound too simple, but remind your team of where their audience is, so tell them to look into the camera. This makes a special connection especially during teaching moments. Looking into the camera works well with close up camera angles to give a more personal feel to the production and provide a real advantage when viewers are watching on a phone, iPad, or other small-format device. Even on a larger screen, close up is more engaging.
DENNIS CHOY
SHANNON BOYER: Camera angles are absolutely a must-do-right for online worship. Even if you have a great in-room worship happening, if you don’t take the time to try out different camera angles and compositions, including the movement of your manned cameras, you’ll end up only documenting your worship, not creating an online worship environment for those online viewers.
CP: We know that preparation and intentionality are important in everything we do. What are some key points that teams should consider when preparing for an online worship production?
SHANNON BOYER: Our culture is immersed in the most media consumption that humans have ever seen, which means our online viewer knows, even if they don’t know that they know it, what good camera settings and shading (setting multiple cameras to match) look like. Do your best to give your online viewers a literally great view, and that takes some preparation. Proper camera shading provides a picture that is pleasing to the viewer and can transform the online experience that you’re creating. Creating contrast and vividness, as well as proper exposure, makes all the difference to the viewer.
“Creating an ‘action step’ opportunity for online attenders is possibly the most difficult part of the online church process, and also might be the most important.” Eric Bramlett
RUSTY ANDERSON
RUSTY ANDERSON: Along with the technical points we’ve discussed, something teams should remember is that they should be trying their best to tell the entire story, not just what’s happening on stage. Sometimes that means you have to “fill in the blanks for people who are joining for worship online. Don’t let your teams forget to show your wider space, people worshipping, and full stage designs. These are things that are easy to take for granted because we are in the room, but they need to be shared by whatever means we can. Basically, we have to shift away from only IMAG and into more complete storytelling.
SHANNON BOYER: It takes some work, for sure, but with intentionality and plenty of trial and error, you can find exactly what camera angles will work best to provide an intimate closeness with the vocalists, or that perfect wide shot that showcases the amazing high energy of the worship set.
What we’ve learned from our experts is that, rather than a capital investment, better online worship is an investment in preparation, organization, and communicating key ideas to the production crew and team members who will be on camera. Better online productions result from using what you have in-house to create a worship experience that most effectively reaches the hearts of online worshippers.
