A clip from our Christmas concert

[Jay M]

http://vimeo.com/34105461

I didn't really have much to do with this production, but I thought I'd share it so you can get an idea of what the cameras and equipment we use is capable of. We are not really a media centric church, so this production was a bit limited. we do have a radio and TV ministry that justified the expense for nice cameras.

The equipment:
Video-
3 Cameras - Panasonic AW-E870
3 Pan Tilt heads - AW-PH360N
1 Camera remote - AW-RP655
1 Switcher - Panasonic AV-HS450N
7 recorders - Aja Ki Pro (There are 7 for the purpose of redundancy)
2 Panasonic 42" Plasma screen for the multi viewer
1 JVC 17" professional monitor for focus and other camera adjustments

Recorded at 720p in Apple ProRes422 HQ, I assume edited in FCP.

Audio-
Whirlwind Mic splitters
random assortment of mixers from Yamaha, to Mackie, and 8 Millenia Pres. totaling a littler over 100 channels.
Recorded to a bunch of DA-88 recorders.

I don't know if the audio in that clip was from the multitrack, I think is was just the rough mix for the live stream.

There was a static camera on the stage and some guys running around with DSLRs, but that footage isn't in this clip, there might be a BLu-Ray and DVD coming next year.

~Jay

http://vimeo.com/34105461

[tdangelo]

Nicely done Jay. Very pretty pictures.

[TJ Krusinski]

This is really well done. Simple, clean, purposeful. You didn't cut cameras for the sake of cutting cameras which so many churches do. Really good job on the file encoding by the way, it looks great.

Also, why does no one care for the actual content produced from the gear that's talked about on here? Content is 100% more important than the gear you use. It's just a bit funny to me.

[bpalermini]

Looks great. With that control system and PT heads are you able to move cameras (pans, pushes, pulls) during a shot. Is it smooth enough?

[Jay M]

Thanks for the Kind words

I think we talk about gear because that all we have control over We are very blessed to have so many gifted people at our church. One thing that I think is really cool, is that when Jubilant wasn't singing, he was in the audience serving as a deaf interpreter.

The pan/tilt heads we use aren't really good for on-air moves. You might be able to get away with pan and tilt, but the zoom on the lens is also not so professional looking- It starts and stops with a bit of a jerk. I have tried some pan and tilt movements with our system, and if I'm at my best, it's passable, but not as smooth as a real tripod would be. Panasonic's more expensive heads are better, but that won't help the lens.

I wasn't the one cutting the show, but when I do, I have learned what you mentioned, that you should not cut for the sake of cutting. When I was new at it, I thought lots of cuts would compensate for our pastor who doesn't move. Now that I've matured, I can see that a simple head and shoulders shot looks best for 90% of the show.

~Jay

[Gracetech]

Let me echo the comments so far. Nice quality, very clean. Good work with lighting on the central subject. Very good exposure, i hate it when people overexpose their subject and loose all detail. Good audio! I love it when the Audio gets as much attention as the video.

If you want some things to work on, here is what i would advise. I would widen you lighting a bit. Right now it looks as if you are lighting from directly infront of the subject. This makes the person a bit darker on the sides of their face. We have the same issue with this and are limited by where we can place our lights, this may be the same issue you are facing. If you can widen your lights then you will lessen this effect.

Other issue, it's a personnel issue. You have to get people to realize when they are on stage they are seen on camera. No sleeping, no depressed faces. We are having the same issue so right now. I'm to the point of just trying to figure out how to clear the stage. I've asked, pleaded, and begged to no avail. It takes people with acting skills to pull of, looking interested, during sermons. Sad as that is.

Over all well done!

crt

[Jay M]

Thanks Chad, those are some very helpful comments. The orchestra members were very tired at the end of a week of long rehearsals, but you are right, now that we are broadcasting, they need to look interested.

As for the lighting, I assume you are talking about the soloist, or pastor? Normally we have plenty of lights, but for the concert, they may have been moved.

I'll try to find a link to a normal broadcast to get your opinion on that as well.

I'm always looking to improve, and that footage is our best yet. I'll pass your suggestions on to the appropriate people.

thanks,
~Jay

[bpalermini]

Originally Posted by TJ Krusinski

Also, why does no one care for the actual content produced from the gear that's talked about on here? Content is 100% more important than the gear you use. It's just a bit funny to me.

Could be because that the part of the puzzle we're responsible for. If this were a worship leaders forum I bet they wouldn't talk much about the tech it takes to make their creative vision happen.

[Gracetech]

I've been around worship leaders and they talk tech just as much as we do. Except in their case they usually get it wrong most of the time. Being artistic is the lack of knowing what you are doing, right?

If a person is going to be a good artist he/she must technically know what they are doing. You can't be a musical artist and not know how to play your instrument and take care of it. You can't be a painter and not know the difference between paints and brushes.

Granted most artist are fine with only knowing things on a superficial level. It takes technicians to dive in deeper to to keep the world moving. It takes great artist to make it interesting.

In my walk of life i have worked with many artist that understand that their vision couldn't become a reality with out my technical experience. To appeal to the masses you have to present the vision in an acceptable form. That form is usually a high quality form which most artist don't know how to come up with in this highly technical world. So while content is very important it is nothing unless some one will look at it and want to watch it or listen to it.

I have had this thought lately that there are different levels of Artist. It would be great to hear some of your feed back. The premises is that most people we call artist are the ones that are the superficial ones. The ones that want to be seen as an artist. All my life i have enjoyed that artistry. What i didn't realize is that the artistry that i enjoyed of the unseen artist. The art of finely tuning a microphone so that it produces a certain kind of sound. The meticulous layout of a printed circuit that interweaves to create the flow of signal that gets broken down and then recombined to create limitless combinations of sound or light. I've always accepted my position as a technician but have always had an artist ear and eye. I've been the creative force behind the sound of many bands. Shot tons of video/film which have to creatively tell the story through composition. With out the composition of lighting, framing, and focus the content looses depth.

So what are your thoughts?

crt