Operation

Set Up and Set Down

See the official site for set up and set down instructions.

During the Service

Usually one person operates the switcher and another operates the camera controller.

Video switching

Use the ATEM video switcher to choose which camera to stream. Set the preview to the next camera, then use the "cut" button to make it live (or the "auto" button to cross-fade, but use this sparingly - see below).

Tips:

  • To overlay words from the AV team, press the switcher "song words" button.
  • Most of the time, cut between the preview and programme (using the "cut" button on the switcher). During "unstructured" periods of a service (e.g. when the service leader suggests a period of reflection while the band plays quietly), cross-fading (using the "auto" button on the switcher) can work ok. Here's an example of an initial cut followed by cross-fading.
  • During worship, cut relatively often when the tempo of the music is fast and less often when the tempo is slow.
  • Avoid cutting between cameras showing people from the same angle and with the same size. Better to cut via another shot which is closer, further out, or from another angle.
  • Try to avoid "flipping" the direction in which people are facing, e.g. by cutting between two cameras pointing in opposing directions.
  • During speech, try to cut at the beginning of a phrase. During worship, try to cut at the end of a verse, or at least at the end of a line of a song.
  • Try to anticipate what's going to happen next. For example, if the service leader is about to hand over to the band, cut via a shot which includes them both.
  • If you think someone is going to take a little while to get set up, e.g. someone leading prayers may need to pick up a microphone or remove a face mask, then cutting just before this happens makes the viewers more forgiving of the delay. The cut effectively gives 5-10 seconds of extra attention. Here's an example.
  • When videos are played, don't forget to turn the Christ Church logo off. Also, start with a wide shot of the church which includes the screens and cross-fade to the video as it starts (here's an example). At the end of the video, either cross-fade back to the wide shot or cut if you think it seems more appropriate.
  • When you have two cameras next to each other, you can cut back and forth between a head and shoulders shot of a speaker and a shot of their full height. Since the angle doesn't change, this is less distracting than cutting from side to side. Here's an example.
  • If you aren't sure what a cut will look like, try it out on the preview pane of the multiview monitor by switching the preview between the cameras you are considering cutting between.
  • Try to turn off the song words as soon as they are no longer needed. It may be worth having a word with the person on the AV desk before the service starts and asking them to delay a couple of seconds after a song finishes before putting the Christ Church Winchester logo back on the screen as this has a bad appearance on the live stream.
  • To display one of the slides, such as the words for use while people are taking communion, select media player 1 using either Shift key and "MP 1".
  • When the live stream is being displayed on screens in church, you can use the ATEM switcher software "Auxiliary 1" menu to control what is displayed on the screens. This is usually "clean feed 1" (the live stream programme minus any downstream key, such as the Christ Church logo). But you could set it to a tight shot of the preacher, for example, so that you can cut to a wide shot for the online audience without affecting what appears on the screens in church. Remember to set Auxiliary 1 back to "clean feed 1" afterwards.

Camera Control

Use the remote camera controller to operate the remote PTZ cameras.

Tips:

  • Choose a preset or manually zoom/pan each camera unless it is "live" (being displayed on the "programme" pane of the multiview monitor).
  • Keep one camera on a wide "safety shot" so the switcher operator can cut to this if necessary, e.g. if the preacher starts moving around suddenly during a sermon. Camera 4 is often a good fallback for a wide shot as its quality isn't the best. Here's an example where the preacher caught us off-guard, but we recovered using camera 4.
  • After the countdown, start with a wide "establishing shot" to set the scene (as well as the tone/mood). Here's an example.
  • During worship, sometimes a close shot of one or two people in the band (here's an example) or of an instrumentalist's hands (an example) can add variety and interest. This works particularly well if the switcher operator is familiar with the song and can anticipate when instrumental sections are coming up.