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Your Church, Jul/Aug 2001
Now Playing at a Church Near You, (Part 2)
Okay. Your video system's set up. Now what?
By Tim Eason
In the first installment of this article (May/June 2001), Your Church spoke with integrated media experts to learn how audio, lighting, and video can work together as a single entity. This follow-up article explores the set up and application of integrated media components.
You're in Control
The key to a successful integrated media ministry is to understand the relationship between each area and how each supports the others. The effectiveness of a church service will be dramatically enhanced when all aspects of integrated media are implemented together in a well-designed system.
One recurring theme in the previous article was the need to use a control system to tie all the equipment together. A control system is basically a fancy programmable remote control unit that can be customized to include most of a church's media components. In order to use a control system, the equipment must have some type of control interface, such as RS-232, infrared, or even midi.
The control system may be programmed to perform multiple functions, such as turning on the projector, lowering the screen, dimming the lights, and starting the VCR, with the press of one button. Programs can be as advanced or as simple as needed. The two main manufacturers of these products are Panja and Crestron Electronics.
With regard to control systems, Ken Holsinger of Fowler Productions says the most important quality of an integrated media system is its user-friendliness.
"Churches mainly work with volunteers," he says. "It is crucial that their system is easy to learn and operate."
Sound Tips
Audio is top priority in any media system. And one critical audio component is the mixer. When selecting one, your church should choose a mixer with more channels, or inputs, than are currently needed, to allow for future expansion. If a mixer is purchased to handle a band of only six people and two more are added a year later, either the mixer will need to be replaced or a second will need to be added to accommodate the extra inputs necessary for the new instruments and/or microphones. Buying a bigger unit at first will save money in the long run.
Each piece of equipment in the audio chain—from microphone to speaker—should feature a low noise floor. The noise floor is a measurement of the amount of "hiss" produced by electronic audio equipment. As equipment is chained together, this noise builds up. The lower the noise floor on each piece, the better the final sound quality.
Great sound equipment can only do so much, however. The natural acoustics of your worship space will primarily determine the sound quality in your church. When building a new auditorium, an audio/video consultant should be hired before or at the same time as the architect. A consultant will help save money and headaches by ensuring that the building design is suitable for audio and video applications. Existing auditoriums that have acoustic problems should be treated with sound-absorbing material.
Integrated Lighting
There are two types of lighting to consider in an integrated media system: house lighting and stage lighting. The primary concern with house lighting is that it not interfere with the video system. Stage lighting, using either par cans or intelligent lighting devices, is more important because it can add interest to your presentations. An intelligent light may produce a variety of colors and beam widths and may be remotely controlled. Proper and effective use of stage lighting can produce an ambiance that no other medium can create.
Visible Video
Next, let's look at a video projection system. The first consideration is screen placement. This can be a challenging task since everyone in the auditorium needs to be able to see the screen. Sometimes two screens and two projectors are necessary.
Doug Henriques of Christian Video and Audio Systems stresses the importance of proper screen location. "The screen should be in the darkest area possible," he says. "It's like shining a flashlight in a cave while standing outside the cave. The light reflects off of the back wall even though the light would be overpowered by the sun if you tried to shine it anywhere outside of the cave."
Not only do the screens need to be visible, but they also should be unobtrusive. Finding a balance between visibility and attractiveness can be tricky, but a qualified consultant can usually help.
Many churches have difficulties with both artificial and natural light when using a video projector, but there are some ways to alleviate these problems. House lights should be aimed carefully to provide adequate lighting without interfering with video screens. Stage lights should be carefully aimed away from the screen. The windows in a church may need to be tinted or covered to reduce ambient light in the auditorium.
Another way to overcome lighting problems is to use a brighter projector. The MultiSync XT5000 High Light Output (HLO) from NEC Technologies provides 4,500 ANSI lumens of brightness. Up to three of these powerful projectors may be stacked to provide over 10,000 lumens.
Eiki's Powerhouse line of projectors is another great choice. The models offer 2,300 to 3,700 ANSI lumens of brightness. Numerous lenses for the Powerhouse line are available for different situations. For instance, if the projector is located at a far distance from the screen, a long-throw lens may be installed so that the size and focus of the images are correct. Short-throw lenses are available and are helpful for rear-screen applications. Eiki also offers the even brighter LC-XT1 (5,000 lumens) projector.
Digital Projection specializes in bright projectors. They feature a line of high-resolution projectors offering 3,000 to 12,000 ANSI lumens. All projectors from Digital Projection are HDTV-compatible.
Creative Content
Once your integrated media system's in place, you'll need to think about content. Many churches use PowerPoint and worship software for presentations. There are two other types of video content that are often used by churches: live video and pre-recorded video.
Larger churches may use IMAG (Image Magnification), or live video, to bring the congregation closer to people onstage. The basic setup for live video includes two or more cameras, quality tripods, and a video mixer; a character generator may be used to display text over the video.
Second, some churches may produce their own videos to show during a church service. The equipment used for live video may be employed to create pre-recorded material. A computer-based editing system makes video production fast and easy. Churches may produce their own video vignettes, testimony videos, or music videos to give their services more impact.
Audio quality is critical when producing video. The microphones onboard most video cameras are inadequate. Azden produces a line of audio-for-video equipment made to provide superior sound. Azden's 400UDR Portable uhf Receiver is a battery-powered wireless microphone receiver that works with a handheld or lavaliere transmitter. This type of audio system should be used whenever live sound is being recorded, especially during interviews.
If your church does not have the time or equipment to produce its own videos, Transforming Resources provides some options. "Shorties" are one- to three-minute video vignettes that can be used to introduce or reinforce a message. "Transitions" are short videos that can be shown during times of reflection or before a service. The videos are available in VHS and CD-ROM format.
Tim Eason (tim@churchmedia.net) is a consultant and president of ChurchMedia.net, an online resource center providing training and content for churches using media in ministry.
Copyright © 2001 by the author or Christianity Today, Inc./Your Church magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Your Church.
July/August 2001, Vol. 47, No. 4, Page 30
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