Finding the Right Camera

In 2010, I began searching for a camera for our live Internet broadcast and it was a daunting task, especially since I was on a tight budget. I searched VideoMaker's Camera Guide, B&H Photo, and Amazon for a couple of days and eventually found a camera that suited our needs at the time. When I initially started my search I wrote a list of "needs" and used that list as a guide to help me narrow down the vast list of cameras. I ended up purchasing the Sony HV-AU1 and it has served our needs well. Now, two years later, I am in the same position. In the next month or so I will be starting the process of researching and purchasing another camera. Our needs and technology have changed, my budget not so much being slightly higher than before.

So, knowing that the camera that I got two years ago is great and does what we need it to do, the question is do I purchase the same camera or do I go for a better camera? Having not had the chance to really write down what my needs are right now and what those needs will be in the future, I would say that even though the Sony is great I know that I want something different. The drawback that the Sony camera had was that it still used mini-dv tape. Tapes are expensive especially the professional quality 80 minute ones. With that in mind I might want to explore cameras that use hard drives or SD cards but I still need to have Firewire capabilities for our broadcast feed into the computer. There are many other needs that I have yet to figure out and research. My goal is to find that right camera that will best fit the needs and work load that I have.

Green Screens in Ministry

Courtesy of Ephoto, Inc.

Recently, I purchased a green screen studio kit from Ephoto, Inc. for the church as a way to enhance our video arsenal, and it is a huge hit right now. The Youth Pastor has already developed ideas for videos to use in sermons, as well as, the lead Pastor who likes to shoot promo videos for upcoming events and Facebook videos. Working with green screens in the past I knew the versatility that it offered but using it in church ministry offers so much more than I have anticipated. Green screens give another dimension of creativity that seems limitless for churches. Instead of asking, where in the church can I film today or where can we go in town that I don’t have to go through the paperwork to film, the question I’m asking is what background or setting do we want. It is amazing how something so simple as a green background can take your videos to another level.

I definitely recommend any church getting a green screen kit that has a media ministry or wants to start a media ministry. A simple kit can open a world of possibilities and endless imagination in your ministry. There are many kits available at all price points to fit the needs of every budget. I recommend checking out Ephoto, Inc. because of the affordability of their products and their great customer service. The key is to research, also to know exactly what you are looking for and what your needs are. I have found that VideoMaker has awesome articles about choosing the right green screen, lighting, as well as other resources about video in general. Using VideoMaker magazine as a go-to resource is invaluable to any church media ministry that is in the beginning stages or have been established for quite awhile. 

The Streaming Church

Courtesy of Graceway Media

The idea of streaming church services have been around for more than a decade but it has only been just recently that the idea has been made into a reality for many churches. Since starting up what our church has called an “Internet Campus or iCampus (for short)” two years ago I have noticed the progression of information on this subject, as more and more churches are using the Internet, has become available.

In 2010, the lead pastor at the church I work at came to me and said that he wanted to start streaming our church services and wanted to know what we needed to do to make it happen. Streaming video was a whole new concept to me and I was unsure as to how to go about it.  This was my first major responsibility after taking over the media for the church and it was challenging. My predecessor had created a free account with Ustream before he left but I had to figure out what equipment was needed for us to stream. In researching over the Internet, information was scarce and there were very little forums opened except for what was on Ustream’s website.  

In a month after the request had been made, I got everything needed, a simple setup: One camera and a laptop. Now the hardest part of the challenge was ready to be tackled, getting our services live. Three months later, after testing our broadcast on a private channel I created on Ustream we were ready to broadcast on a public channel and in my perspective we failed miserably.

The lesson I learned in this process is that there are many hurdles in a challenge that you have to face before that challenge is fully conquered. I may have figured out how to get our services live on the Internet, which I thought was the challenge, but to produce an experience similar to what one would experience if actually there is a whole other part of the challenge I had yet to face.

Two years and three streaming platforms (Ustream, Livestream, and Streaming Church) later our “iCampus” is growing and the tech side is getting better but it’s not quite there yet, but that’s how it is with technology, there is always room for improvements. I personally have learned a lot through all the trials and errors with streaming platforms, video quality, equipment, and audio quality that I put it in a manual that I have lovingly entitled, “HCC’s Internet Campus Survival Guide.” I use this manual to train our volunteers and to refer to when I have church call up and ask questions about how we had setup our live church stream. I love to help out other churches because I know what it’s like to be at the beginning stages and not really knowing what to do, which is the purpose of this blog.

Check out Heartland Christian Center’s iCampus services!