Audio for Video
You've heard the phrase, "Lights, Camera, Action!" But if you think that's all you need to produce great videos, you're missing half the picture. The quality of your audio can make or break your video. You go to great lengths to ensure that your video is top-notch. Shouldn't you do the same with your audio?
There are several types of microphones and recorders available to choose from. Let's start by looking at microphones.
The most basic mic to use for video production is the on-camera mic. As with any mic, there are pros and cons that go along with using an on-camera mic. They generally do a good job of picking up environmental sounds and because they are built into the camera, they are guaranteed to not be in your shot. On the down side, it's not easy to get clear audio from subjects who are speaking because of the distance between them and the camera.
When recording video interviews, the mic of choice is often the lav mic. When properly placed on a jacket, tie or shirt, the lav mic provides great clarity for speech and will not be very noticeable to the your viewers - be sure to hide the wire! Because it is designed to pick up sounds that are close by, you won't get a lot of ambient noise and that can make your audio sound a little “tinny”.
The shotgun mic is also a great tool for video producers. It has a long and narrow pickup pattern. In other words, it will pick up sounds at further distances but within a very narrow angle, eliminating a lot of unwanted noise. It can be mounted on a camera or a boom pole, which can be held over the subject's head just outside the frame of your shot. A shotgun mic will sound roomier than a lav mic, but not as much as your standard on-camera mic.
So how do you achieve that perfect balance of clear speech and ambient sound? Just like you would with any other audio project - by mixing your mics. I use a lav mic on my subject for clarity and either the on-camera mic or a shotgun mic on a boom pole for ambient sound. If mixed properly, you'll end up with clear, warm and most importantly - natural sounding audio.
Now let's talk about capturing the audio for your project.
Many cameras today have one or more audio inputs, which will allow you to record your audio directly to your camera. If you have multiple inputs, you can mix the audio before it gets recorded. For cameras with only one input, you may consider running multiple mics through an audio mixer and then a single line from there into your camera. Be aware that you may pick up some camera noise from zooming, focusing, etc. when recording directly to your camera.
You can also use a field recorder for your audio. These are often digital recorders and typically allow you to mix multiple mics. The biggest drawback is that you will need to import your audio and video separately and then sync them back together. The use of DSLR cameras to shoot video is rapidly increasing. Since the built-in microphones and recorders on DSLR cameras do not produce suitable audio, a field recorder will be a necessity for this type of shooting.
As a video producer, you'll shoot in a variety of settings, each with its own challenges. With a little knowledge and the right equipment, you can be prepared to meet all of these challenges and record crisp, clean, natural audio that will help take your videos from good to great.
Going Digital
Making decisions on technology purchases can be a daunting task for many churches. We all want to be good stewards of the resources with God has entrusted us with. We also all have aging equipment that will need to be replaced at some point in the future. So when that time comes, is it worth spending the extra budget money to upgrade to a digital audio console? Well, I can’t answer that question for you. However, I can help you better understand some of the benefits of switching from an analog console to a digital console. The rest is up to you…and your stewardship committee.
Bigger isn’t always better - One of the first things you will notice about digital consoles is their size. They have a considerably smaller footprint than their analog predecessors. A 48-channel analog console is typically 70 or more inches wide, whereas a digital version is around 50 inches wide. The smaller size is possible because the size of each channel strip has been reduced to make room for a second row of channels. The controls for EQs, monitors, etc. have been relocated to a central control interface. I will discuss that more in the next section. The reduced size allows everything to be within your arm’s reach. That means you no longer have to be Stretch Armstrong in order to fade out the background music while bringing up the pastor’s lav mic. Not only do you save space because the console itself is smaller, but you will also save rack space for compressors, EQs, effects, etc. because most digital consoles have these tools built into their software. This will give you more flexibility in controlling and processing sound than you would typically have with an analog system.
You’re in command - The user interface on digital consoles is another benefit of making the switch. Manufacturers have gone to great lengths to design their consoles with the user in mind. They have greatly reduced the amount of eye clutter on the control surface. As I mentioned earlier, the controls for EQs, monitors, aux sends, and gain have been moved from the traditional channel strip to a central digital control interface. This leaves only a fader, on/off button and select button on each channel strip. To adjust the controls for the other elements, simply press the select button of a specific channel and the center screen displays all of the data for that channel. Just like with analog consoles, each manufacturer’s interface operates differently, but they all have the same basic controls. Eye clutter is also reduced by the introduction of multi-use buttons and knobs. On analog consoles, each function required a separate button or knob. On digital consoles, one button or knob may do two or three different things depending on what options you have selected. For instance, instead of having a separate knob for Monitor A on each channel strip—48 individual knobs--the digital console has one Monitor A button. When you select that button, the faders for each channel adjust to show what levels are being sent to Monitor A. Another press of that button and the faders return to your FOH mix.
Setting the scene - One of my favorite benefits of digital boards is the ability to save different scenes. This is a great feature for churches that have different styles of worship in the same venue. For example, our church has two worship services with a choir and orchestra and a third service with a praise band. We have guitarists and drummers in all three services, but the drummer and guitarist in the first two services are different than those in the third service. With an analog console, we would have to make adjustments for those musicians when transitioning to the third service. Then we would have to remember what adjustments we made so that we could return them to their original positions for the next Sunday. The digital console alleviates that issue. We now have one scene saved for the choir and orchestra services and another scene saved for the praise band service. We can now switch from scene to scene in a matter of seconds. This feature will be especially beneficial for special services, concerts, and weddings. You can set the features you want for each of these events and save them as separate scenes. Now you can mic the harpist for the wedding on Saturday and send it to any channel you want on the console without worrying about it affecting the settings for your Sunday worship services.
Password please - Another useful element of digital consoles for churches is the login feature. You can set the console to require someone to login each time they use it. Now you do not have to worry about someone coming along during the week and pushing buttons and turning knobs…not that it ever happens in our church! When you log in, all of the settings and faders return to the positions they were in the last time the console was operated. You can also assign different logins for different users and give each one different levels of control. Many times the person running sound for a funeral is not the same person that runs sound for Sunday worship services. You can give the funeral operator access to limited controls so that you do not have to worry about something getting adjusted that should not be adjusted. When you couple the user restrictions with the different scene settings, you have a lot of flexibility and control in running a variety of events and services with assurance that your standard settings will be maintained.
There are many other benefits to making the switch from analog to digital consoles that I don’t have space to write about. These include virtual patch bays, the ability to backup settings and scenes to USB, remote control operation via an iPad, audio over Ethernet capabilities, and more. If you are considering making the switch--or if you are like me and just want to touch the buttons to see what they do--contact some other churches in your area to see if they are using a digital console and ask them if you can come over and play.
Five Essentials to Ensure a Successful Sunday
There’s an old adage for pastors that says, “Sunday’s coming”. Pastors have to prepare a sermon each week and, as soon as they’re done preaching on Sunday, they begin preparing for the next Sunday. That adage applies to media ministry, too. We know that Sunday is coming every week. With our increasingly busy schedules and with pastors and church members placing higher expectations on the media team, how can you guarantee that next Sunday’s service won’t fall short of your best efforts? Let me give you five essentials to ensure a successful Sunday.
Start Monday - You know that Sunday is coming every week, so take the necessary time to prepare for it early in the week. Don’t procrastinate until Thursday or Friday. If you do, it’s likely that a “media emergency” will divert your attention away from your Sunday preparation. Planning early in the week helps you look ahead and foresee any issues with the worship service and it leaves you with some flexibility to make adjustments toward a better worship experience for your church.
Communicate - Poor communication is often the root cause of issues and mistakes within the worship service. It is imperative that you maintain an open line of communication with the worship leader not only on Sunday morning, but throughout the week. He is relying on your team to make the service run as smoothly as possible. He has high expectations of you and your team, but you will never be able to meet those expectations if you don’t know what they are. Keep an open dialogue with him so that you will have a solid understanding of what he is trying to accomplish and so that you will know about any changes or specific details along the way. There are online tools to help with this, but don’t neglect ongoing face-to-face communication throughout the week.
Engage - Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you are there just to enhance everyone else’s worship experience. While that is your job, you still have to take opportunities to engage in worship yourself. This is easier said than done when you’re sitting behind an audio console or standing behind a camera, but it is essential. You will only be an effective ministry team if everyone on the team is taking care of their own spiritual well-being. If you are not up to par spiritually, you may need to take a break from serving so that you can get back on track. Doing so will help you more serve more effectively.
Contextualize - Different churches are accustomed to different styles of worship. Regardless of where your church falls within that spectrum, remember that it is a worship service not a rock concert. I’m a big fan of moving lights and loud guitars. However, be sure to contextualize your use of them. Use the tools of technology in a way that enhances the worship experience rather than being a distraction to those who are trying to worship.
Pray - Finally, pray. Pray for your media team. Pray for the worship team Pray for the pastor. Pray for the worship service. Pray for the church members who will attend the worship service. Pray. Pray. Pray. Seek God’s wisdom and direction in all of your planning. Without Him, you are just producing another event. With Him, you are producing a worship service where the love of God will be shared using the tools of technology in a way that can change people’s lives forever.
Are You Dissatisfied?
My wife and I are always talking about what we can do to improve our home. We love our house, but we're never quite satisfied with how it looks. In our first 4 years of living there, we installed 4 different kitchen floors before we found the one we really loved. Every time we change or add something, we're content for a short time and then it's time to do more. We always want to add that extra little something to make it more "us".
Don't get me wrong...it's not that we're not thankful for or happy with our house...we just know there's always something else we can change or add to make it even better.
Our spiritual lives are like that. When we get to the point where we're satisfied with where we are, we need to stop and take a hard look at ourselves. I believe that God wants us to continually work to improve our prayer times, devotional times, service, worship, and every other aspect of our spiritual lives. There is always room to grow.
So it's OK to be dissatisfied with where your are today...that dissatisfaction will lead to a better tomorrow.
Subtractive EQ
Have you ever been mixing for a worship service or band and the more you tweak it, the more it sounds like mud? I sure have.
This week at Yamaha's Audioversity (their new training event), one of the trainers said something that will completely change the way I mix from now on. It's actually quite a simple, yet genius concept.
Think of your mix as a room. As you start adding items (instruments, vocalists, etc.) to your room, they begin to stack on top of each other. Eventualy, your room is so cluttered that you can't hear anything clearly. If you'll move each item a separate space within that room, you'll begin to hear each one individually. So how do you do that? Subtractive EQ.
Listen to each instrument and determine where it belongs dynamically. For instance, a bass guitar naturally lives at the low end of your mix. So, scoop out the high frequencies and that will open up the high end for another instrument. By doing this for each instrument, you'll eventually create a mix in which everything has its own space and you can hear it all clearly.
Try it for yourself. I think you'll be amazed at how removing the right frequencies from an instrument will make it sound so much cleaner.
What’s For Breakfast?
I’ve talked with many people over the last couple of years about the effectiveness of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms for individuals, families, churches, and other organizations. Some have taken it to heart. Others…not so much.
One of the people with whom I’ve discussed social media is an executive at a marketing and communications firm. His response to Twitter and Facebook is, “I don’t care what people are eating for breakfast.” He doesn’t have time to sort through all of the useless conversation that’s out there. While I understand there is a lot of useless conversation in the social media realm, there are also a lot of people in the social media realm…and that’s where he’s missing the point.
But he’s not the only one who has underestimated a new technology. Take a look at a few quotes:
"This telephone has too many shortcomings to be considered as a means of communication. The device is of inherently no value to us." - Western Union internal memo, 1876
"The phonograph has no commercial value at all." - Thomas Edison, American inventor, 1880s
"Fooling around with alternating current is just a waste of time. Nobody will use it, ever." - Thomas Edison, American inventor, 1889
(Edison often ridiculed the arguments of competitor George Westinghouse for AC power)
"While theoretically and technically television may be feasible, commercially and financially I consider it an impossibility, a development of which we need waste little time dreaming." - Lee DeForest, American radio pioneer and inventor of the vacuum tube, 1926
"Who the h**l wants to hear actors talk?" - H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, maker of silent movies, 1927
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." - Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943
You see, even those who are innovators in their own right (Edison, Warner, Watson) can still get lost in the ever-changing world of technology. Don’t let your vision get blurred by what you’re doing today…keep your focus on what’s coming next and how you can leverage that in your ministry, organization, or personal life.
Unknown
This week I’m attending the Metro Media Ministers Association annual meeting which is in Franklin, TN. This is an amazing group of creative and technical guys who are using media to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Tonight we ate dinner at and toured the Carnton House Plantation near the historic site of the Battle of Franklin. One of the historians gave us a detailed description of the Battle of Franklin and of the McGavock family’s role in the Civil War. Their home (the Carnton House) was used as a field hospital. In fact, several of the rooms still have blood stained floors.
Outside the house, next to their family cemetery, is a 2-acre plot of land that they donated to use as a soldier’s cemetery. Around 1,500 soldiers are buried there.
Now, I’m not one who typically strolls through cemeteries. But tonight I decided to do so. There were rows and rows of small concrete grave markers. Near the center of the cemetery I saw a grave marker that stopped me in my tracks. It said, “This section contains 15 unknown”.
“Unknown”.
These men died in battle, yet they were unknown. They fought for freedom, yet they were unknown. They couldn’t be identified by their appearance...their clothes...their scars...anything. They were “unknown”.
Matthew 7:21-23 says, “"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name? Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you! Depart from Me you lawbreakers!”
“I never knew you!”
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be unknown by the King of Kings, the Creator of the Universe, the Almighty God.
I want Him to know me...for my faithfulness...for my obedience...for my desire to see His kingdom come and His will be done...for my compassion...for my humbleness...for my love....I want Him to know me.
It was sad to see that these men were buried without being identified. But it completely breaks my heart to know that there are so many more out there who are “unknown” to our Savior.
Create
"So God created man in His own image" (Genesis 1:27)
God is a creative God. And He created us in His image...in the image of a creative God. He gave man creativity and He wants us to use that creativity to glorify Himself.
God paints the blue sky with purple and orange at sunset in a brilliant display. He made mountains shoot up from the earth toward the sky and covered them majestically with a blanket of snow. He made creatures in the depths of the sea that are robed in in a spectrum of colors, yet are rarely seen. The birds of the sky sing. The flowers of the field display His splendor. God's rain turns the dry earth into a beautiful palette of green and yellow and purple and blue and pink and...and...and...
God is creative. He made you and me to be creative. Go create today for His glory!
Read This Later
I’ve been wanting to blog about this for a while, but I’ve kept putting it off until later. I guess later is here.
Procrastination. Now I’m not gonna preach at you because I’m just as guilty as you are. But I do want to talk about procrastinating in the production process.
“Pre-production, pre-production, pre-production” was the motto that James Ruddy drilled into our heads in a video production course at The Maine Media Workshops several years ago. I’ve shot and edited countless videos since then and his motto still holds true. The videos that I’ve taken the time to do the pre-production work for almost always turn out better.
You see, video production is typically deadline driven. The video needs to be done for a worship service or a banquet or as promo for an event..there’s always a deadline. When we put off the pre-production work, it usually ends up getting cut out of the process and we jump right into filming. When we do that, we miss the opportunity to think through the hundreds of details that we’ll need while we’re filming...and our filming suffers because of it.
So do yourself a favor...don’t procrastinate on your productions...the results will be worth the extra time and effort.
By the way, just in case you’re wondering - I’m gonna add a blog picture later.
First Media
First Media serves alongside all the ministries of First Baptist Hendersonville to provide technical and creative support for worship services, special events, video & audio production, bulletins, print & web design and much, much more!
It’s our desire to provide people with opportunities to serve in an exciting ministry, to use technology and creativity to share God’s message of hope, and to encourage First Media volunteers to be involved in other ministries at First Baptist Church and in our community.
If you’re looking for a place to get plugged in, First Media may be the answer!
Technology is a Tool. Nothing More…Nothing Less
Online programs provide opportunities for students to receive a college education who might not otherwise be able to do so because of their location, available time or other circumstances. Universities can offer courses to people anywhere through technology. This has implications for military personnel, those who travel for work, live in isolated areas, etc. Online courses provide convenience to students with busy schedules. Most students today find themselves juggling their education, families, jobs, friends and other obligations. Online courses offer ultimate flexibility to those who need it. E-learning can also be a continuation of the classroom experience through hybrid courses. Professors can use technology to extend their instruction to students off-campus. This provides students with the best of both worlds. They will have the direct influence of their professors in the classroom while maintaining a more flexible class schedule.
E-learning is not a one-size-fits-all solution. No two students are the same. They each come from different backgrounds and have different experiences and expectations. They also have different learning styles. Visual learners will not benefit from a lecture as much as an audible learner will. Audible learners will not thrive in the science lab as well as a kinesthetic learner. While every learner may not flourish in every setting, e-learning courses can provide elements of each style that will benefit all learners. Videos, audio lectures, and hands-on projects can all be incorporated into online courses to help engage students in the educational process. Technology allows for great flexibility to incorporate traditional and non-traditional instructional methods into online courses. The opportunities available to students are only limited by the imaginations of the instructors.
Some would argue that quality of instruction suffers in e-learning courses. I do not agree. In my experience, the quality of online instruction can be on par or even surpass that of a traditional classroom setting. Students participating in online courses find the online discussions to be a valuable learning tool. Unlike discussion in a classroom, students can review the discussion as often as needed to refresh their memory on a particular topic in an online course. Many people feel more comfortable sharing in an online discussion than they would in a classroom. Online courses allow students to access the instructor’s lessons, syllabus and class assignments through the course management system 24 hours a day. E-learning can also enhance the learning experience for students with disabilities or other limitations.
While online learning programs can greatly benefit the educational experience for students and teachers, they can also frustrate them. Choosing the right course management system is essential. The course management system will be the foundation of the online learning program. Instructors will use it to build and deliver their course content. Students will use it to participate in online courses. Administrators will use it to track the progress of students and instructors. If any of these groups are frustrated with the system, others will likely be frustrated, as well.
Not only is the selection of the course management system essential, the administration of it is equally as important. Just as a tool is only as good as the skills of the person using it, the technology will only be as good as the skills of the team administering it. The key to administering well is training well. All who use the course management system should be thoroughly trained on usage of the system from their perspective — instructor, student, administrator, etc. Only then will the delivery and participation of online courses be successful.
Not only must the system be built on quality technology, it must deliver quality content. E-learning courses will only be effective if the material being taught through them provides the educational experience students are seeking. The methods and content of each course must be carefully designed to meet the requirements of the university and the expectations of the end users — the students themselves. This will require much collaboration between the Distance Learning team and the instructors. Together, we will be able to provide students with a positive experience that will benefit them for years to come.
Just as Gutenberg’s mechanical movable type press changed the way people accessed information in the 15th century, the smartphone is doing the same thing in the 21st century. People today have more information available to them than ever before and it is literally at their fingertips. I believe it is imperative that smartphones and tablets be considered when developing online learning systems. But we cannot stop there. We need to be looking ahead five or even ten years into the future to leverage emerging technologies for education. Staying on the forefront of technology will draw students to the online programs offered by universities and will prepare them for careers in an increasingly technological world.
Technology is a tool. Nothing more…nothing less.