Live Multi-Camera Directing at Northside Christian Church

[@mballew32]

We only have 2 stationary cameras at my church and I still get overwhelmed sometimes. Would love to work up to more cameras. You are all doing a great job!

[@MattMealer]

Thanks! Up to a point, I definitely think having more cameras actually makes things easier...more angles = more options = fewer chances of getting "stuck"

[@marlonwalton8955]

Your video team seems like the know exactly what they're doing

[@benjamin.kelley]

Wow. To even be able to think that fast is crazy. I wish our church was large to have a production like this, this looks so fun to be a part of.

[@MattMealer]

When it's going well it is indeed a ton of fun. One of the most thrilling things I've done, seriously. When it isn't though...yikes...lol

[@giannramirez4820]

This is amazing! You and your team are very talented. Great job! I am a camera operator and video director at Seven San Diego Church. I am looking for more ideas to improve our camera shots. I love the de-focus. I will definitely use that one when I direct my camera operators.

[@MattMealer]

Thanks very much! Good luck!

[@WWPTV]

Impressive! I am blown away!

[@londonjames5914]

6:02 Lead singer forgot the words. LOL! Great video though! Really cool and helpful!

[@MattMealer]

Happens to the best of us

[@LivexTv1]

We love this. Great work!

[@MattMealer]

Thank you!

[@frankservant5754]

These are gold

[@josuelopez-le9up]

Amazing what you do. Would share what communication system do you use.

[@MattMealer]

Thanks! Comms were a fairly typical Telex system -- pretty much standard for live production. I believe everything was hardwired, including the camera positions. Sorry I don't have more details...I last worked here five years ago and wasn't really involved with the installation of that system.

[@josuelopez-le9up]

Matt Mealer thank you! Very helpful!

[@davidgekler]

Great performance video, both camera operation and Director/TD. Good connections between players but what I miss is head-on wide shots of full stage... and connecting the audience. Maybe over shoulders from audience positions? Keep up the excellent work!

[@MattMealer]

The primary purpose of the live production here was IMAG, so despite my personal aesthetic preferences, the number of wide shots you do see here were probably already pushing the bounds of good sense. Actually this was a hybrid of both IMAG and live streaming, so I was a bit hamstrung by being unable to focus on one or the other. Believe me, there would have been MANY more cameras/angles if I had had more creative control and resources at hand. A limited budget, plus a lack of equipment, personnel, and more extensive production infrastructure (i.e. the house switcher could only support the 4 cameras in use here) all worked against that goal. Most crucially, the powers-that-be were opposed to permitting any more cameras in the room that would potentially block audience sight-lines and/or cause the least 'distraction'. To be fair, this particular weekend was a routine church service in a 1600-seat auditorium...I would undoubtedly approach a concert film (for example) much differently. It was a stretch just to get a 4th camera -- and have it onstage, handheld -- for this one weekend. Because it was my last shift directing and I wanted to go out with a bang (lol), I paid to rent the 4th camera out of my own pocket. Was it worth it? Well, I had fun at least ;)

[@Tore_Lund]

How to do voluntary work in your church even more stressful than your day job as an air traffic controller!

[@MattMealer]

We kept the number of lives at stake to a minimum

[@yipeekaye]

Oh god. This is so good

[@Blisoft]

Can and do the Camera Operators talk back to the director? Mainly curious if they signal they are "ready" to the the shot? Amazing work btw

[@MattMealer]

Thank you! Yes, the operators could talk to the director, but that isn't typically done during the "show". For efficiency and clarity in a live situation, communication is generally one-way -- director to crew. I would say it's part of the operators' job description to be ready at any given moment, particularly in a situation like this one, with only four cameras to work with.

[@aguyandhiscomputer]

The job of the cam op is to be ready. It really helps the director time the shot changes with the music. Waiting for shots makes it rough.

[@johnpaulporrelli6208]

Would love to know what gear you are using. live streaming etc is new to me. i am looking around for anyones advice on a good hardware switcher, encoder, etc that can connect all the cameras and still put the words on screen etc

[@MattMealer]

Well this video is close to 5 years old and I'm not really involved in live production anymore...so I'm probably not the best person to offer tech advice in 2020! :) Pretty much all of the gear in this control room is from BlackMagic. We were using an ATEM 2M/E switcher paired with the so-called "broadcast panel" for the TD's use. I'm honestly not too sure of the specifics of what other gear was used for the computers, encoder, streaming, etc. As I said in another comment a few years ago, my interests were/are much more on the artistic/directorial side of live production, and I was TD'ing my own "show" in this video purely by necessity.

[@ngamsanglenhaokip4714]

Dream job🤩🤩

[@daimonHands]

This is great!

[@samirandas6514]

Morning time prayer live,,

[@BishopRugagiredeemedMontreal]

Awesome video...what's the gear you're using to communicate with the camera guys?

[@MattMealer]

Thanks! I haven't worked there in over five years, but at the time, it was a wired ClearCom system connecting the cameras, lighting desk, and control room. We didn't have wireless capability, so we had to use walkies to speak to the stage manager. Not ideal, but it worked ok for this level of production.

[@leopoldwhylie5076]

What Switcher software do you use and also how do you get the Program output to Livestream? You said you use a SDI out but what does that SDI go to and how is it connected to the livestream computer. Thank you in advance for answering.

[@MattMealer]

Well.... I don't have too many details to give on the specifics of the technical setup. I haven't worked for Northside in two years and I was not directly involved with the design of the control room (which dates to early 2014). Honestly, I was a TD by necessity, not by choice -- my interests in live production are more on the artistic/directorial side. The switcher was a BlackMagic ATEM 2M/E paired with the "broadcast panel". As I recall, we used one of the BlackMagic DeckLink cards to run an SDI Program feed from the switcher into the streaming computer (a Mac Mini). More than that, I honestly don't remember!

[@ZTTowell]

What kind of communication system did y'all have?

[@MattMealer]

Unfortunately I don't remember the specifics, though I know we had a blend of Telex and ClearCom equipment, most of which dated back to the early 2000s. We used one channel that was split between myself, the camera operators, and the lighting desk. I had to use a radio to speak to the stage manager and sound mixer, which was always frustrating. But it's been long enough since I worked there that I've forgotten any more details...sorry I can't be more helpful!

[@ZTTowell]

No that's great. I'm going to be starting and leading a media team at my church and the only thing I'm still looking into is a communication system. This video will be helpful for me to show people I'm training what will be expected of them. Thanks!

[@emanuel.s1k]

What switcher do y'all use and how do you project it to the screens in the stage?

[@MattMealer]

It was a Blackmagic ATEM 2 M/E at the time; presumably unchanged as of 2020, though I haven't worked for that church since 2015. As for the infrastructure that sent the image from the switcher to the projectors...uh...you got me. Everything was designed and installed by a 3rd party consultant firm and I had little involvement with the process. My job there was more creative than technical (though obviously I had to punch my own show, FWIW), and I didn't really have the time or inclination to dig into the hardware more than absolutely necessary. Sorry I can't be of more help!

[@moverholt311]

Do you guys use a tally light system? If so, what are you using?

[@TheDES3000]

I'm doing a multi camera production, do you have any tips?

[@MattMealer]

Best advice would be to ensure your crew is well-trained and understands their place in the wider scope of the production. For yourself, assuming you're directing, prepare as much as possible (i.e. learn the music, memorize the rundown, write a shooting script for your own reference, etc.). But also have contingency plans in your head for when things go awry. Perhaps above all, rehearse as much as possible!

[@hezekiahmorales3030]

@@MattMealer 🔥🔥🔥

[@olmosdrums]

I’m so confused! I don’t get what’s happing.

[@aguyandhiscomputer]

What?

[@thechadlife_9619]

What do you guys use for coms.

[@MattMealer]

Please see the other comments as this has been asked and answered several times already

[@leopoldwhylie5076]

what communication system are you using? It seems it's not a push to talk which is what Im looking for.

[@MattMealer]

We used a blend of standard broadcast/theater-style ClearCom and Telex equipment, most of which dated back to the early 2000s. Sorry...I don't remember too much more than that!

[@marlonwalton8955]

What are the guys job behind you?

[@MattMealer]

The guy directly behind me is overseeing the recording and streaming of the service. The guys to my right (frame left) are running graphics/lyrics via ProPresenter -- one for IMAG/streaming, one for the onstage video monitors.

[@marlonwalton8955]

Can I ask more questions if I think of more?

[@MattMealer]

Of course, feel free!

[@marlonwalton8955]

Do you have an email address so I can ask you questions?

[@MattMealer]

Let's keep the discussion here so more people can benefit from the information we're sharing. I'd rather not publish my email address in a KZbin comment! Feel free to comment as often as you'd like.

[@marlonwalton8955]

Ok. Thanks for your help with my video team. Last weekend, as a director, I felt like I had to do too much talking. It seemed like the camera people didn't really understand me. How can I keep the team tight

[@MattMealer]

To be fair, this video features what was my best camera crew at the church. This was my final weekend at Northside, so I stacked the odds in my favor! By the time of this video, we had been working together for over three years. Our other operators (all volunteers) were at different skill levels: some could work very independently, knowing what kind of shots I was looking for at any given time, others needed much more specific direction -- including basic composition, checking focus, etc. The more experienced your operators and the better you communicate with them in advance of your show/service -- show them visual references, rehearse together with a band onstage, talk about your objectives in preproduction meetings -- the easier time you'll have as a director. Unfortunately, there's not really any shortcuts -- you just need time working with the same people over and over.

[@luciaarenas6235]

where are the cameras placed so they are not in the way of the audience and are you gathering the audio from an external mic?

[@MattMealer]

I had three hard cameras (i.e. on sticks) in the house and one handheld onstage for this shoot. One was on the stage right/house left wing, another in the center of the room at the end of an aisle, and the third down low in front of the first row of seats on stage left/house right. The handheld camera stayed in the shadows upstage of the band, and I mostly wanted him to be close and wide on the drums. Major inspiration for camera blocking, composition, and pacing was Beth McCarthy-Miller's directing of Saturday Night Live's musical segments back in the early 2000s -- though obviously we didn't have the luxury of ped cameras and a crane :) Audio was recorded in the control room from a feed sent directly from the FOH console. Unfortunately we didn't have the equipment or personnel available to do a separate 'broadcast' mix.

[@luciaarenas6235]

thank you for the descriptive information, audio was recorded in the control room , that means the band had lav mic on them correct?

[@MattMealer]

Uh...no, the band's vocals were recorded with the mics you see in-shot

[@marlonwalton8955]

Does your church have volunteer camera ops?

[@MattMealer]

Yes, all operators were volunteers

[@marlonwalton8955]

How do you train your team if some people are not as good as others?

[@MattMealer]

That was one of the hardest parts of my job. I was fortunate to work with some very talented amateur operators...but really, some people have "it" and some don't. One of the best ways to learn is simply watching as much live multi-camera TV/Web content as possible. The work of directors like Hamish Hamilton, Louis Horvitz, Allan Kartun, and Beth McCarthy-Miller is great to learn from. On the church side, Church on the Move does excellent work too.

[@marlonwalton8955]

Thanks for answering my questions. I am a video team leader at my church

[@jerryfletcher2384]

Your insight is extremely helpful. Thank you for posting. Newbie Switcher.

[@bawipiang7457]

how do you live stream in HD???

[@MattMealer]

That's a pretty open-ended question...in the case of the above video, we were sending the line cut from our switcher via SDI to a Mac running Livestream.com's streaming service.

[@bawipiang7457]

Matt Mealer ohhh ok. how about the sound? ??

[@MattMealer]

It's a direct feed from the house mixing console. Unfortunately we didn't have the resources or personnel to do a separate broadcast mix. I don't quite remember exactly how the audio was routed into the control room -- I didn't design the system and didn't have much to do with sound. I knew when it was working and when it wasn't!

[@joefoto]

what head sets are you using?

[@MattMealer]

At the time it was nearly all Telex gear...the lighter-weight single-earpiece headsets for the control room and the heavier two-earpiece models for the operators. That may have changed since; I left 6 years ago.

[@joefoto]

@@MattMealer thank you. Are you familiar with Came-tv or ear tech? Both look good but not many true reviews out on KZbin.

[@MattMealer]

@@joefoto Sorry, I haven't heard of those before. I'm not really up-to-date on live multi-camera tech (not that I ever really was to begin with...haha). I've done very little live production in the past 5 years.

[@joefoto]

@@MattMealer ok. Thank you for your response! I appreciate it.