For those ministries who are blessed to have a video department or at least a camera or two, there is an absolute need for direction. That direction is most often directly related to:
1) Shot selection and everything related to a successful capture of a worship moment and;
2) The destination of the captured images.
Let's talk about the second point first.
Destinations
In worship environments with a seating capacity large enough to require video screens and projectors, the Video Director must think from the perspective of a congregant: what would they want to see in "the moment"?
The technical term for the projected image on the screens is called IMAG, short for "Image MAGnification." The elements of IMAG are the images captured by the camera of subjects on stage, or wherever the focus of attention may be. In a worship setting, this is usually the pastor, minister, musician, praise/worship leader, speaker whoever (or whatever) the ministry puts forward as the intended subject of attention. For those too far from the stage to clearly see without aid, IMAG screens are a necessary asset.
Another destination the Video Director should consider: remote locations, or broadcast destinations. These destinations sometimes include streaming video to a web address, but typically to a television station. When the destination of the video signal is both IMAG and broadcast, the Video Director must think with a dual brain, both from the perspective mentioned above and the perspective of the remote viewer.
A Video Director must be keenly aware of every moment they seek to capture.
Is there a difference?
Indeed.
Most home viewers benefit from seeing audience/congregants reaction to what's happening on stage, but the IMAG viewers on site may not. Each viewer needs a sense of what's happening on stage, but obviously from a different perspective. Feeds to remote viewers must convey a sense of intimacy as close to a congregants as possible, so that the impact of the worship and teaching experience is not lost.
Obviously, the role of the Video Director must direct their crew to project an image with deference to both audiences, where there is a dual destination of that signal. To accomplish this goal, they must oversee the following positions:
1) The TD the Video Technical Director, or "switcher," responsible for switching between video sources of multiple cameras;
2) The Video Engineer, who is responsible for manipulating and balancing the iris of each camera, remotely, from the engineering section of the control room, so that they appear to come from one source;
3) The Character Generator, responsible for typing text to be seen on screen, and;
4) The Broadcast Audio Engineer (although the Video Director should be concerned with all three audio positions - house, monitors, and the broadcast mix, since they affect the quality of the broadcast),who ensures the audio levels are sufficient, balanced and without distortion for the remote audience.
There are other positions directly related to the quality of video reproduction, but these four are the most important for this topic of discussion. As important as the technical aspects of the Video Directors responsibilities are, the creative side is equally important, which leads us to the next topic.
Shot Selection
With all of the above understood, we know a live moment cannot be re-experienced. Therefore, a Video Director must be keenly aware of every moment they seek to capture. That's a tremendous responsibility that should be prepared for well before the cameras and projectors are turned on. And since the Director does not work alone, that preparation must be extended to every member of the video crew.
In the control room, the Video Director "calls the shots," quite literally. In a multi-camera setting you might hear the Video Director calling "Camera one-standby—- GO ONE"... hold that shot Camera 3—- GO THREE." Such are the commands the camera operators must rely on to know what the Director is looking for. Before they hear the command, the camera operator is creatively searching for that "unique and interesting shot" the Video Director might call for - the speaker references a scripture a congregant, in one motion, reaches for her reading glasses while she opens a Bible to read. This moment shows that the speaker has the congregants engaged.
An astute camera person has captured that moment, but moreover, the Video Director has seen the camera focused on the action and calls for the shot. This action could take place at a church in New York, and the viewers may be in Nebraska, but for all points and purposes they are "there" in the moment, because the Video Director took them there.
If the Camera Operator captures the image, it is the responsibility of the Video Director to "call for it" by directing the TD to switch to that camera.
Otherwise, the moment is lost.
Finally, with regard to destination and shot selection, there is preparation and creativity to consider. Nothing beats a crew that is prepared. A good Video Director should ensure that the crew is equipped with the run of the show, shot sheets, and training sufficient for the task. Providing this information and support for the team makes everyone's job easier and instills confidence.
Regarding creativity, the cadence of the shots called should match the rhythm and tempo of the music selections. Another example, with the primary focus being on the speaker or singer on stage in a worship environment, the shots called should reflect the creativity of the camera operators with respect to their hard work of "establishing the shot."
To be clear, the video department is a ministry support position and that support encompasses what the ministry wants projected, as well as the effect it has on the congregants - the tears shed in moments of reflection, the moments of elation during praise and worship are examples of moments a Video Director should strive to reinforce.