Even the most confident church leaders sometimes don’t know where to start when it comes to setting up a streaming church service. While this article isn’t a comprehensive guide, it contains some really useful general information to get you started:
Choose a camera
There are many different kinds of cameras to choose from, when it comes to church live streaming – DSLRs, webcams, actions camera, camcorders, etc. However, you might also find cameras which are specifically marketed as “live streaming cameras”, so those are a great choice too for your streaming church service.
The vast majority of pro-photographers use a DSLR camera because they’re build with high-quality photo, video and audio in mind.
Camcorders are best for shooting video but they can certainly be used for church live streaming as well – just make sure your camcorder has Wi-Fi and HDMI capabilities.
A webcam may not be the most ideal choice as you’ll need to attach it to something while you deliver the sermon – such as your laptop. It may not offer viewers the best perspective, but then again, it is also the cheapest option.
Action cameras can be an expensive option, and you probably don’t need them, unless you move around too much in your house of worship during a session.
Use the right lighting
If you’re someone who’s new to shooting video and especially church live streaming, then it can be hard to understand the difference between what you actually see and what viewers see through the camera. For instance, you might see yourself in perfect light with a medium-intensity lamp on either side, but the camera might make it out as a dim and low-lit scene – which means viewers may be squinting to make out your shape.
Try this to achieve the best possible lighting: the three-point lighting method, where there will be a key light, a fill light and a backlight.
The backlight along with the key and fill lights will be placed in front of you at 45° angles, which drastically improve the way a camera picks up light. Experiment with the brightness of the light to ensure everything looks just right.
Other equipment you may need to consider
A single microphone on your camera is adequate if there’s just one speaker in your streaming church service with a small-medium choir in the background.
If not, you may want to invest in special audio equipment and microphones, and have a professional set it up for you.
Static video is no longer enough in today’s digital age. Church live streaming and interacting with congregants online, while keeping communities connected, are all essentials for your house of worship. Choosing the right streaming church service is also just as important.
