NOT LONG AGO, ADDING A VIDEO system to a facility was somewhat of a luxury investment. Most of our congregation attended services each Sunday, being able to hear the message in-person. But, as we know, life has a way of changing. We suddenly have had to adapt to a new normal and investing in a video system so that the services can be streamed to the congregation has become a necessity.

When the new restrictions were put in place, many facilities hurriedly put together a streaming solution to get the word out, hoping to return to normal soon. While today, some number of the congregation can return to in-person services, there remains a large factor that are still unable to join so we must continue to offer our message virtually.

And now that the initial rush to install a solution to share our worship service is over, many facilities are asking how they can improve the quality of the video that they are creating. Often, the priority in the upgrade was to get the best video system installed with the money that was available. Supporting systems that would help to ensure a quality image and professional presentation were often overlooked or put on hold until more funding was available. For many facilities that time is here, and they are looking for guidance and solutions.

While there have been articles written about lighting for video in the past, this version is intended to be a broad overview that is not exceedingly technical – one that might offer some generic direction in how a facility may approach adding a new system or supplement existing equipment so that they can ensure that their message is given and received in the best light possible (pun intended!). Because, as we know, not all congregations are blessed to have a dedicated staff of technicians that can, or have already, implemented the changes and improvements that may be needed.

Elation’s KL Panel

 

The first thing that we will want to discuss when considering lighting in a video application is the benefits and limitations that a camera system provides. Camera technology is constantly improving. The sensors that are being used today are much more advanced than they ever have been. Yet, they are still not nearly as evolved as the image processing that we have in our eyes and optical system.

One of key differences relevant to our topic is the ability that we have to distinguish and process variances in levels of brightness or intensity of illumination between two objects in our field of vision. Our eyes have a broad dynamic range, and that allows us to process and clearly visualise two objects in great definition, even if one is lit brightly and the other is in shadow. We will still perceive the difference in illumination, but we are able to see a high level of detail in both objects. Camera sensors do not have this capability. They can only see one of the two images clearly as the exposure setting is adjusted accordingly by the operator to render the desired object in its relative brightness level. When adjusting to capture the brightest object correctly, the dim object may turn to a simple shadow.

 

Adjust the settings to expose the dim object correctly and the bright object will be blown out and distorted. And when trying to adjust the settings to the middle of that range, neither object will look appropriate. So, when considering the lighting for your space, you will want to ensure to carefully balance the illumination level across the entire space that you may want to cover with your camera system, whether that be just the pastor or the entire chancel area. There are a few elements that we may need to contend with when setting the appropriate lighting for the sanctuary.

If the space has windows that allow natural lighting to enter, we need to take that into account. Does the lighting hit the area we need to cover with our camera shot? If it does, does the lighting we have set in that area evenly blend with the added brightness of the natural light? If you are unable to neutralise the sunlight hitting unwanted areas of the chancel, you will want to look at covering the windows with shades or fabric. It doesn’t have to be to a level to black out all light from entering, but it should be enough to reduce the added intensity from the light bleed. You could also look into fabric that will diffuse the light more than block it.

Four-point lighting diagram

So instead of fighting to cancel the added brightness, use it to your advantage and let it be diffused across the sanctuary. You will still need to evaluate how the added intensity appears in the area of your camera’s focus, but it may be easier to contend with once softened by the fabric. You will also need to consider other non-natural light sources you may have present in your camera’s view.

One main source would be any video displays, such as LED videowalls or monitors – all of these devices add additional light to the space. When those types of displays are located onstage, you will want to control the brightness level that they are set to so that they do not become overexposed on the camera or create any unwanted light bleed onto the subjects of focus.

One display type that can be negatively affected by a lighting system is a projection screen. Any light bleed that is allowed on the screen can cause the image to become washed out.

Also, if the general area lighting is set too brightly, the contrast in intensity between the subject in focus and the image onscreen can make the image indiscernible. You will want to make sure to set a balance between the sources you can control to ensure all objects are being presented to the camera at a similar illumination level.

Another advantage that our eyes allow us over a camera is the ability to distinguish an object’s colour when presented in different colour temperatures of light. Colour temperature refers to how “warm” or “cool” the light is that a source creates. Standard incandescent light bulbs create a warm light, while the sun or daylight is a cool light. A camera has to be told what colour temperature it should be set to, and, even then, all of the lighting within the camera’s field of view needs to match that set point. Incorrectly setting a colour temperature can make objects look too blue, or orange, depending on the chosen setting and light provided.

We also need to make sure that all of the light sources covering an area are of the same temperature. Having two different sources will cause issues with the camera’s colour recognition as well. Again, we need to look at what sources we have in our control and make sure they all match. If we have windows that allow daylight to hit the chancel, we will want to make sure all of our added lighting is also set or corrected to a daylight colour temperature. If that isn’t possible and the lighting system in your facility features warm light sources, we may want to have the windows covered continuity affect our colour clarity, but the quality of the light our fixtures create will as well. To ensure that we are properly rendering the colour of the objects our lighting fixtures illuminate, we will want to select fixtures with high CRI or TM-30 measurements. In essence, the CRI and TM-30 measurements detail how accurately a light source renders the colour(s) of an object when illuminated by it. The CRI rating is scored on a scale of 100, the higher the rating, the better the colour accuracy. While TM-30 is a better measurement for LED light sources, it has not been fully adapted by all manufacturers, so we often need to rely on CRI measurements instead.

When selecting lighting fixtures you plan to use on-camera, a CRI of over 90 is the minimum score you should consider. Using a fixture with a lower score won’t give a horrible result but the fixture may just give some false shading to certain hues that you will need to adjust to.

Something that often comes up when setting up for video capture is the lack of depth or variance between the subject and the background. There are a few methods that we can use to help with this problem, but often the best result occurs when multiple techniques are used. One option for creating depth is to ensure that you add back or top light to your area of focus. What this lighting position does is create a frame or rim of light around a subject. Adding in that contrast will help to define the subject’s frame and enhance the variance between their structure and details in the background.

Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida