We talk a lot about getting the live stream sounding better on the podcast and on the YouTube channel, but this time I actually want to talk about how to get it looking better.
When it comes to the visuals, it's lighting that's everything, so Jake is here to share some of his best lighting tips!
You don't want your camera having to make up light within its sensor, that's known as ISO or Gain. That's what is gonna make it really grainy and nasty. So you wanna provide sufficient lighting for your video cameras.
So you may need to do an assessment (aside from thinking about our live stream), and look at how your lighting design looks in the room right now. I think some churches will be surprised to find that it's not very good. If you can't see everyone really clearly in the room, the livestream is just going to emphasize that.
Make sure you have a good key light or front light. So I usually have a key light that's like, 45 degrees kind of up, and kind of almost 45 degrees from the side of me. Ideally, I'd have a fill light on the other side just to not look so dramatic, and be a bit more evenly lit.
Sometimes you want more of that depth though. Having shadows on one side of the face can look cool. It's also great to have some sort of back lighting that can kind of help separate your subject from the background. Color LED lights are great for that.
If you have color LED lights in your church's sanctuary, you shouldn't be front lighting your subjects with that. You want to make sure your skin tones look natural. So you a natural light and make sure your camera is white balanced properly.
So my favorite fixtures specifically for front lighting are ellipsoidal spotlights. They're great because you can really adjust the beam angle to make sure they aren't washing onto a part of the stage that you don't want them to.
Another great option are Fresnels. They are a blend between par can and ellipsoidal, so you can adjust their beam angle. But ellipsoidal fixtures give you the most adjustability.
Kade's favorite front light: Chauvet DJ EVE F-50Z
Jake has a great video explaining this all in great detail. Be sure to check it out here.
This is an excerpt from the Collaborate Worship podcast. Watch or listen to the full episode here:
Ep 32: Tips for a Better Looking Live Stream ft. Jake Gosselin
Jake is the creator of Churchfront where he regularly posts free content on his blog, Youtube Channel, and podcast to help you lead Gospel-centered, engaging, and tech-savvy worship gatherings.
