Church Video Production & Editing Tips
There are many reasons people will shoot a video in a church, not least of all because it’s a special occasion, but there are other reasons too, like streaming live services to the church’s congregation, or the church itself is a setting for your film. Regardless of what you’re shooting in a church for, there are many things that you need to be aware of, when setting up your shots, filming your subjects and when editing the footage. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of church video production and editing tips to help you if and when you use a church as part of your film.
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Be Mindful Of The Icons
First and foremost, remember that you’re in a church. There will be icons, statues, figurines, and many decorative vases, flowers, and delicate artworks around the building. Be mindful of them, because if you’re not careful, you will knock over a priceless piece of art, even if they’re just a bunch of flowers. Often, volunteers, congregation members and even the church’s staff will have set up those decorations, mostly for worship purposes.
In any case, use a few extra runners or crew members to help you in case you’re using a moving shot. That way, you won’t knock over a piece of artwork, they can guide you around those valuable pieces, and stop you, if you’re getting too close to them. Not only that, make sure you rehearse and plan out your shots before the day of the shoot. If you’re filming a special occasion, like a wedding, attend the rehearsals, when the bride and groom are being walked through the ceremony, so you know where to set up your equipment. That way, you can avoid knocking over the decorations, and still get the shot you need.
Cooperate with Church Officials
As with any public gathering spaces, there are rules you need to follow. Not only that, but churches are considered sacred spaces, so you need to make sure you don’t do anything that can be considered sacrilegious. Sometimes those who run the church might appoint officials, to help guide your film shoot, so you don’t overstep your boundaries. If that is the case, consider their advice, and listen to them. They know what to do, and how you can avoid disrespecting any congregation members, if there are any present, during your shoot.
Plan Ahead
For most on-location shoots, you’ll need to plan ahead, and shooting in a church is no different. If you need the church to be empty, while you’re shooting, then you need to contact its staff members, so they know, negotiate the use of their church with them, and whether it is feasible to shoot, for an entire day, week, or month. Be sure you don’t disrupt their schedules, as some churches might not be flexible, such as with Catholic churches. There are certain masses and days of obligation that they cannot and will not miss out on. So, be prepared to negotiate and rearrange the days and times of your shoot.
Noise Travels
If you’re shooting for a special occasion, like a wedding, remember that in every church, noise travels easily. The acoustics of a church make it so that a priest can still be heard, even if they’re not wearing a microphone. So, if you’re shuffling around or if you’re taking photos, you might disturb those who are attending the ceremony. Make sure that when you’re moving about or taking photos, you do so, as discreetly as possible. Try not to draw attention to yourself, and be as quiet as possible, if not for the sake of the ceremony, then because you’re in a sacred space. Remember, churches are places of worship and require a good deal of respect, so be as quiet as you possibly can.
Use Microphones
As mentioned before, churches are built so that the priest’s voice can be amplified, for those congregation members at the back of the church. Use recording microphones when filming, so that the echo, and the murmuring effect that your camera’s footage captures won’t affect your video’s final edit. If you don’t, then it will be very difficult to hear what the priest is saying, or what your actors are saying, when you put it through postproduction. You’ll need specialised equipment to separate the audio from the echo, and even then, it still won’t be very clear. So, make sure that whomever you’re filming, they have microphones on them. It’ll save you time and effort when you’re editing your videos.
Use The Right Software
Finally, when you’re editing your video, remember to use the right video editing software. Depending on what type of video you’re making, you’ll need specialist equipment, especially if you’re using special animations, text, and visual effects. Not every video editing software can accommodate these effects, and while it might seem useful to use online editing software, they are not always well equipped for a specialised video.
For example, if you’re editing a themed wedding video, you don’t want to use any available visual template, you’ll need to create and imitate the theme of the wedding. Thus, you’ll need software technology like Adobe After Effects, or Adobe Animate. So, make sure you have the right applications and software to edit your videos.
Be Smart, Use Professionals
If in doubt, always trust professional advice. Whether it’s from the church officials themselves, or if you’re hiring a video production crew, trust their opinions and observations, because they’ve all had some experience when it comes to filming in churches, even if it’s for a wedding highlights video. Listen to what they have to say so that when your footage hits the editor’s desk, it’ll be easier to edit. There won’t be any need to fix anything, especially the audio, because you’ve come well prepared.
Here at Cut Pro Media, we can ensure that your footage and audio recordings will definitely be put to good use and that you walk away with the best video edit your footage and recordings can offer. And even if you don’t have audio recordings, we will do our very best to edit your footage, so that you can walk out with a high-quality video edit.
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