Installation of the VariCam LTs has allowed the Church at BattleCreek to present a more immersive, cinematic experience to its congregants
The Church at BattleCreek, the broadcast campus for a vibrant and dynamic ministry that comprises five additional Tulsa-area locations, as well as a satellite church in DuPage, IL, has invested in Panasonic VariCam LT 4K cinema camcorders to support live video production of its Sunday services. According to Technical Arts Director Josh Stephens, the installation of the VariCam LTs several months ago has allowed the Church at BattleCreek not only to upgrade to HD (and ultimately 4K)
production, but also to present a more immersive, cinematic experience to its congregants.
The sermons of Pastor Alex Himaya delivered during 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services at the Church at BattleCreek are now broadcast live to the other Tulsa-based churches (the Church at Downtown, the Church at Midtown, the Church at Owasso, the Church at South Tulsa and the Church at Jenks), as well as to the Church at DuPage. At the Church at BattleCreek, the entire service is displayed on LED walls; the service in its entirety is also broadcast in realtime on Facebook Live and the church's website http://www.thechurch.at/watch-live.
Stephens said that, with the church's previous SD cameras aging out, what he gained with the VariCam LTs was an immediate upgrade path to 4K/HD, “amazing” picture quality and, importantly, the ability to effortlessly frame drop from 59.94 to 24fps during the services (with 59.94 used to give a clean, broadcast look to the pastor's sermons, and 24fps to lend a filmic look to the performance-based aspects of the worship experience). Two of the VariCam LTs are placed on fixed tripods front and center in the sanctuary for tight and wide shots, a third LT sits on a tripod house left for a different angle, and a fourth camera roams on the right side of the space. The cameras are outfitted with Fujinon 20-120mm T3.5 Cabrio wide-to-telephoto zoom or Fujinon ZK85-300mm T2.9-T4.0 cine-style lenses with ENG-type controls.
“I like having the dual 800/5000 ISOs that address the range of lighting between the stage and the rest of the sanctuary,” Stephens noted. “Also, operating the VariCam LT is quite intuitive. We have a staff of 43 rotating volunteers, and with a bare minimum of training, the camera operators caught on quickly. The Focus Assist functionality is terrific. Focus is simply not an issue, which wasn't the case previously.”
For more information about the Church at BattleCreek, visit http://www.thechurch.at/.
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About the VariCam LT
The VariCam LT camcorder inherits the same super 35mm sensor and superb imaging capabilities that distinguish the award-winning VariCam 35, but with significant reductions in size, weight and price. Incorporating this identical imaging “DNA” in a more compact rendition, the VariCam LT delivers 14+ stops of dynamic range with V-Log, and the esteemed cinematic VariCam image quality and color science, as well as the VariCam 35's breakout innovation, dual native ISOs of 800/5000. Weighing just under six pounds and having superior capability to similar sized cameras, the VariCam LT is the ideal camera for handheld, SteadiCam, jib, crane, drone, gimbal and overall cinema verité work. The VariCam LT offers a host of new features including an EF lens mount, hot swappable batteries, IR shooting capability, a 23.98 PsF output, cinema style file naming, and image presets such as scene files. For more information about Panasonic VariCam cinema and high-speed cameras, visit us.panasonic.com/varicam
About Panasonic Media Entertainment Company
Panasonic Media Entertainment Company specializes in creating technology solutions for the entertainment, integrated resorts, sports, and professional AV markets including house of worship, education, broadcast and cinema. The company’s customized systems and technologies incorporate high-performance projectors and professional displays; large screen LED video displays; broadcast, cinema and pro video equipment; professional audio systems, and energy-saving lighting equipment. A division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, Panasonic Media Entertainment Company is based in Newark, NJ, with offices in Denver, CO; Los Angeles, CA; Orlando, FL; and Coppel, TX.
About Panasonic Corporation of North America
Newark, NJ-based Panasonic Corporation of North America is a leading technology partner to businesses, government agencies and consumers across the region. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Corporation, and leverages its strengths in immersive entertainment, sustainable energy, automated supply chains and connected mobility to provide integrated solutions for B2B customers. Panasonic was featured in Fortune Magazine’s 2016 ranking of 50 companies that are changing the world and doing well by doing good. Specifically cited were its smart and sustainable technologies, including its contributions to smart cities and the electric vehicle revolution. Learn more about Panasonic’s ideas and innovations at www.PanasonicMovesUs.com.