Back

March 20, 2020

How to Pre-Record Your Sunday Service

How to Pre-Record Your Sunday Service—for those with more technical training and background

One of the methods of doing church online is to pre-record your messages. 

We recognize that most churches don’t have access to the same tech as what is listed below. However, you don’t need all of this equipment; you can still make great content with just your smartphone. You can even set up multiple phones for more angles. As for audio, an external microphone would be the best option, but if you don’t have one, use another phone for just the audio recording. Then, you can synchronize the audio with the video in post-production. 

Regardless of what equipment you have available, the basics of pre-recording are the same. We hope this guide can help keep you connected to your church during these times. 

The following is a detailed process of how one church in Slovakia plans, preps, and pre-records their Sunday services.

Pre-Recording

Once the pastor finishes preparing his message, we arrange a day to film as a team. We record two online Sunday services and it takes a full day to edit the final video. For our team, Thursday is the best option, as we also include worship. If you only record the sermon, it’s ok to record it on Saturday afternoon.

Recording

For recording, we get to church an hour in advance, prepare the sound console, prepare a computer for multitrack recording and start setting up the cameras. If you only have access to a single camera, your process can take more time if you desire to have multiple takes or angles for the recording. Then, when the recording starts (we start at 10AM), we first record the sermon and everything that is the spoken word, and then we record the band.

Post-Production

After we record everything, we upload all the videos and audio captured to a computer and organize it by parts of the program and by takes. For post-production, we split the editing with one other team member. We separate the worship from the spoken word, and, when those parts are complete, we edit the whole service together.

Posting

We post our online sermons to our Facebook page, website, and YouTube. We post the video on Facebook and YouTube, and we copy an embed link from YouTube and post it on our website. For both Facebook and YouTube, we schedule the video to post at 9AM as a premiere, so people watching have a live experience. We would suggest to upload and schedule the video the day before the scheduled time, just in case something won’t work.

Here are links to our first video:

Here are links to our second video:

Technical Information on Sound and Video Recording

We have our Behringer X32 digital sound console at church with an X-USB extension card (which comes with the console). We have a USB stick plugged into the board where we record the master output from the board (.wav format). Then, we have the console connected to a computer via USB cable. On one computer, we use a program called Reaper for a multitrack recording of the band. For the spoken word, we record direct input (PreFader) to the USB stick. For the worship band, we record the master output from the console to the USB stick and the multitrack on a computer at the same time.

We use headphones to mix the worship “live” as we are recording, so the master out mix is as good as it can be because we use some effects. This would take a long time to do in Reaper for the multitrack recording. We try to mix the worship so we can use the master out recording and we don’t have to deal with the multitrack recording. The multitrack is just a backup. For the band, we have one or two vocals, acoustic guitar, and an upright piano.

Gear Used:

  • Behringer X32 (sound console)
  • MacBook Pro (multitrack recording)

Microphones:

  • 2xShure SM58 (vocals)
  • Shure SM57 (acoustic guitar)
  • 2xAKG C1000s (upright piano)
  • Audio Technica ATW 3110B (spoken word)
  • D.I.Box (guitar)

Cameras and Lenses:

  • Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4k + 18-135mm
  • Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera + 50mm
  • Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera + 14-42mm
  • Canon 600D + 55-250mm

Specs:

  • Resolution: 1920×1080
  • Codec: Apple ProRes Proxy (H.264 on Canon)
  • Framerate: 25fps

For the video recording, we have 4 cameras and 4 tripods. We set up the cameras from 4 different angles and leave them the same for all of the spoken words, then change it for the band. Before we start recording, we check every camera to make sure it’s in focus, not over or underexposed, and to ensure that all of the cameras have the same settings. When we start recording, we press record on all of the cameras one by one and then we clap, so it’s easier to synchronize all of the cameras and the audio in post-production. We usually do just one take for every spoken word, but, if someone makes a mistake, we do more. For the band, we do at least three takes for every song. The third take is almost always the best.

We edit in Adobe PremierePro, where we import all of the camera angles from the best takes. The program then synchronizes them. Then, we bring the audio from the sound console, synchronize it with the video, and then we start switching cameras. When we don’t like the master output audio from the console, we open the multitrack recording, mix it, render it, and then use it instead of the master output. But, it has to be the audio from the same take the video is from, otherwise, it won’t synchronize with the video. After we finish with the camera switching, we color-grade the footage. When the whole video is done, we render a decent quality output to show others. Then, they say if it’s ok or if they would like to change or add something. If everything is okay, we render a top-quality output and we post it online.

Kateřina Tichá International Team

Related Posts

Read Story

Online Ministry, Stories

Four Years of “Josiah Venture Stories”

It is the human condition to dream. Five years ago, I dreamed of starting a podcast for Josiah Venture. I approached the then-director of the International Team, Kyle Evans, and told him of my idea for a Josiah Venture podcast. He asked, “Who do you imagine hosting this podcast?” After a short pause, I replied, “Um…me?” To which he said, “My thoughts exactly.” I knew this was what God was asking me to do.  The podcast, “Josiah Venture Stories,” was officially launched on April 6th, 2021, roughly a year after this initial conversation. It took a little while to get the ball rolling. I needed time to research the best equipment, come up with the name, decide on the format and structure, and everything else that goes with starting a podcast. I enjoy thinking through the strategy and practical steps for a process, and it’s exciting to see a dream become a plan and a plan become reality. A common statistic in podcasting is that 90% of podcasts don’t publish more than three episodes. Many dreams come crashing to a quick end due to the lack of traction and momentum. Some podcasts fail because there isn’t a clear content strategy, episodes are released sporadically, the quality is poor, or proper marketing and promotion are lacking.  To be in the top 1% of podcasts in the world, you only need to publish 21 episodes. This month, the “Josiah Venture Stories” podcast has published 121 episodes featuring various missionaries, Josiah Venture kids, interns, short-term missions team members, alumni, and more. That is something to celebrate! My favorite part of hosting the podcast is hearing about God’s faithfulness, journeys of faith, and the unlikely stories of how people became missionaries. Multiple responses to the question, “How did you know God was calling you to full-time missions?” start with, “Well, I never thought I would be a missionary.” This proves that we never know what God is going to do with our lives or where the roads of life might lead. God simply asks us to trust him. I have repeatedly asked guests on the podcast, “What message of hope would you give to young people today?” The responses are always insightful and inspirational.   Baška from Slovakia said, “I usually tell them to trust God and his plan. I know it’s really difficult, and it seems easy to say but harder to live, but every time that I trusted God, it was better than I expected. Trusting God gave me so much hope and so much peace.” Mark Krupa, a missionary who has lived in the Czech Republic for 26 years, said, “ I would encourage them to look into the living water. Jesus went around saying, ‘I am living water. Come to me and you won’t thirst again.’ Spiritually, young people are hungry, and Jesus can fill them. I would encourage young people to look into what the secret of Christianity is. Colossians 1:27 says, ‘To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ The secret of Christianity is actually Jesus in you.” Not only does this podcast exist to tell long-form stories of the movement of God among the youth of Central and Eastern Europe, but it also encourages the listener as they hear stories for all ages. If you have listened to the podcast once or to every episode, thank you. Would you please consider, not just listening, but also sharing an episode or two with a friend or on your social media? Another thing that truly goes a long way in the podcasting world is reviews. Do you enjoy our podcast? Help more people discover our podcast by following us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and writing us an honest review. Here’s what people are saying about the podcast: “What a rich podcast—full of encouragement, new insights and perspectives about what God is doing in central and Eastern Europe.” -Ben_Rob_27 “Last summer, I went with a group from my church in Colorado to stay in Albania for a month and help with summer camps. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! One of my favorite parts about this experience was hearing the life stories of the people in charge, how they came to be a part of this amazing organization, and their hearts behind the ministry that they are doing. This podcast gives you an even deeper and wider insight into the organization as a whole. You are able to hear what is truly going on in different countries from those living there. It’s so inspiring as a young adult to hear the ways God is moving through the faithful servants he has called to make an impact on people my age and younger. Thanks for sharing these stories!” -Kiko1170 Thank you for listening, investing in the ministry of Josiah Venture, and hearing the stories of our missionaries.
Read Story

Discipleship, Events, Stories

The Unseen War

Three years of conflict and still no peace. The war in Ukraine has returned to the forefront of the news as world leaders clash in a spin cycle of opinions. Those in the country feel the weight of years of exhausting conflict, with no clear end in sight. But behind the scenes, another battle is raging for the spiritual soul of the nation.  Amidst pain, hardship, and struggle, God is still at work and our JV team of 27 staff are pressing forward to take ground in the fight. During the last weekend of February, they gathered 450 young people from local churches across Ukraine for an innovative “Spring Fest.” Good Bible teaching, powerful worship, and personal testimonies were woven together to point people to the resources they have in Christ. He is the only firm anchor for our souls in the midst of a raging storm. The storm is particularly fierce for these young people. Some of the youth groups meet close enough to the front lines to hear the sound of bombing all day and live with the constant threat of evacuation and displacement.   One youth group from Kharkiv, en route to the fest, had their main youth leader forcefully conscripted into the military. Can you imagine if that happened to a youth group from your church?  Yet, our sovereign God is always working to accomplish his purposes despite the evil and failures of man. In fact, he often uses these unwelcome trials to accelerate his work. Our team is experiencing an unprecedented response to the gospel and a passionate hunger in young people to grow deep in their walks with God. With the exodus of leaders out of the country or into the military, there is a huge need to equip a new generation of leaders, and our training events are packed. Other JV countries are using the crisis to mobilize their young people into mission. Recently, our JV team in Slovakia held a series of events for 250 youth leaders called “Glow and Go.” Their goal was to inspire, mobilize, and energize young leaders into personal transformation and bold outreach.  As a result, 12 Slovaks traveled into war-torn Ukraine to serve at the Spring Fest.  They led worship, organized eight workshops, and served in numerous practical ways. But most of all, they told these young people that they were not forgotten and not alone. More teams from Slovakia and the Czech Republic will be assisting with evangelistic camps. When under pressure from the enemy, the best strategy is forward motion. Thank you for joining us in the spiritual battle for Ukraine.       
Read Story

Evangelism, Stories

When we say “Yes”

Dear Friends, What happens when we say “yes”? Ermal was obsessed with soccer as a child and headed to university in his home country of Albania with the dream to become a famous professional player. He never quite made the top level of performance required and was deeply discouraged. At the same time, he was growing in his relationship with God under the disciplemaking care of a local pastor. Hearing God’s call into ministry, he said “yes” to a major life change and returned to his small village to shepherd a local congregation of just 35 believers. But his passion for young people–⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and for soccer–⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠never left. So, when our JV Albania team approached him four years ago with the invitation to join JV and develop a sports ministry in his church and throughout his valley, he heard the call of God and said “yes.” In just a few years, Ermal had started Edge Soccer teams in six villages with no prior evangelical witness, reaching over 60 young people every week. A part of every practice was a short Bible study, and the young boys were relationally shepherded to faith in Christ. After a time of prayer in early November of 2024, Ermal came to his wife Nertila with an outlandish vision. “I believe God is calling us to share the gospel with 1000 young people before Christmas.” “Are you kidding me?” his wife replied. “I was thinking like a human,” she later shared. “How can we reach 1000 kids in such a short period of time?” “I don’t have any ideas,” Ermal said, “but I think God is calling us.” “I was very challenged,” Nertila reflected later, “and didn’t know how to handle that pressure. But then I said, ‘Here I am God, if you want to use us. Let your will be done.’” Then, out of the blue, a call came from Operation Mobilization, who wanted to send 6 people from Moldova to help with whatever they wanted. Ermal said “yes.” Next, Ermal had an idea to request 1000 Shoebox gift packages from Samaritan’s purse. It was an unusual request, but they said “yes.” He contacted six schools and asked if he could share the story of Jesus at Christmas.  Albania is historically Muslim, and the directors are not allowed to do anything religious in the school building. “Would you be willing to talk to our students outside?” they asked. He said “yes.” It was a simple program. Two songs, a 15-minute message about Jesus, and heartfelt testimonies from the Moldovans. And, of course, some shoebox gifts. But the students were very open, and many asked to hear more about Jesus. Others gave their addresses and wanted to join the youth activities. The director of the largest school is now meeting regularly with Ermal for Bible study.  When Christmas came, they counted the numbers and realized that over 1000 young people had heard a clear gospel message in just a few short weeks. A simple “yes” to the call of God brought miraculous fruit. This month, you also said “yes” through your gifts and prayers. Thank you.