4. Technical Director
The Technical Director oversees all things related to executing a successful technical weekend experience (audio, lighting, video, staging, etc.). In some churches, the Technical Director also schedules and develops all of the volunteers in each designated area, while in larger church environments, the individual Video Director or Lighting Director may schedule their own teams.
The church Technical Director is usually seen as a jack-of-all-trades but is often the master of just one. He or she needs to be able to speak the necessary technical language (A/V/L) to each specialist so that the vision and needs of the service are expressed. As challenges arise, the successful Technical Director will often troubleshoot, make repairs, or delegate to his/her team as necessary to remedy the situation immediately.
The following is a suggested list of the basic responsibilities of a Technical Director:
- Be a contributing member to all weekend service planning and evaluation meetings
- Maintain and monitor the condition of all the equipment (audio, lighting, stage, video, rigging) and arrange repairs as needed
- Recruit and develop volunteer teams for audio, lighting, video, and stage
- Supervise and assist with the set and any construction projects
- Possess a working knowledge of stage management
- Serve as a liaison between Worship Arts and other ministries needing A/V/L assistance
- Often oversee staff roles in the individual technical areas such as audio, video, lighting, stage, broadcast, etc.
5. Live/Broadcast Video Director
If you have ever seen a live Video Director in action, it’s similar to watching air traffic control in progress. A successful Live Video Director should be able to monitor multiple screens and watch the switcher all at once. Live Video Directors have experience with a variety of cameras (handheld, stationary, robotic) and also numerous types of screens (front projection, rear projection, environmental, LED, etc.) The successful Live Video Director is a unique blend of technical acumen with creativity. This niche role is typically only required in larger churches with multiple campuses that broadcast their services or have online campuses that need this type of video support.
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6. Video Editor
A Video Editor is someone who takes video that has been captured and fits it all together to create something beautiful and compelling. In many ways, Video Editors are storytellers; it is both art and technical skill combined. Many church Video Editors are also well-trained at shooting film and a very valuable part of the overall video creation process. Successful editors are usually well-versed in the following basic editing software: Adobe Creative Suites, Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, Final Cut, and iMovie. Often, churches hire Video Editors on a contract basis until their budget can support a full-time Video staff member. Churches or ministries who are more content-heavy may need to bring content support in-house sooner than later, so if this is the case for your church, it’s wise to begin budgeting for this type of role as soon as possible.
As your church and creative team [grow] and you are determining the future needs of your creative staff, we hope these insights help you determine the role needed and the best fit for that role.
This article originally appeared here.
