Flatirons Community Church is a non-denominational megachurch in Colorado that serves nearly 20,000 people over multiple campuses. With five physical campuses and two online services (for a total of 13 church services each week), Flatirons has made some recent enhancements to their live church experience to include SKAARHOJ’s RCP and tally systems together with their RED KOMODOS cameras for a totally unique, cinematic church experience.

I sat down with Grant Theophilus, National Sales Manager for SKAARHOJ Inc. for the Americas, APAC, and Australia to ask him about Flatirons and its use of this cutting-edge technology.

What SKAARHOJ products does this Flatirons use for their cinematic church experience?

Flatirons uses SKAARHOJ RCP Pro and SKAARHOJ Tally Lights + Tally Box

Here’s a little information about the SKAARHOJ RCP Pro

The RCP Pro is SKAARHOJ’s most advanced camera shading controller. It features a brand-new joystick with a built-in Tally Light and OLED Screen, to display Iris values on the fly. It also includes a large, tilted screen for a perfect viewing angle. 

The RCP Pro works well for remote production. Just plug the controller into your existing IP network, via the built-in IP connection. The RCP Pro is also PoE as well. 

The RCP Pro is a perfect solution to shade cameras from major manufacturers, such as RED, Canon, ARRI, and Lumix, among several others. The RCP Pro comes with Blue Pill Inside. Blue Pill is SKAARHOJs new platform that further expands the controlling capabilities of SKAARHOJ products.

Here’s some info on the SKAARHOJ Tally System, which is a great add-on for a church’s live video production.

The tally light has two LEDs – one facing the camera operator and the big one facing the presenter. The operator LED has both program and preview tally while the presenter LED is just for the program. The two switches on the tally light enable the operator to turn on/off the main LED and dim the operator LED. The Tally Box System handles up to eight tally lights, connecting either directly via the box, or by daisy chain running from tally light to tally light.

What is an advanced camera shading controller?

An advanced camera shading controller is a device that allows for precise control over the shading and exposure of a camera. This type of controller is commonly used in film and television production to ensure consistent and high-quality imagery.

The controller typically has a variety of manual and automatic controls that allow for adjustments to be made to the camera’s settings in real time. This can include adjustments to the iris, shutter speed, and gain, as well as the ability to apply custom looks or color grading to the image.

In addition to its manual controls, an advanced camera shading controller may also feature advanced algorithms and processing capabilities that enable it to analyze the image and make automatic adjustments based on the lighting conditions and other factors. This can help to ensure that the image is properly exposed and that the colors are accurately reproduced.

Overall, an advanced camera shading controller can be a valuable tool for anyone who is looking to produce high-quality video or film content. Its ability to provide precise control over the camera’s settings can help to ensure that the final product looks as good as possible, regardless of the lighting conditions or other factors that may be present on set.

What is a tally system for video production?

A tally system in video production is a way to indicate to camera operators, on-air talent, and other crew members which camera is currently “live” or on air, and which camera is next in line to go live.

The tally system typically involves the use of lights that are attached to each camera and are visible to the crew members on set. When a camera is live, the light on that camera will be illuminated, while the lights on the other cameras will be turned off. This helps to ensure that everyone on set is aware of which camera is currently in use, and can react accordingly.

In addition to indicating which camera is live, some tally systems may also provide information about the camera’s status, such as whether it is recording or in standby mode. This can be useful for ensuring that all of the cameras are properly set up and ready to go before the shoot begins.

Tally systems are commonly used in multi-camera productions, such as television shows, live events, and concerts. They can help to ensure that the crew members are all on the same page, and can react quickly to changes in production.

Overall, a tally system is an important tool for ensuring that video production runs smoothly and efficiently.

What unique challenges did this integration project have to enhance their cinematic church experience?

Flatirons wanted to use RED KOMODOS for their live production, something practically no other churches are using. They needed an RCP to shade the camera in a live environment, and SKAARHOJs RCP Pro allowed them to do so. SKAARHOJ is currently the only RCP that can shade the RED KOMODO. 

What opportunities and benefits have Flatirons Community Church experienced after installation? 

Being able to use RED KOMODOS during their live production allowed for a more cinematic feel in their live productions. The SKAARHOJ Tally System allowed for the RED cameras to have a tally system, along with being able to shade them with the RCP Pro. The SKAARHOJ + RED Integration really brings what is typically a cinematic camera to the live production space and amplifies the quality of any broadcast. 

While this project was large in scale and cost, SKAARHOJ works with many smaller churches for projects attainable on a reasonable budget.

Overall, Flatirons was able to achieve a large-scale cinematic experience for their church-goers in a way that impacts their ministry and church culture.

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Lauren Hunter

Lauren Hunter assists organizations in reaching their goals through her unique blend of freelance writing, content marketing, SEO, and public relations consulting and coaching. She founded ChurchTechToday.com in 2007 and has many years of expertise in the church tech and software space. She is also a musician and self-published author of two books. She loves exploring the big picture of the journey we are all on together. Lauren is married to her high school sweetheart, and they live in Northern California with their four teens. She can be found online at https://laurenhunter.net.