Song Lyrics in Lower 3rd

[Hatmaker]

What programs and patches are working solutions for you in Live church environments?

[jsanfilippo]

We use Easyworship set to a lower third. White text, black shadow, 100% blue bg, and run it on the VT computer. I have 2 dual graphics cards, so plenty of desktop space for VT and for Easyworship.

Then I run VTCapture and select the Easyworship program screen, and chromakey it with VTCapture. I can then select it as a DSK source and overlay it.

I've found that transitions in Easyworship do not key out cleanly. Use only cuts.

We are having a problem with our DSK flickering now, but it's not related to using VTCapture or easyworship. It's a driver or installation issue. :P

[Keith Gandy]

Our production flow incorporates Photoshop for lower thirds stills, After Effects for moving lower thirds which produces alpha channels in the rtv.

In the live environment we strictly use multiple ddr's - one is a DownStreamKey, a second is for video play. Our SX-8 allows us to overlay over the switched cameras - we implement from three to four cameras, depending on the format of the service.

We prefer to limit our production to the VT4 in the live environment, it is easier for engineers to learn and implement on customized double monitor format.

One of the biggest helps was implementing the ShuttlePro 2 with custom VT scripting. That allows us to control the actions of the DDRs, looping toggle, Cue in, Takes, etc.

A couple of custom scripts on Photoshop allow us to quickly produce our stills in batch.

If any of those custom scripts are of interest, drop me a message.

[Peter pan]

We use a 2nd computer, running worshipHim with powerpoint-slides (lyrics in a white colored font, black outline, blue background) and vga-out (via network)

pro: fonts are very sharp (sharper than if you use ivga via dsk which gives you only videoresolution), 1024x768

cons: no fading between the lyric-slides possible

@Keith: Could you describe your use of ShuttlePro 2 a little bit more? what advantage do you see in using the shuttlepro instead of mouse/keyboard?

[Hatmaker]

Keith,
You are talking over my head, but I hope to catch up quickly. Since I don't have an actual VT unit in front of me yet (still waiting for the execs to release the money) I am trying to do this in my head as much as possible. Can you describe your ddr's for me as well as the purpose of the scripts?

[Keith Gandy]

Peter: The ShuttlePro 2 is a USB attached module that gives you 15 buttons (I think it is 15) that can be assigned to do redundant tasks. After changing the VTscripts to do certain tasks in the ddr that were not originally one key assignments: cue video, highlight selection rather than project, turn on loop, place on pause - that is one keystroke with a script.

Another button is assigned to take on the switcher, another moves up the list in the ddr, another down the list in the ddr. Other buttons do the same in a second ddr.

The advantage is that while our director is coordination cameras and their cuts, a second person can use the ShuttlePro 2 and coordinate overlays fully independent of the director. That frees up the director to concentrate on speaking with camera personel.

By using the DDRs, we have full downstream key functions, overlay over video with alpha and can play looping videos behind the song texts, should we choose.

Hatmaker: Here is our general routine: One DDR contains the overlays that will be used downstream. We prepare them in advance with Adobe Photoshop if they are stills, and either VT4 or After Effects 6.5 if it is a moving video. (After Effects allows us to make a rtv with an alpha channel.)

The second DDR has background videos and VT4 Edit files. Many of our videos are in fact VT4 Projects that have never been rendered and still give movement - but save a great amount of space.

A version that I did for our video guys under VT3 can be view at:
http://www.newtek.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=19893&d=1113922531
The modules were put into a solid unit so that everything is initialized at the same time, has the same layout and all the "engineers" have a common unit to run. In the meantime we are now using a VT4 also, but have moved to a double monitor unit, giving us just a little more room for modules.

All the layout is done in a custom script. As you can tell, ours is in German, but the principle is still the same.

If you need tutorials or even the scripts, just say the word.

[Safe Harbor]

There are several software tools available for TriCaster and VT.

Young Monkey makes Template Maker, which allows you to create custom text overlays and you aren't restricted to the lower third. They also have several other useful toolkits for TriCaster. See them all here: http://www.sharbor.com/vendors/YOU.html

Also, DiscreetFX has a set of transitions and wipes, including one called ReligiousFX that is very popular with churches. http://www.sharbor.com/vendors/DFX.html

[Mascoutan593]

we only use cuts for our overlay so the flickering in transitions will not hurt us any. i am wondering if you can use the VTcapture to pull words from a second computer running MediaShout setup about the same as you have easyworship setup, but using iVGA? this would solve our greatest problem!

Then I run VTCapture and select the Easyworship program screen, and chromakey it with VTCapture. I can then select it as a DSK source and overlay it.

[colemab]

Have anyone tried the Songshow Plus software with the video toaster? Will the Showshow scriptues & graphics work with the Toaster during live productions?

[mattr]

I use SongShow Plus every Sunday, but I use the same method jsanfilippo does. In this case, there is no issue of compatibility with different software. It could be powerpoint, easyworship, mediashout or anything else since VT just captures the screen that songshow uses to display the lyrics.

[appsyscons]

We (First Alliance Church of Port Charlotte, FL) also use SongShowPluss with VGA capture, black background which is keyed out, white letters with blue shaded outline. Works great.