Volunteer Handbook FINAL

Contents

Contents ...... 1 Introduction ...... 2 HTB Vision ...... 4 Production Values ...... 5 Team Expectations – Spiritual ...... 7 Team Expectations - Practical ...... 8 Venue Call Times ...... 10 Staff & Volunteer Structure ...... 13 Job Positions Summary ...... 14 Training Process ...... 18 Most Common Live Production Terms ...... 21

Production Volunteer Handbook 1 Introduction

Welcome to HTB Production! We’re so excited to have you reading this handbook to learn more about our team and what being a part of it is like. We believe that production lies at the beating heart of the church, and we exist to help everyone see what God is ‘doing in the room’. We create environments that are engaging, excellent and distraction free - enabling all that is said and shown to be heard and seen. Our vision is to play our part in the evangelisation of the nation, the revitalisation of the church and the transformation of society.

The staff and volunteer production team look after all the production needs for HTB Church, Alpha, Leadership Conference and Focus Festival. We operate production across all of our locations and mid-week events. Through everything we do we aim to be Christ centred, ministry focused, to develop continuously and to be legacy makers.

We operate and welcome volunteers in the following roles across our services and events:

Sound Engineering // Lighting Engineering // Vision Engineering // Stage Management //Camera Directing & Operating // Broadcasting

We look forward to having you on team!

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Production Volunteer Handbook 3 HTB Vision

We are a vibrant Church of England church in the heart of London, passionate about seeing lives changed in the name of Jesus.

Our cornerstone values are:

AUDACITY Aim high – Ask God to give you a vision so big it’s impossible without him.

’Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…’ – Matthew 28:19

UNITY Enjoy it together – What unites us is infinitely greater than what divides us.

’Pray… that they may be one…so that the world will believe…’ – John 17:20-21

GENEROSITY Give it away – You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.

‘The son of God… loved me and gave himself for me.’ – Galatians 2:20

HUMILITY Bow the knee – Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.

‘Same attitude of Jesus… he humbled himself, made himself nothing… taking the very nature of a servant… Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.’ – Philippians 2:5-8

TENACITY Never give up – A river cuts through rock, not because of its power but because of its perseverance.

‘Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…who for the joy set before him endured the cross…so you will not grow weary and lose heart’ – Hebrews 12:1-3

Production Volunteer Handbook 4 Production Values

Christ Centred – Everything we do encourages relationship with Jesus.

Philippians 2:1-4: Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Ministry Focused – We allow the spiritual to shape the practical.

James 2:24: You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

Constant Development – We continually improve in our practical and spiritual gifts.

2 Timothy 1:6-7: For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

Legacy Makers – We leave this team and this church even better than we found it.

Proverbs 13:22: A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.

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Production Volunteer Handbook 6 Team Expectations – Spiritual

We Are Committed to Spiritual Growth – We are leaders, and in order to pour into other people, we choose to discipline ourselves to spend time with Jesus on a consistent basis. We practise “filling our tank” spiritually to have something to pour out to others.

We Assume the Best of Each Other – We have a default approach and expectation that our staff team and other team members have our best interest in mind.

We Don’t Gossip – Gossip is talking to someone about a problem who can’t fix the problem. If you have a conflict or issue that needs to be resolved, go directly to that person, or discuss your concerns privately with a leader. We keep our team culture positive and safe by respecting the privacy and dignity of other team members.

We Love Each Other – Our love for each other is a defining characteristic of our team. We make it a priority to pray for each other, encourage each other, visit with each other, and take care of each other. We don’t leave the task of loving each other to our staff team – our staff alone can’t effectively minister to the number of volunteers we have on our team and so we all play our part in making the culture of our team loving and joyful.

We Worship Through Our Craft – Our service is not just about turning up and pushing buttons, knobs and faders; we worship through what we do and let God speak to us as we serve others.

We Remember Our Why – At all times we remember the spark that ignited the passion to serve the church and be a part of the production team and we keep that in the forefront of our minds.

We Are Enabling Encounter – Whether any of us individually are directing cameras, mixing sound, or operating song words, we are all enabling an encounter with Jesus – not just for our congregation but for each other.

Production Volunteer Handbook 7 Team Expectations - Practical

Help us Multiply and Develop People – As a member of our team, you’re invited to help train and develop new people to serve in production. You can help us by consistently asking yourself: “Who in my circles could serve where I am serving?”, “Who am I developing to serve in my position?”, “What other positions on the team could I learn?”, “What ideas do I have that could help our team get better?”

We aim to continuously develop as individuals and as a team. There may be situations where you feel slightly out of your depth, and that’s okay - this is a normal part of the learning process! The rest of the team is here and ready to support you while also allowing you to exercise the skills and abilities you develop as part of your training.

Dress Code – Please either wear our production t-shirt which can be provided for you, or alternatively wear black and dark colours – this is standard across all sites.

Planning Centre – Planning Centre is our online service for scheduling, service flow, times and other elements related to the service. Refer to Planning Centre in advance of the service you are serving at to listen to worship songs, see who you’re serving with, and to obtain any important information that may be relevant for that Sunday.

Scheduling & Block Outs – Team schedules are prepared in advance, so February rotas, for example, are made live in early January. Please use the block out feature within planning centre to inform us of slots that you will be unable to fill or conflicts in place. If you are unable to serve, please inform us four weeks in advance to allow us time to fill the slot. You will receive a reminder the week you are scheduled to serve, along with a call sheet providing you with call times and venue manager information.

Team Nights – Team nights run approximately nine times a year, with a mix of social events and training nights. We place a high value on team nights, and it is just as important to attend these as your Sunday shifts. We use these nights to set vision for our team; inspiring you to bring excellence to the area you serve in, to create a culture where we grow in community both spiritually and professionally, to invest in you, and to honour to ways in which you serve on team – and we also want to have fun!

Production Volunteer Handbook 8 Serving – You will be expected to be available to serve a minimum of twice every six weeks. Please arrive on time for your call time and check in with your venue manager upon arrival. They’ll also be your point of contact for building access. If you are unable to make your slot due to exceptional circumstance, please communicate with your venue manager in the first instance.

We aim to have you skilled in at least two areas of production, one primary and one secondary, generally within the same area of production (e.g. manned and remote cameras, or vision mixing and song words). You may be expected to switch roles at short notice.

Learning some roles may require you to develop skills in other roles first. For example, camera directing will require you to be a competent manned camera operator & remote operator first, unless you have professional experience already.

Production Volunteer Handbook 9 Venue Call Times

HTB production supports production across four of the HTB Sites: Brompton Road, Onslow Square, Queensgate, and Courtfield Gardens.

Below are the time requirements for Sunday services:

Brompton Road AM:

Call Time 7:00am Service times 9:30am & 11:30am Estimated finish time 1:30pm

Brompton Road PM:

Call Time 3:00pm Service times 5:00pm & 7:00pm Estimated finish time 8:30pm

Onslow Square AM:

Call Time 8:00am Service times 10:30am Estimated finish time 12:30pm

Onslow Square PM:

Call Time 2:30pm Service times 4:30pm & 6:30pm Estimated finish time 8:00pm

Queensgate AM:

Call Time 7:30am Service times 9:00am & 11:00am Estimated finish time 12:30pm

Production Volunteer Handbook 10 Courtfield Gardens AM:

Call Time 7:00am Service times 9:30am & 11:30am Estimated finish time 1:30pm

Note this information can change – either temporarily or permanently – as we grow as a church and add sites and services. You will be informed via Planning Centre in advance of any changes to call times or services.

A prayer meeting takes place before each service which is optional for you to attend. Your venue manager will advise accordingly on times and locations.

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Production Volunteer Handbook 12 Staff & Volunteer Structure

For Sunday services and events, we operate the below volunteer structure.

Your Venue Manger will always be your first port of call; whether it’s to do with call time, service run orders, content, or just for a catch up. You will also be contacted by the wider HTB Production staff team for scheduling, training and development.

If you have a pastoral issue that you would like to discuss with us, you can either reach out to your Sunday venue manager or contact any member of the team during the week.

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STAGE MANAGER VENUE MANAGER

VISUALS AUDIO CAMERAS BROADCAST

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BROADCAST AUDIO SONG WORDS/ VT REMOTES ENGINEER BACKUP OPERATOR

CAMERA 7 OPERATOR

Production Volunteer Handbook 13 Job Positions Summary

FOH Sound Engineer POSITION SUMMARY

The Front of House Sound Engineer is responsible for the audio mix within the main church space and the auxiliary rooms, such as café and children’s work rooms. This position is responsible for ensuring that the audio quality of the final live mix is consistent, from service preparation and soundcheck to the close of service.

Broadcast Sound Engineer POSITION SUMMARY

The Broadcast Sound Engineer is responsible for the audio mix on the broadcast feed. This position is responsible for ensuring that the audio quality of the final broadcast mix is consistent and up to the HTB standard. This position is also responsible for multitrack recording where needed.

Lighting Engineer POSITION SUMMARY

The Lighting Engineer is responsible for executing the pre-programmed lighting cues as well as “busking” additional effects. The ability to “feel” and anticipate the dynamics within the worship set and knowing the flow of the service are important.

FOH Vision Mixer POSITION SUMMARY

The FOH Vision Mixer is responsible for everything that is shown on the screens. The responsibilities of this position include listening to the venue manager, utilising show calling cues to operate the switching equipment to transition between camera, graphics, and video playback sources. This position is important because it helps create a seamless, distraction-free worship experience.

FOH Song words/Backup Operator POSITION SUMMARY

The Song words/Backup Operator is responsible for assisting the worship team in leading worship by presenting lyrics, and also assists the FOH vision mixer by running a backup of the main video content. Responsibilities also include listening

Production Volunteer Handbook 14 to the venue manager for cues and instructions and listening to/following the worship leader and musical director (MD) during worship sets.

Live Camera Director POSITION SUMMARY

The Live Camera Director is responsible for overseeing the work of the volunteer camera team, guiding camera volunteers in shot direction, selecting shots and cuts for Broadcast & iMag, switching for iMag, focus and iris levels, and maintaining standards as guided by the HTB camera brief.

Manned Camera Operator POSITION SUMMARY

This Manned Camera Operator position operates a manned camera that is located in the main church space next to the production booth, providing a key shot for the Live Camera Director. This position uses pushes and pulls along with moving and static shots to help create a seamless video experience for our guests.

Remote Camera Operator POSITION SUMMARY

The Remote Camera Operator position is responsible for operating the remote PTZ cameras that are located in the main church space by operating a remote-control console in the camera studio. This position uses pushes and pulls along with moving and static shots to help create a seamless video experience for our guests.

Broadcast Video Operator POSITION SUMMARY

The Live Broadcast Operator is responsible for video switching and playback feed from our broadcast switching system. This role is responsible for the broadcast camera switching, playing back broadcast specific content and lower thirds. This position is important because it creates a gateway for someone unable to attend a service to see the service as if they were in the room.

Production Volunteer Handbook 15 Stage Manager POSITION SUMMARY

The Stage Manager works with the venue manager to ensure smooth delivery of the services. The stage manager aids in the co-ordination of all theatrical stage moves and transitions and ensure a smooth service flow, such as stage set changes and distributing microphones and other production equipment to speakers and performers. This role is also responsible for communicating the venue manager’s decisions and calling cues where appropriate.

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Production Volunteer Handbook 17 Training Process

When joining the HTB Production team, we undertake two different ways of training depending on if you are joining after a special Serve Sunday or are looking to get involved at any point during the rest of the year. It may be that you discover that production is not the area you wish to serve in, and that’s okay! If so, we will do all we can to help you integrate into another team.

If you are looking to get involved throughout the year, we will undertake the following process with you:

Step One – Initial Contact You have been invited to serve by an existing member of the production team, your connect group, or you’ve expressed interest in being involved via our website or have approached us during a Sunday service. We will:

- Make contact with you within seven days, via telephone and email; to say hi and see what your skillset is and where you may be best suited to serve. We’ll then schedule you for a walk through on a Sunday and send you a copy of the volunteer handbook.

Step Two – Walk Through Sunday

- This is where we can meet you personally and show you possible roles to serve in. It’s a chance to ask questions and meet other volunteers.

Step Three – Follow Up

- We’ll follow up within two days of your walk-through Sunday and discuss three shadow & training sessions with you. We will also set you up on Planning Centre Online.

Step Four – Training

- You’ll then undertake three training sessions within a six-week period, with an experienced volunteer or production staff member. You’ll be given direction and feedback throughout your training process.

Production Volunteer Handbook 18 Step Five – Feedback and Serving

- You have now been signed off by our team and are ready to serve regularly! If we have identified that additional training is needed, or you may be suited better within either a different production role or different team within HTB, then we will also discuss this with you.

If you have applied to serve on a Sunday where we have specifically highlighted serving (a Serve Sunday), we will undertake the following process with you:

Step One – Initial Contact

You have given your information to your service pastor, filled out an online form or sent a message in. We will:

- Contact you within five days of you signing up on Serve Sunday, send you a copy of our volunteer handbook and invite you to a Sunday lunch walk through.

Step Two – Walk Through Lunch & Sunday

- We will gather over a simple lunch to introduce you to the HTB Production team and walk you through the different roles you can serve in. We’ll identify key areas you can serve in and invite you to a training evening within two weeks.

Step Three – Training Evening

- You’ll attend a 90-minute training evening and will receive group training in your identified area. We’ll then contact you within 48 hours with feedback and schedule you for shadow & training sessions. We will set you up on Planning Centre Online.

Step Four – Training

Production Volunteer Handbook 19 Step Five – Feedback and Serving

Production Volunteer Handbook 20 Most Common Live Production Terms

Below is a key to the most common ‘industry’ terms we use as part of the production team and a brief overview of what they mean. If you’re new to production, or even experienced in other environments, it’s good to learn these as it will make getting comfortable serving much faster, however this not a requirement. Not all of these terms are relevant to each role, as some are specific to particular areas, such as cameras or audio.

Call Time – The time band, speakers, volunteers and other crew are required to arrive to serve. Call times vary across services, teams, and sites and are noted on Planning Centre for every event.

Chroma Key – The process of replacing a particular colour in an image with a different image (similar to a bluescreen or greenscreen effect). The blue and green hues are most commonly used for chroma keying.

Comfort Monitor – A downstage video monitor facing the stage that shows a separate feed to the main display. It is used for the convenience of the speaker or performer so that they do not have to awkwardly turn and look at the main projection screens. We use this to display running times, lyrics for the worship team and content/guides for speakers.

Cut – An instantaneous transition from one shot to the next.

Dissolve – A transition from one video signal to another in which one signal is faded down while the other is simultaneously faded up. The term “mix” is often used interchangeably with “dissolve”.

Downstage – The area of the stage closest to the audience.

Feedback– An audible frequency resonating within the space.

Focus – The process of adjusting the lens of a camera in order to obtain a sharp, clear picture.

FOH – Front of house. This is where lighting and audio consoles, vision mixing and song words are as well as some stationary camera stations are usually placed.

Gain – The volume or amplification level of an audio or video signal, OR Electronically enhancing the image during low-light conditions to boost the cameras brightness.

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Headroom – Within a camera shot, this is the amount of space between the top of the subject's head and the top of the picture frame.

Hot Key – a shortcut on the keyboard of the song words operator to change a verse or chorus quickly.

Hot Spot – An image or part of an image which is excessively bright or overexposed.

House – Refers to the entire venue but is generally an abbreviation for Front of House.

IEM/In ears – In ear monitor. Headphones that are discreetly worn by worship and production to focus on particular audio elements.

IMAG – Image Magnification. Camera shots of what you see on stage displayed on the projection screens.

Live – The camera that is on program or is on the projection screens. Also used as a common show calling term to transition between different production elements being used during a service or event.

Lower Third – Superimposed graphics on lower portion of a video frame which contains information such as station name/title, social media handles, scripture and other content.

Mid-Shot – A camera framing term, half-way between a wide-shot and a close-up. A mid-shot of a person will show them from about the waist or chest up.

Pan – Horizontal camera movement. Moving your camera left or right.

Pull – Zooming your shot out slowly for an effect.

Push – Zooming your shot in slowly for an effect.

Rack Focus – Purposely going in and out of focus for an effect.

Soft – When your camera shot is slightly out of focus and not as sharp as it could be.

Soundcheck – The time before the venue is officially open that is used to refine the sound for the service.

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Stage Left – When on the stage looking at the crowd, this is your left.

Stage Right – When on the stage looking at the crowd, this is your right.

Standby – A phrase that is said to be ready for an action.

Switcher – Takes the inputs from sources and switches back and forth between inputs.

Take – A phrase said during cuts or a transition to tell a camera operator they are live.

Tally Light – A small light on a video camera which turns on when recording is in progress. In multi-camera situations, a light on a camera, or in its viewfinder, which turns on when the camera is live.

Tighten Up – A phrase used to tell a camera operator to zoom in on a subject to create a tighter shot.

Tilt – Vertical camera movement, adjusting the framing up and down.

Tilt Lock – This adjustment prevents the tripod head from making and up and down movement when a camera operator isn’t present or if tilt is not needed by the camera operator.

Timecode – An audio track that is used to synchronize visual elements such as the opener.

Transition – A controlled change from one video input to another video input or black. The change can occur through a wipe, cut, dissolve or “DVE” effect.

Tripod – A three-legged stand for mounting equipment such as a camera.

Truss – Metal grid usually suspended above the stage or audience that is used to hang lights, sound, or other equipment from.

Upstage – The area of the stage furthest from the audience.

Video – Any medium which displays moving images electronically. The electrical signal produced by a television camera, character generator or other image source.

Production Volunteer Handbook 23 Viewfinder – A small screen on video, television and film cameras that displays the camera output.

White balance – A camera function which gives a reference to "true white", in order for the camera to interpret all colours correctly.

Wide shot – A framing term, meaning a camera shot which shows the whole of the subject.

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