Worship Ideas – Control Room Etiquette
Everyone who operates audio-video-sound-lighting equipment during a live worship setting, whether staff or volunteer, has experienced the thrill of a live event, where long periods of waiting are punctuated by intense moments of active precision and focus. Whether it is moving a fader on the sound board, clicking a mouse button, or calling a cue on the light board, what may seem like a simple task requires skill, a bit of panache, and our full attention.
Nothing can ruin the moment more than an unannounced visit or a spilled drink in the heat of the moment. One way to help remove distractions is to create and live by a set of rules for the control room, to which everyone can agree.
For a conversation starter, here is the beginnings of a list of rules we will call “Control Room Etiquette”. What other items are on your essential list of Dos and Don’ts?
- No unnecessary conversations during worship. All non-essential talking should occur in the media room.
- The control room door will remain closed during worship.
- Please keep drinks in closed containers in the control room. No open cups.
- Non-essential personnel are not permitted in the control room during worship except in the case of emergency.
- Please refrain from using personal cell phones and other electronic devices while operating audio-visual equipment.
osborn4 said,
Wrote on August 5, 2010 @ 7:59 am
We don’t have a closed control room. We have a raised platform in the back of the santuary, with our backs to the parlor/narthex. So folks come up and lean agains the back rail of our platform and have converstaions with each other.
I find this very distracting, but I’m not sure what to do outside of lineing the back railing with sharp tacks, pointing up, so folks can’t lean against it.
kelseywaite said,
Wrote on August 23, 2010 @ 6:28 am
With 3 people in our control room at any given time, there can be distractions from even the essential personnel. In our am worship service yesterday a “necessary” conversation caused us to miss a cue to run a DVD clip promoting an up coming event which created a very awkward pause in the service. To prevent this in the future it was decided that one person must remain isolated from any conversation, no matter how important, and keep their full concentration on the service itself. Headphones were suggested for that person, most likely the projectionist, so that they would be less likely to get distracted from the others and their “necessary” conversations.
Jacki Lamphire said,
Wrote on August 23, 2010 @ 5:00 pm
I also create and help run the slide show at church.
It is true, the slightest distraction can throw you off base real quick.
I have tried to explain this nicely to folks, but sure enough right in the middle of the service, they will walk up, start whispering or talking and you can hear the wispers very well, and you can forget to slide a page or stop where you are supposed to stop.
I wish we could get a list of etiquette rules like you spoke of here on this page. I did buy my own headphones, but usually there are at least 4 people at the back when it only takes 2.
nikki said,
Wrote on November 29, 2010 @ 7:08 pm
This is such wisdom!!
One producer I know, has no control over his tech team. Every time I sub for him I pull my hair out because his team is so distracted. I’m surprised they don’t miss more cues than they do because they are surfing the web and chatting so much.
As far as people walking into the booth with – ahem, well meaning suggestions – that is what the producer is for. They should intercept the visiting pastor or worship director or lay person to field the question or comments so that their team can focus on their job.
The MO Guys said,
Wrote on November 29, 2010 @ 10:22 pm
Very true on the producer, and why there needs to be an entire crew, and not just 1-2 people running between roles.
Control Room (or booth) Ettiquette « Church Production said,
Wrote on October 10, 2011 @ 5:22 pm
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Control Room (or booth) Ettiquette « said,
Wrote on October 10, 2011 @ 9:44 pm
[...] The fellas at Midnight Oil Productions recently posted: Worship Ideas – Control Room Ettiquette. [...]