5 Words Media (5WM), an AV and lighting integrator based in Phoenix with offices located in Austin and San Diego, recently embarked on its #FreeChurchAV contest as a way to give back to the HOW industry. The contest, which garnered over 580 entrants, had an impressive prize package ̶ a brand new state-of-the-art AV system, which included three CV506 Full-HD Miniature Cameras from Marshall Electronics.
“The #FreeChurchAV contest was conceived by our team internally when we were looking for a way to give back to the church community that has been so good to us as a company,” says Daniel Gourley, 5 Words Media Owner/Design Principle. “We are a Christian-based company and #FreeChurchAV was a great way to provide value to a church in need of an equipment upgrade.”
The contest giveaway incorporated the design and installation of a complete AV and lighting system, up to $200,000. Jonathan Wright, tech pastor at Hope Church in Danville, VA, entered his church into 5 Words Media’s #FreeChurchAV contest and his prayers were answered when Hope Church was selected as the winner. The new system for Hope Church included a performance speaker system, wireless microphones, stage lighting and control as well as a broadcast video switching and complete camera system including Marshall Electronics’ CV506.
“Marshall has always been a fantastic choice for 5WM on our projects because of the extreme broadcast quality level and compact size of their cameras, as well as the great support we have received in the past on our video broadcast systems,” adds Gourley. “Marshall’s PTZ cameras and the 500 series cameras, like the CV506’s used in #FreeChurchAV, have long been a part of 5WM installations for the past several years. We were very thankful for Marshall’s generous contribution to this wonderful contest.”
The 5WM team placed cameras at house right and left as well as on stage for POV shots of the band and worship team. According to Gourley, “The customer absolutely loves the results. Use of the CV506’s has allowed Hope Church to achieve quality images for streaming and its broadcasts, even in low lighting conditions. The small form factor of the CV506 allows them to blend into the space and discreetly be hidden around the stage without drawing attention to themselves. The cameras installed flawlessly and are able to produce the 1080P 60 signal needed for our switching/stream system.”
The CV506’s also fit perfectly within Hope Church’s existing workflow. “The SDI connection on the camera fits into the existing system perfectly,” adds Gourley. “The on-board iris, gain, color temp and limit settings allow us to color match the cameras and control their behavior in a live environment amazingly well.”
Through 5 Words Media’s #FreeChurchAV contest, Hope Church was able to upgrade its equipment for its livestreams, which is increasingly important during the current climate. “We are really excited to finally have the capability to accurately present what happens at our services to our members at home, thanks to the amazing cameras from Marshall,” says Wright. “Now our worship music and the sermon are both captured clearly for our congregation. We post the recording to our website and app, and now we can also stream to Facebook and YouTube as well.”
While the use of Marshall equipment is new to the church, the ease of use, allowed Wright to employ them with ease. “We have been so happy with the CV506 cameras,” adds Wright. “They are so clear and very simple to understand for setup, which is ideal for the volunteer training process. The size is amazing and we are able to capture great image quality. I love the ability to change lenses to achieve angles that would have been impossible with a larger camera in our building. We are just so beyond thankful for the cameras. They filled an exact need that we had during this time and look forward to continuing to use them to share our message.”
5WM has already opened submissions for #FreeChurchAV2020. Submissions are open until December 7 and the company will pick a new winner for its next free church giveaway on January 25, 2021. “We are proud to have Marshall Electronics as a gold level sponsor this year!,” concludes Gourley.
