LOGIN

Bolin PTZ Solution for The Chapel at Amelia Plantation

“It all began with a digital mixer” is how Kurt Marasco began his story of how he came to lead the “media team” for The Chapel at Amelia Plantation. The Chapel at Amelia Plantation is a non-denominational congregation with two services per weekend. Kurt is not an audio professional, but his technical skills as a systems consultant bridged the gap between the lack of experience and the Chapel’s needs. Kurt chose a Bolin PTZ solution for the Chapel at Amelia Plantation.

The Situation

Their AV equipment suffered the catastrophic effects of a direct lightning strike, a common occurrence in Florida. The resultant change was to a digital mixer that Kurt was eventually brought on board to manage.

An equipment failure in the chapel’s streaming system created additional urgency just as the global pandemic was causing a shutdown of institutions and houses of worship. “I’m not a streaming expert,” Kurt continues, “but I needed to find replacements for our damaged equipment and figure out how to bring our services online.” Kurt was not alone in his struggle to bring his church into the digital world in the fastest, most cost-effective way possible. Thousands of Houses of Worship and other people-centered organizations were on that same journey. Kurt discovered that a Bolin PTZ solution was a perfect answer for his needs.

A front view of The Chapel at Amelia Plantation. A Bolin PTZ solution helped upgrade their live stream video.

Kurt discovered that PTZ cameras would provide a means for their very small team to produce a more professional outcome, so he researched cameras and solved the problems or lack of features in their previous equipment. “We tried and returned another brand of NDI cameras because they were inadequate for our ambient light levels.” The beautiful architecture of The Chapel at Amelia Plantation includes rich, dark woods, natural light from the sides, and a large glass wall framing the rear of the platform. “The backlight from that glass wall can be a huge challenge,” Kurt said. Since the initial installation, the church has added some additional lighting to compensate for the backlight and enhance the online image.

Bolin Provides PTZ Solution

Kurt’s research led him to Bolin’s VCC-7 4K PTZ cameras. The quality of the Sony image block and immediate availability were a winning combination. The VCC-7 4K outputs simultaneously over 3G-SDI and HDMI, so Kurt easily integrated them into the existing HDMI workflow. Consequently, he saved time and expense. “The cameras are mounted below the balcony, near the operators, so the cable distance wasn’t a problem,” Kurt said.

Kurt chose vMix as his streaming platform. All camera operators are volunteers. To bridge the experience gap, he used a combination of XKeys, ProPresenter, and MIDI to script presets. VMix Activators make the Talley work. With that setup, Kurt discovered a peculiarity between the vMix and XKeys PTZ protocols and the VCC-7. A call to Bolin support resulted in a firmware update that solved the issue. “The support was great,” Kurt told me.

Interior view of The Chapel at Amelia Plantation with full congregation and a view of the large glass window behind the platform. A Bolin PTZ solution helped solve the backlight challenge.

When asked further about the VCC-7 experience, Kurt answered, “The image from the camera is exactly what we expected. The cameras are silent! And they have quick movement. I really don’t have to think about them. They just work.” With an average of 150-200 unique service views, having a beautiful camera image paired with quality audio is a must. Kurt said, “Our congregation transitioned to streaming in the pandemic, and some continue to stream the service while they are away or when they cannot be present.”

Conclusion

Damaged equipment is always an inconvenience. Kurt’s near-emergency situation is yet another layer of complexity and stress. However, with careful research and dedication, Kurt overcame those obstacles. Bolin is thankful to have helped Kurt provide a beautiful, reliable solution for The Chapel at Amelia Plantation.