2021 Annual Conference – Pre-Recorded Breakouts

Thank you for your willingness to pre-record your breakout session for the 2021 Annual Conference!

We are asking that all breakout sessions be filmed and submitted to ACBC by August 15th, 2021.

Along with your video file, please include any notes or powerpoint slides you would like your session attendees to have.

Please carefully follow the instructions below and let us know if you have any questions.

-In Christ

Logan Williams, Event Coordinator – ACBC

lwilliams@biblicalcounseling.com

(225)963-0236

First Last Name-Lecture Title-AC2021
Example: Jay Adams-Sufficiency of Scripture-AC2021
Your session needs to be between 50:00-55:00 minutes.
Notes and Powerpoints should be submitted as separate documents for attendees. Submit in PPT, PDF, or DOC file formats.
Please upload video, PowerPoint, and note files here.

If possible, please seek the assistance of your church or a skilled church member to film your session.
A dedicated camera will produce the best results. Please do not use your computer’s built-in webcam or microphone for your session recording.
Please make sure your audio is being properly picked up from an external recorder or your camera’s internal recorder. (Please shoot for -12 to -6db range for audio). If using an external microphone, place it 4-5 inches from your mouth.
When recording your session, turn off all notifications and sound on devices.
Recording resolution should be a minimum of 1080p.
Please shoot at 30 frames per second.
For PowerPoint, please do not record using “picture-in-picture” function.

The ideal location is a church studio, stage, or office. A fallback option for your filming location can be a home studio or office.
The location should be quiet and well-lit.
Be mindful of what is in the background of your scene. Remove distracting items from your walls and desk. We encourage a clean, professional background.
Be sure your background doesn’t show whiteboards or documents with sensitive information.
Be careful to avoid angles that put unaware people in the shot.
For a more professional shot, put a little distance between yourself and the background.
To avoid office room echo, add fabric to absorb sound off-screen. Drapes, area rugs, carpets, blinds, etc. are effective at reducing echoes.
If you are not comfortable speaking to a camera, a helpful tip can be to have a small audience from your church come to attend the recording. You can position them so that they are not on camera, but you can still speak to a live audience. Many speakers find this helpful.

Light sources from above or below can cast shadows, making it hard to see your face. Eye-level lighting also accents your eyes, lending itself to more expressive communication.
Consider natural, soft light sources: A window off to the side or light behind the monitor are both good options. But don’t place the window inside the video shot. This will cause harsh lighting in the video.
Experts suggest bouncing the lamplight off a wall as opposed to pointing it straight at you. When referencing digital notes during your session recording, be aware that your monitor or device can cast a blue light on your face. To avoid this, use the lighting tips from above or, at the very least, set your display color to a warmer shade, or on devices, enable night mode or a blue light filter.
If your background is a bright wall or window, the camera will struggle to balance lighting, and you may end up as a silhouette.
Experiment with different setups to see what works best for you.
Feel free to send a sample to lwilliams@biblicalcounseling.com if you have any concerns.

If delivering your session from a podium, the goal is for the camera to emphasize the speaker (tight shots, not wide angles of the whole stage).
In an office desk setting, the goal is for the camera to show the area right above your forehead to mid-torso.
The camera lens should be just a touch above eye level. Use a tripod to make sure the angle is right.
Look directly at the camera when you are teaching to connect best with the audience in the video recording.

Avoid wearing a black or white top (this helps keep camera exposure in check).
Wear solid colors instead of patterned designs. (No striped, checked, or other intricate patterns.)
Ladies, simple jewelry is ideal. Avoid anything reflective, jangling, or dangling.
This is not a deal-breaker, but if you can avoid wearing glasses, try to go without them. They can reflect the various lighting you’ve set up or cast a glare.
Please dress business casual.

Remember that our global audience will be viewing your lecture on different days. Please do not date your lecture by mentioning the day or time.
You will not need to provide an introduction to your talk that references the conference or current events. For example, you can start by simply saying, “Thank you for joining me as we discuss [Title of Lecture.]”
Please do not emphasize COVID-19 in your lecture. We want to avoid having this topic become the theme of every speaker at the conference, and we will be web hosting this lecture for years to come.