- 58 Live Video Feeds
- 15 countries from all 7 continents around the world
- 60 seconds per site
- 1 live broadcast to thousands world-wide
The complexity of integrating over 50 live video feeds into one service was mind-boggling. A news studio may cut live to another country, but then return to the news desk to transition to the next story. We cut to a different part of the world live every 60 seconds for a full hour.
Even more incredible was the movement felt by the power of prayer. People praying together for a full hour, with prayers led by people from all around the world. The experience was monumental for those in the building at Legacy Christian Church, and for the thousands watching and praying along with them online.
The Dream:
(Written by Doug Lucas, president of Team Expansion)
In addition to my work leading a non-profit organization with outreaches of various kinds in 46 countries, I also serve as the lead vision caster for a more organic initiative called Unleashed for the Unreached (U4theU). In the early weeks of 2013, we began to hatch out an idea that we knew would be technically challenging. Our goal was to pull together a global community of prayer leaders from various churches, organizations, mission teams, and colleges around the world. The general concept was to give each site (some 50+ sites in all) a chance to pray via ‘live’ video, pulling all this together in a one-hour broadcast. We would call it a “Global Prayer Cast.”
I searched back through my memory banks and remembered working with the Director of Technology at Legacy Christian Church in Overland Park, Kansas. This specialist seemed to have what it might take to pull off such a challenge. We recognized that we would need more than a hardware specialist. The lead tech would need to have a particular kind of personality. He needed to be flexible in the face of a myriad of details, and he needed to smile in the face of stress. He needed not only to have experience in pulling together streams of real-time video, but also, he needed the equipment and the volunteers to turn a hair-brained idea into reality.
Time was short. You see, our U4theU network has a traveling exhibit of sorts, consisting of black wall panels with the names of all 7000 known Unreached People Groups inscribed on the Wall in white letters. The exhibit has a deep impact on any and all who see it. It so happened that another church in town had already booked the exhibit. I had already checked the scheduling and had confirmed that we could borrow the exhibit for our Global Prayercast night. But the date was just 60 days away. My job would be to try to secure the 50+ prayer leaders from all around the world. Shane Rushik, the director of technology at Legacy, would try to come up with the technical infrastructure to make the broadcast happen real-time, with all 50+ live feeds praying one after another, rapid fire, in the same hour. I set about to recruit the prayer leaders while Shane began to dream up the technical approach.
The Challenge:
(Written by Shane Rushik, Dir of Technology at Legacy Christian Church)
With less than 6 weeks to prepare, the pressure was on to find a way to successfully bring in over 50 live video streams, cue them, and cut to them live. The task seemed insurmountable and the window of time way too short. How could we reliably receive that many video streams? How could we work out the technical aspects for so many locations around the world to send live video to us? This needed to be simple enough that locations so far away and with limited resources would be able to send live video.
We explored Skype, Google Hangout, Adobe Connect, and other online services. Initially we thought the best option was Google Hangout. Everyone could easily create an account and we can connect to 10 live feeds with each hangout session. Rotating people through 2 hangouts should work out, so we thought. This was tested a few times and using TVOne C2-2550 scalars we cropped out the active video in the hangout to produce a full screen output. Just 4 weeks away, I setup a Saturday test run with Google Hangout and asked many Legacy volunteers and some friends from Team Expansion to connect in and run a full test of the live streams. We had about 15 people connecting in and rotating on 2 different Google hangouts.
Although the Google Hangout worked, this test was pretty much a complete failure. This is an email sent to the team following that test session:
Thank you to everyone who tested the Google Hangout today. It was not as successful as I had expected, it was pretty much a total fail.
I had connection multiple problems and the audio was pretty awful. The good thing is that it looked like most of you connected just fine, and that I was the only one with problems.
This needs to be completely solid, and what we experienced today was anything but. I will definitely need to run some more tests with this over the next few days. We need to have a reliable and scalable solution if we are going to pull this off. Thanks again for your help everyone!!
In response to this, Doug Lucas responds with the following encouraging note:
Bummer, Shane. But then — how many experiments did Tom Edison’s crew have to do with those silly light bulbs??? Seriously though, Shane, thanks for giving this the ole college try. Keep it up, Dude. We’ll get it.
~ Doug
And my response back to Doug:
Yes, I am not totally discouraged… After all, that was the whole purpose behind the test; identify problems and get some direction for how to best approach it.
I do believe we can overcome this; it is just a matter of working it through and knowing what the limitations are. For sure, this raises the importance of having a few tests with all the live sites in advance of the event, so everyone is ready to go.
~ Shane
That next week we explored many other alternatives to get reliable and consistent video/audio. Meanwhile, we were still trying to define exactly what the purpose of the live sites was and how that would actually look in a service. So far (just under 4 weeks away), all testing had proven the audio to be very patchy and unpredictable. Should we take in just video or pictures of the sites praying or would that look like a bad slideshow? What exactly do we expect from the “live sites”, knowing the quality limitations?
Trying to flush this out, Doug responds with:
I had my heart set on real-live audio/video input from each site. Each site leading a prayer with the entire world. Can we investigate other options? What if we route the audio through phone? You could continue to pick up the video through Google Hangout, but the AUDIO-only, we could grab through over phone.
Taking audio from one source and video from another will not work for obvious reasons (audio/video would never sync). But, this exchange instilled the importance of making this successful with both audio & video so the “live sites” could lead a prayer, not just send us video or pictures of them praying. This needed to be fully interactive.
On March 21 (27 days before the event), I hatched a plan that just might work. Over the next few days details were refined and all necessary equipment spec’d and purchased.
The workflow looks like this:
Using a ustream.tv account, a channel was created for each “live site”. Each live site was given a “Site#” and that site# corresponded to their ustream.tv channel. The live sites would all log into ustream.tv with the same login credentials (same user account). Using whatever they had available, a web-cam, iPad, or a full video system, each site would launch a live web-stream and keep that stream live the entire evening. In the Legacy video control room, we take that stream when we are ready for it.
To communicate with the ‘live sites’, we setup a conference call using Talkshoe.com. [side bar: we tried using Go-To-Meeting for the conference call, but I felt the registration process was a little too difficult to get all the sites to log into and ultimately, just a simple phone call was all that was needed. Talkshoe.com was simple and met the need.] – A big thanks to Jason Powell from Granger Community Church, a friend from #CITRT network, who suggested using Talkshoe.com.
Three video teams were setup and the live sites were broken down to these three teams. Each team has 5 computer workstations. 3 – receive the ustream.tv video feeds, 1 running Propresenter, and 1 running BlackMagic ATEM TVStudio software.
Each ustream.tv computer is a video input source to the BM ATEM, the ProPresenter computer was a 4th video input all using HDMI from the computer display port to the BM ATEM. The computer running the BM ATEM switcher software would select input 1, 2, or 3 and key the name of the location over the video with the UpStreamKeyer (chroma key).
HD/SDI from the BM ATEM switcher w/ embedded audio would run to the GV Turbo iDDR. Since the GV Turbo iDDR is only SD, we inserted a BM SDI->Analog mini converter to downscale to SD and output as component w/ analog audio into the Turbo iDDR.
The GV Turbo iDDR would record the video and playback with a time-slip, allowing us to pause & cue the video stream and transition exactly when needed without any delay or awkward dead air.
We configured three teams with this setup, each team exactly the same. The result was 3 GV Turbo iDDR playback sources as video inputs on the production switcher. The GV Turbo DDR’s would record the entire evening and using the playback deck play each one would play the clip, then FF to the next and hold until ready.
For example: Team 1, 2, & 3 would all cue up the first “live site”. Turbo1 would hit play and the production switcher would take it live. Turbo 2 is cued up and ready and holding. After Turbo 1’s prayer was complete, Turbo 2 would hit play and the production switcher would take it live. And Turbo3 is cued ready and holding. Meanwhile Turbo1 is jumping forward on the recording to their next live clip and cueing that up. This cycle was repeated over and over. Turbo1, then Turbo 2, then Turbo 3, back to Turbo 1, then 2, 3, back to 1, etc, etc.
With three video teams, we scheduled the live sites three at a time which actually gave us a little head start and time to cue them up seamlessly. We went live at 7:30 with a short pre-roll bumper and simultaneously began recording the first live sites. At 7:32, we recorded the next 3 live sites, at 7:34 we recorded the next 3 live sites. At that same time, 7:34 we went live with the first live site and this began the cycle. At 7:35 the next live site and 7:36 the next live site and so on.
A master clock was developed as a web-app, that all sites would use to be certain everyone is looking at exactly the same time, regardless of time zone or even slight variances with different clocks. We needed every site to be precise with the time so they were ready when given the ‘Go-Live’ command. This master clock removed all doubt. Each site was given their “Go-Live” time slot and this clock is what they would look at to be certain of the exact time.
Finally the program feed coming off the video switcher was SDI w/ embedded audio was sent to the KulaByte encoders to render 6 different video bitrates for online viewers. RTMP streams at 1000k, 500k, 300, and iOS streams at 1000k, 500k, 300k. KulaByte pushed these streams to our CDN Akamai for global distribution.
Pulling it all together:
The process is defined, now the challenge will be communicating with all the live sites. The organization U4theU was hard at work identifying live sites around the world, but each day that passed, we were losing valuable time to communicate with the sites and work out any technical issues.
Friday, April 5 (12 days before the event), an official list of live sites was finalized. A full dress rehearsal was scheduled for Wed April 10, the week before the event. Friday afternoon, the first communication to all the live sites was sent. The email welcomed them all to be part of this experience and outlined for them the processes and requested them to be part of the dress rehearsal that coming Wednesday evening. Within this email to each site, was defined:
- Their unique site #
- How to log into ustream.tv
- How to broadcast on their unique ustream.tv channel
- How to connect with the talkshoe conference call and their “Team #” conference call ID#
- and their “Go-Live” time
The Wednesday Dress Rehearsal was planned to be executed exactly as the program will run that next week. Every live site was asked to connect and broadcast video during their time segment. We used the conference call to the sites in real-time. We tested all live feeds and confirmed each site was online & ready before the rehearsal began.
An answer to prayer, amongst the chaos:
Also, that Friday, I went to lunch with Clif Guy, the IT Director at Church of the Resurrection , and Ian Beyer, president of Nerdherd. With just 5 days until the dress rehearsal, and only a week earlier actually defining a process that may work, there were a lot of questions and untested processes to be worked out. Clif, Ian, and I had a great time discussing and reviewing the entire work flow. I asked them to help punch holes in this process. I needed a real objective perspective to see where the weaknesses were. They both laughed hysterically at the thought of attempting this. “This is the most insane thing I have ever heard of anyone attempting to pull off” they would say, then changing their tone to be more serious, said “This will be incredible, unlike anything we have ever seen, a powerful way to bring the world together in prayer.” Clif was especially taken by the impact this could have for Christ and world missions and wanted to be part of this and support it in any way he could. As we looked at the necessary 15 computer work stations, he asked what computers we were going to be using. I told him that we will just pull workstations from offices and find a way to make that work. Then he said, how about I help by getting computers for you? WHAT!!! That would be a huge blessing! Clif called and checked their inventory, then placed a call and ordered 10 brand new laptops and 3 TV’s be shipped overnight for Monday arrival so we could have them available for the Wednesday rehearsal on April 10.
This was absolutely a huge, HUGE blessing. I just could not get over his generosity and support. We are doing something really BIG here and God is blessing this in really big ways.
Dress Rehearsal:
The Dress Rehearsal, scheduled for Wed April 10 (1 week before the event), went surprisingly well, especially given that all details and communication to the live sites. We ran all live sites beginning at 7:30pm CDT for the full hour. Everything executed exactly as planned. We all were surprised by this, but it gave us the confidence we needed to believe this could actually work for real.
80% of the sites connected just fine and systems worked perfectly. There were a few that had connection issues or bandwidth challenges, and a few that didn’t connect at all. There were a few equipment issues discovered as a result of the rehearsal, but for the most part, we felt prepared.
Over the next 7 days, the work ahead of us was to primarily focused on helping those who had connection issues and communicate all the final details to each live site. A few new live sites were added… including one from Antarctica. We now had a live site represented from every continent.
Monday April 15, the Boston bombing changed everything. It was decided on Tuesday to add a segment at the top of the Global Prayer Cast to pray for the victims and thus two new live sites were added, both from Boston. These two live sites would begin the evening and open with prayer for the victims and families.
The night of the GlobalPrayerCast:
The event was hosted at the Legacy Christian Church Overland Park Campus and the worship center was packed. Hundreds of people came out for this experience, to pray together as a church body and with the world. The program began on time with a short welcome, and then cut live to two people from Boston. After their prayers, we returned to the live service at Overland Park where the Senior Pastor Reggie L. Epps, began the evening of prayer. Following his prayer we cut next live site and began the process from countries all around the world. Each ”live site” had a 60 second time slot after which we cut to another location. If you think about the complexity of that, a news studio may cut live to another country, but then return to the studio at the news desk. We cut to a different part of the world live every 60 seconds for a full hour.
To generate a social connection, we added a live twitter feed over the video that displayed tweets with the #GlobalPrayerCast hashtag. That added to the energy of what people were praying, and added some more personality to the video.
There were people from Ukraine, Africa, Australia, Tunisia, Venezuela, Haiti, Romania, Lebanon, Mexico, Bosnia, Jordan, Middle East, and more… (15 countries were represented from all 7 continents around the world).
In the end, we had thousands of viewers watching the service live on the Internet and over 600 people in the building at the Legacy Christian Church Overland Park Campus, all watching, and praying together at exactly the same time (around the globe). Just image an hour fully devoted to prayer, led and experienced by people all around the world, together. Seriously, it was amazing!
Testimonies from Prayercast Participants (in their own words)
“At the church in which I took part, some of the people seemed extremely moved. Some were standing in the back with hands raised to God in praise because of the global nature of the community of Christ. Some were moved to tears. Many would point at the screen to say, “Whoa, she’s logging on from the Antarctic,” or whatever. Many were struck by those who prayed in other languages. I think it helped them get a sense of the multi-cultural tapestry that is the global church.” D.L., Louisville, KY
“It was great! Moved by the many forms of prayer!”- K.M., Louisville, KY
“Loved hearing prayers to our Lord in different languages. Technology is amazing!” L.G.
“Incredible to see the world coming to pray together for the lost! Powerful!” D.M.
“It was awesome to be a part of the Global PrayerCast–thousands of Christians praying around the world for the work of Christ in the world.” D.B., Harvest Prayer Ministries
“God is moving! So amazing to be praying with God’s people around the world for God’s people around the world.” L.V., TN
“So cool to be a part of the Global PrayerCast tonight! Hope all of the unreached people in the world that were prayed for felt the love.” A.B.
“The Global PrayerCast gave us all a renewed prospective. One of the comments from our group was ‘It was the first time I heard someone pray for survival.’ I was impressed that it all came together. Amanda especially liked the prayers from Antarctica. It was truly helpful for us (in America) to see that the command to go to all nations (people groups) is our first priority. Lord, help us and give us passion to pray and to know what specific steps we must take to share the gospel to all nations.” M.M.
“Thank you to everyone who joined us in praying for the people of Banja Luka. We felt quite encouraged by your prayers.” A Missionary in Europe
“The Global PrayerCast was amazing tonight. I can’t believe I got to pray with people all over the world. God is great!” K.R.
“God did some amazing things tonight at the Global PrayerCast.” S.B.
“An incredible night of prayer with friends and believers from around the world” J. at Legacy Chr. Ch., KS
“What an amazing night. It was so neat to see people from all around the world united in prayer for hte nations!” L.C., Cincinnati
“What a blessing to be able to participate in the Global PrayerCast! Amazing to see people from every continent praying for unreached people.” H.F.
“My daughter tugged at my heart and put things into perspective tonight at the Global Prayer Cast at LCC, “Mom, I can’t believe this many people don’t know Jesus!” Mother at Legacy Chr. Ch., KS
“Our church loved participating in the prayer cast. I did not expect to be so moved. Do we have to wait until Nov to do it again? Is there any way we could do this more regularly throughout the year? We are willing to help out as the Lord leads and guides. God bless you and thank you for your efforts to reach the lost.”
K.K., California
“I wanted to write and just congratulate you and the others involved with the Global PrayerCast that took place last night. It was inspiring to join with others praying around the world in one accord with the same purpose!”
T.S.
“Go God!!!”
T.W., Beavercreek, OH
“Thank you for the vision and all the hard work to pull off last night’s Global PrayerCast. It was touching and historic – and I trust Kingdom changing! I know there were a few glitches, as is always the case with technology use, but overall it was very, very good. I look forward to the next one.”
M.S., Joplin, MO
“I have no idea who to send this to, but I just wanted to say that I enjoyed the Global Prayer Cast last night! I think it was awesome that so many from across the global came together in agreement for corporate prayer for the unreached. Hearing the prayers from those in other nations was tremendous. Kingdom praying has changed my prayer life in such drastic ways, so I am a supporter of anyone doing it. Way to go!”
C.
“Thank you for your service for the Kingdom in this awesome way…. You have helped to mobilize prayer as never, ever before! Loved the behind the scenes video!”
B.B., Louisville, KY
“Thanks, Shane, for leading the tech side of this. It was a huge part of what the Holy Spirit did (and will continue to do).”
S.M., Columbus, OH
“In at least one case, I was stunned to hear the prayer of the onfield worker … It brought me to tears as we agreed with his prayer…”
M.B., AK
“I wanted to write and just congratulate you and the others involved with the Global PrayerCast that took place last night. It was inspiring to join with others praying around the world in one accord with the same purpose!”
T.S., KY
“Thank you for all the hard work that went into the global prayer gathering! You all were amazing! Like you, I can’t wait to see what God is going to do!”
S.F., MO
