Olanrewaju Esho: Multicam live recordings best to enhance production of gospel worship albums

Olanrewaju Esho, the wedding filmmaker, has revealed the secrets behind his live multicam music recording approach.

In a recent interview, Esho, who is renowned for his work in the wedding and gospel music industries, disclosed that his approach to live multicam music recording is built on precision, storytelling, and the ability to transform a live worship experience into a visual journey that viewers can relive long after the event.

“This is especially true for the work I’ve done on landmark worship albums such as Pastor Nathaniel Bassey’s Names of God and Halleluyah, as well as Dunsin Oyekan’s The Gospel of the Kingdom and The Birth Revival,” he said.

Esho emphasized the importance of capturing the spiritual atmosphere and essence of worship music, leveraging precision, storytelling, and visual storytelling to create an immersive experience.

“Live worship recordings go beyond capturing music; they capture a moment of divine encounter. Every camera angle, every movement of the lens needs to reflect not just the performance, but the depth of worship happening on stage and in the audience,” he said.

“This is why I rely on a multicam approach using a fleet of 12 Sony cameras for these projects. Each camera has a specific role—whether it’s capturing the intensity of the lead worshippers, the detailed movements of the instrumentalists, or the heartfelt responses of the audience.

“With albums like Names of God and Halleluyah by Nathaniel Bassey, every frame is an opportunity to translate the spiritual intensity into a compelling visual narrative.”

Esho stressed the significance of extensive pre-production meetings to ensure every camera placement and movement supports the worship flow.

“Planning is a cornerstone of my multicam approach. Before filming albums like The Gospel of the Kingdom or The Birth Revival, extensive pre-production meetings ensure that every camera placement and movement is meticulously designed to support the worship flow,” he said.

“Dunsin Oyekan’s music is known for its prophetic intensity, and we wanted to ensure that the recording reflected that same energy. Songs like “Fragrance to Fire” and “The Anthem” required dynamic camera movements to match the musical intensity, so we incorporated jib cranes and handheld stabilizers for sweeping movements and fluid transitions that created an almost cinematic worship experience.”

The live event director also highlighted the importance of colour grading in post-production, reflecting shifts in tone from celebratory praise to intimate reflection. He said the attention to detail has contributed to the albums’ enduring success.

“The choice of 12 Sony cameras was intentional. Sony cameras are renowned for their superior low-light performance, which is essential for the dimly lit, often mood-heavy atmosphere in worship venues. The Sony lineup allowed us to capture the natural glow of stage lighting without losing the emotional depth of the visuals. These cameras gave us flexibility in post-production, providing pristine, high-resolution footage that allowed for color grading that matched the spiritual tone of the worship,” he said.

“One of the unique challenges of live worship recordings is that they are unscripted. Unlike a studio recording where you can control every detail, a live performance requires real-time adaptability. There are moments of spontaneous worship, sudden changes in tempo, or unexpected audience reactions. As a director, I must be fully immersed in the atmosphere, understanding when to cut between cameras to capture the most powerful moments.

“For Nathaniel Bassey’s Halleluyah album, specifically the track “Adonai”, the entire song builds up to an overwhelming crescendo of worship. We timed our cuts between cameras to match the rising intensity of the song. The drone camera, which we used for wider shots, captured the sweeping views of the audience, while the close-ups on the lead singers brought the focus back to the rawness of the moment. This combination of shots gave the final production a dynamic ebb and flow, mirroring the spontaneous nature of live worship.

“After the cameras stop rolling, the real work begins in post-production. Editing multicam footage for worship albums like The Gospel of the Kingdom or Names of God is about more than just choosing the right shots—it’s about creating a seamless, spirit-filled experience. The goal is to ensure that viewers, whether they are watching live or on YouTube, feel as though they were in the room, experiencing the presence of God firsthand.

“Color grading plays a crucial role in post-production. Worship music often has shifts in tone, from bright, celebratory praise to deep, intimate moments of reflection. The color palette of the video must reflect these shifts. For The Birth Revival, we played with different color tones to enhance the moments of intense worship, giving the video a glowing, heavenly feel during songs like “More than a Song.”

With his expertise and dedication, Esho continues to push the boundaries of live multicam music recording, creating visually and spiritually impactful experiences for generations to come.