The church is in the process of growing its technical equipment to enrich the quality of its in-services. Part of this expansion involves the increased use of media and lighting to add to the dynamic format of the services.
Video forms a main element of the set designs: video imagery is projected onto set pieces or run through plasma screens on stage and used as a backdrop to performances. This is enhanced by the generous use of LED lighting. The set is changed every four months to keep things fresh and new for the church attenders.
Images of the pastor, who alternates between Buckhead Church and North Point Community Church, two of the six NPMi campuses in the greater Atlanta area, are also projected onto screens during the sermon.
When it came to finding a flexible, user-friendly way of controlling the variety of lighting and video effects, Lighting & Scenic Director at Buckhead Church, Jared Roman, turned to ArKaos MediaMaster.
"At first we started with just projecting basic video loops to screens and televisions on stage," says Roman. "Now using the ArKaos MediaMaster we are able to map and layer video elements and also control a whole array of Chauvet Epix V2 LED fixtures taking advantage of their on-board KlingNet protocol.
"MediaMaster's KlingNet Mapper allows us to control the Epix fixtures and blend them with the video mapping onto the scenic set elements. Video mapping is key to creating our dynamic sets. Now we can include video loops and add textural effects on the Epix strips and other set pieces.
"For example, we created a set composed of 19 vertical boxes lined with Elation LED tape. We used MediaMaster to drive the 19 universes for the LEDs inside these boxes with the LEDMapper, as well as the Chauvet Epix V2 LED strips. At certain points during the service the LEDs in the boxes were controlled directly by our Jands Vista L5 console - usually when they showed as solid colour (see photo IMG9517) - and sometimes they were driven by MediaMaster which mapped both the Epix V2 LED strips and the LED's inside the boxes to make one huge medium/low resolution video wall (see photo IMG9602).
(Jim Evans)
