The new church's main auditorium can accommodate 1800 worshippers and includes state of the art audio visual facilities. Hawthorn Theatrical was the contractor chosen to fulfil the staging and visual requirements, which included the task of sourcing a video screen that had to measure a vast 10m high by 16m wide.
"We needed to provide a backdrop to all that goes on during our services and other events," says the church's Pete Charlton. Having seen blended projection in other church venues - Charlton took the decision to take advantage of the latest projection technology and, together with Hawthorn's Alan Jackson, specified a Rosco Twin White screen and two Barco projectors in order to provide seamless image projection. "In addition, we were on quite a tight schedule and Rosco's delivery time was half that of the nearest competitor. So the combination of factors made them the only choice." The milky white colour of the Twin White screen gives equally bright results whether front or rear projected making it possible to cross fade between front and rear projection unnoticed, whilst a viewing cone of almost 180 degrees gives almost everyone in the congregation an undistorted image. "I knew the screen would give us tremendous flexibility," Charlton continues. "It was obvious that the Rosco product would work as a great cyc, as well as a projection screen, and that it was now possible to have truly seamless blended projection on to a screen of that size." This is the largest UK screen that Rosco has supplied to date, featuring rivets on three sides and a pipe pocket at the bottom, allowing it to be secured to truss at the top and sides and weighed down at the base. The installation process was relatively straightforward, although Jackson admits that the screen's sheer size and the danger of stray feet damaging the material caused a few nervous moments while unfurling it. Although the church doesn't have its official opening ceremony until December, it is already in regular use with over 1200 people attending Sunday meetings each week, with the Rosco screen - featuring live camera and video footage, PowerPoint presentations, graphics and, the words to the songs of worship - providing an eye-catching backdrop to all that goes on.The top and bottom of the screen is lit with colour changers and Charlton is obviously excited about having such an enormous blank canvas on which to be creative with lighting and projection. "I'm very pleased with what we've been able to present," he says. "The resolution is great and I haven't heard a single bad word about it." (Chris Henry)
