CFaN is led by the high profile internationally known Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, renowned for his gospel missions throughout Africa. According to his website, Bonnke has personally preached to over 120m people and led 72m in the prayer to salvation.
XL Video UK's project manager Paul 'Macca' McCauley was approached by CFaN's UK/US based technical production manager Paul 'Boyo' Manuel to provide something different and innovative in terms of video reinforcement for the shows and a system design - developed in conjunction with TAIT - that would not only WOW the crowds, but that enabled a 360 degree production which gave every seat in the arena an excellent view.
The concept, designed by CfaN's technical director, Derek Murray, involved four large video cubes - designed and built by Tait together with the automation engineering - that were clad with a total of 900 x Pixled F11 tiles.
These were flown above each corner of the stage and used individually for presenting IMAG footage of the stage action together with pre-recorded playback content.
The event comprised two services attracting 20,000 people over two nights. At one seminal moment during each of the services - staged in the round with audience and choir behind the stage - the inner fascias of the four cubes hinged open to join together, forming a seamless new large rectangular flown video structure.
When this section of the service was complete, the cubes glided back to their original four corner 'home' positions.
The content played out on the screens was special VT footage stored, programmed and managed / output via the Catalyst system, and this was also synched and re-sized so it could continue playing whilst the cubes were moving into their different positions.
XL also supplied 165 tiles of Pixled F30 LED for a more conventionally positioned onstage screen at the back of the performance area. This was used for messaging and some ambient footage throughout the performances, which included key inspirational speakers and several bands.
Feeds from five cameras dotted around the venue were also taken into the Catalyst and output to the F-11 in its small and large cube form.
Comfort monitors were installed into the venue's VIP areas and screens and live feeds supplied for a team of interpreters who were stationed in the VIP boxes to aid the simultaneous translation of the services into four languages.
The Catalysts were triggered from a grandMA2 light console which was also controlling all the event's lighting.
(Jim Evans)
