Challenges and Blessings Come with Mission Trip Production

The lighting controller was almost 40 years old, was fully mechanical and could not do an instant blackout. The house lighting director spoke no English, and I no Russian, but through hand-signals and pointing I was able to figure out what each lever did.

From a technical standpoint, the equipment was not the best it.  But that did not stop the production from being a hit with the audience.  It was a great way to share Christ through a production in Russia.

Lighting Designer, Camron Ware, shares about his trip to Penza, Russia
By Camron Ware

Walking into an unknown venue can be exciting and challenging, but when you’re in a foreign country, where the language and technology is all unfamiliar, it’s usually more challenging than exciting.

Last month, I travelled with a group of 60 from north Texas, to the city of Penza, Russia. Our mission was to minister to orphans and put on, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” for about 1500 English-speaking students.  I went to help with the technical and creative design aspects of the play, mainly lighting and projection design. 

We brought our own projectors and computer over, so the projection aspect was relatively simple.  However, it’s hard to travel with a dozen ellipsoidals and a lighting console.  So, we relied on what the Russian theater had.  The lighting controller was almost 40 years old, was fully mechanical and could not do an instant blackout, which was needed quite a few times for this particular production. 

The house lighting director spoke no English, and I no Russian, but through hand-signals and pointing I was able to figure out what lever did what and away we went!  In addition to the LD, the audio engineer was there to help us as well, and we had Russian friends there that actually filmed the show for us.  It was exciting to work so close with a people and culture that was once so distant. 

From a technical standpoint, the equipment was not the best it could have been.  But that did not stop the production from being a hit with the audience.  It was a neat way to share Christ through a production, in Russia.  

I spoke to a few of the audience members, after the show, and they all said how fun and great it was.  At the end of the day, it isn’t the technical gear you are working with that makes a show come together, but the people and the passions and skills you share with them.

Camron Ware is a visual worship artist, using lights and projection to tell a visual story.  Find out more at www.visualworshiper.com.

After 30 years in business, All Pro Sound continues to grow. The Pensacola, Fla.-based supplier of audio, video and lighting equipment is adding musical instruments to its inventory.  With a reputation built on providing commercial audio systems along with theatrical lighting and video products for a wide range of applications, the company is now adding guitars and drums. Local and national customers will have access to the to the full line of products through catalog and e-commerce sources.

The company recently renovated its showroom in preparation for the expansion. An in‐store performance area will feature area bands as well as nationally recognized performers and clinicians. On Tuesday, April 6th All Pro Sound will host a Fender New Products Event with special guest Greg Koch, a renowned guitar clinician and performer. This event will introduce the Fender New American Standard Stratocaster and Telecaster guitar lines along with the new G‐Dec amplifier series.

The second launch event will be held the following day April 7th. This will be an all-day event featuring a private showing of custom Taylor Guitars. Aaron Dablow from Taylor will be site all day to assist customers, demonstrate guitars and provide support for this special introduction.

Long recognized as a leader in providing equipment and system designs to churches, schools, performing arts centers and many other national clients, All Pro Sound’s approach to musical instrument sales is built on the same philosophy. The company’s sales consultants, many of whom are working musicians, are very knowledgeable and will offer the same customer relations that we do for all other aspects of their business.

Current musical instrument offerings include Fender, Taylor, G&L Guitars, Greg Bennett Guitars, Yamaha Musical Products, Roland, Korg, Alesis and Paul Reed Smith Guitars with more to come.

www.allprosound.com

Trinity Fellowship Church (TFC), in Amarillo, Texas, enhances its worship experience with large-screen HD video image magnification of services and sermons in the church’s new 4,000-seat “in the round” sanctuary. Essential to providing this video support are volunteer camera operators from the congregation who must capture tight, steady telephoto shots of dynamic preachers moving about the stage as they speak. Confronted with the challenge of maintaining razor-sharp focus while continually tracking these movements, TFC chose to outfit its four HD cameras with XJ86x9.3B AF long-zoom Auto Focus HD lenses with Image Stabilization from Canon U.S.A., Inc.
 
“Video reinforcement is very important for an in-the-round environment,” explains Michael Wells, executive director of production at TFC. “In this configuration only a quarter of the crowd can see the face of the preacher at any one time. Delivering a first-class experience with HD video projection screens became an expectation and a requirement for TFC’s new space, and we planned substantially for our video infrastructure to support the best possible image magnification.”

“Canon’s Auto Focus technology was the last piece of our production puzzle,” Wells continues. “Canon’s XJ86AF HD lenses met our specific criteria, which was to capture a tight image of the preacher from any location. This predicated long-focal-length zoom lenses and image stabilization to get tight shots. Because we’re in the round and the preacher is almost constantly moving toward or away from the cameras, keeping the picture in focus in HD presents tremendous challenges to the production. Our four Canon Auto Focus HD lenses, supplied by Lubbock Audio Visual, Inc., help to ensure a crisp, clear, stable and intimate image on the screens no matter where the preacher is on the stage.”

“The extraordinary sharpness of HDTV imaging necessitates more exacting focus,” explains Larry Thorpe, national marketing executive, Broadcast and Communications division, Canon U.S.A. “In answer to this need, Canon developed its unique Auto Focus technology to assist camera operators in sustaining exact focus while simultaneously contending with normal operational considerations of lens-camera framing, panning, and tilting. The situation in TFC proved particularly challenging because of a very creative scene composition that was sought. The stage is totally surrounded by the audience and it was desired to have them deeply defocused and richly colored while the preacher would always remain in sharp focus. This entailed unusually low light levels and operation at maximum aperture of f 2.0 to achieve a depth of field of about three feet. It was essential that the sharp focus be maintained at all times while the preacher moved randomly over the stage. Canon worked in close collaboration with Michael Wells and Jeff Hartman, the church’s video engineer, in a series of tests that ultimately led to a successful optimization of our AF software, helping to ensure the integrity of the auto focus under all operational conditions.”

This Auto Focus technology is available in three lenses in Canon’s DIGISUPER line: the XJ100x9.3B IE-D AF and XJ86x9.3B IE-D AF long-zoom HD field lenses, and the new XJ27x6.5B AF HD studio lens. They feature three modes: Part-Time, which auto-focuses as long as the operator presses a button (handy for quick focus confirmation or instant on-demand follow-focus); Full-Time, for situations that entail tracking subjects in rapid motion such as horse, dog, or auto races, as well as full-servo robotic applications; and Off, for traditional fully manual focus operation. Utilizing an adjustable-focus window appearing in the viewfinder for camera operators to reference, these optional modes of the Auto Focus technology built into Canon’s HD field and studio lenses provide convenient operational advantages never before available in the age of HDTV.

“That was another aspect of what made the Canon XJ86 AF lens a sound investment that pays for itself,” Wells adds. “The control quality of the Auto Focus lens makes it easy to execute difficult shots. Auto Focus helps us get the most from our volunteer camera operators, and whether from the push of a button or via full-time tracking mode, it helps ensure a well-focused picture. Because of these lenses, we can have an all-volunteer camera force with no sacrifice in quality.”

“By going with the Canon XJ 86AF lens, we’re creating even more of a connection between the congregation and the minister,” Wells explains. “During the musical productions, the detail of the guitarist’s fingers on the strings, or the snare being hit by the stick really comes out. Artistically it’s great to be able to get in with a crisp, close shot of these elements. In addition, the light efficiency of these Canon telephoto lenses is remarkable. This allows us to create a more comfortable environment throughout the auditorium without the higher light levels often required for video production.”

At Trinity Fellowship Church, the Auto Focus feature of the Canon XJ 86AF lenses contribute to making every seat a front-row experience. “It’s all about communicating the message to a larger crowd, with the same intimacy of a smaller space,” Wells adds. “The lenses are one of the most important decisions you can make in broadcast technology. Canon was the right choice for us.”

Canon’s Auto Focus technology and its other advanced optical innovations, such as its patented Optical Shift Image Stabilizer feature for capturing rock-solid video images at telephoto distances, are designed to empower camera operators to create the highest quality HDTV images possible. In addition to the special needs of houses of worship, other uses include major sports telecasts, auto races, entertainment events, robotic studio cameras, and many other applications.

www.tfchurch.org
www.usa.canon.com

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NEW PRODUCTS
01.	Canon LV-7385 LCD Multimedia Projector
	The new Canon LV-7358 is the largest addition to a newly expanded line of affordable LCD Multimedia Projectors.  Two of the new projectors have WXGA resolution (1280 x 800) widescreen and four new XGA resolution (1024 x 768) models. Compact and lightweight with more convenient user features than ever before, Canon’s new LV-8310, LV-8215, LV-7385, LV-7380, LV-7285 and LV-7280 LCD Multimedia Projectors display bright, crisp images and videos.    New Features All six new models share several new and innovative features, such as: Improved Lamp Lighting System to help reduce power consumption and CO2 emissions by operating the lamp at a lower wattage (without reducing lamp intensity) and also extend the lamp life up to 4,000 hours in Normal Mode and 5,000 hours in Quiet Mode. Carbon Reduction Meter to calculate and display the amount of CO2 emissions reduced from operating in Quiet Mode. Auto Energy Saver which automatically switches the projector to Quiet Mode when no input signal is received for one minute. This helps to both save energy and prolong the life of the lamp. Power-Saving Stand-By Mode to aid in reducing overall power consumption to less than 1W by setting the stand-by mode to “Power Saving”. Responding to the growing popularity of widescreen notebook and desktop computers, Canon’s new LV-8310 and LV-8215 LCD Multimedia Projectors provide native WXGA widescreen resolution (1280 x 800) and an aspect ratio of 16:10. This enables these two new projectors to support WXGA resolution computers without the need for compression and/or unsightly distortion. Key Features of new Canon LCD Projectors In addition to the new features cited above, Canon’s new LCD Multimedia Projectors share a wide variety of key features providing optimum performance and convenient operation. One such attribute is high brightness for use in areas, such as classrooms or meeting rooms, where ambient light exists and cannot be controlled, and turning the lights off is not preferred. The new projectors are rated as follows: LV-7385: 3500 lumens LV-8310 and LV-7380: 3000 lumens LV-8215 and LV-7285: 2600 lumens LV-7280: 2200 lumens Each projector also has multiple inputs for a wide variety of computer, video and control sources and functions. The DVI-I interface ensures a digital connection supports the HDCP and high-definition contents available today (HD signals supported include 1080i and 720p). Also included is an RS-232 port and a built-in RJ-45 network port which is most often used by colleges/universities and those managing larger AV systems to connect projectors to an existing network to conveniently control them from a remote location. Pricing, Availability and Warranty Information The new Canon LV-8310 and LV-8215 LCD Multimedia Projectors will have a suggested list price of $1,199 and $1,099, respectively. The suggested list price of the new LV-7385, LV-7380, LV-7285 and LV-7280 LCD Multimedia Projectors will be $1,699, $999, $899, and $799, respectively. All of the new models are scheduled to ship in early April and will be backed by Canon U.S.A.’s Three-Year Limited Warranty and exclusive Projector Protection Program (“Triple P”). Triple P is a FREE service program that provides a loaner projector of equal or greater value in the event that a qualifying unit is in need of repair. Triple P is available on all Canon projector models during the Canon U.S.A. Three-Year Limited Warranty period.*    www.usa.canon.com/projectors.
02.	Lightronics Par4 Light Fixture
	Lightronics Par4 is composed of a die-cast aluminum housing and aluminum reflector for durability. Rated at 800 watts maximum, the fixture utilizes a 575- or 750-watt halogen bulb with a bi-pin G9.5 base. The fixture comes equipped with four interchangeable lenses (VNSP 15 degree, NSP 19 degree, MFL 21-34 degree and WFL 30-51 degree) and a color filter frame. An optional lens replacement tool is available to simplify lens changes.   The company says this versatile fixture produces as much light as a 1000-watt par can with a reduction in electrical consumption of up to 40 percent.  The interchangeable lens allows the user to stock one type of lamp, with the four lenses available to meet the requirements of any mounting location.   This fixture is in stock in black but is available in silver or white through special order. Allow 12 weeks delivery time on special orders.  The fixture is covered with a two-year warranty from Lightronics. www.lightronics.com
03.	Soundcraft Vi1 Digital Mixing Console
	With the Soundcraft Vi Series’ expansion into touring, broadcast and installed sound scenes, the company has added a more affordable level with the release of the new Vi1 console. Many users asked for a smaller, lower-priced desk that included the Vistonics user interface, and quality sound quality established with the Vi Series. The Soundcraft Vi1 is a complete standalone console package with 32 channels of analog input to 27 analog outputs, plus six digital inputs, four stereo FX returns and six digital outputs in one chassis. As standard, input to mix capacity is 46 channels, but by adding a stagebox (compatible with the existing Vi racks), simultaneous channel count increases to 64. Channels are routable to 24 multifunction busses, plus LR and Mono Mix busses. Up to eight of the busses can be configured as matrix mixes, each with up to 16 sources. The surface is just over a meter wide, and includes 16 motorized channel faders with fixed and user-definable layers, eight output/VCA faders and two master faders. The new widescreen Vistonics interface will be instantly familiar to anyone who’s driven a Vi6 or Vi4, as well as retaining the same ‘walk-up’ user-friendliness of the other Vi consoles. This new development displays all parameters for 16 channels side by side, on a single 22-inch Vistonics touch screen. The upper half of the screen handles the output section control as well as cue list or menu displays. Parameter control is via two rows of 16 rotary encoders. Exactly the same channel functionality as the Vi6 and Vi4 is available here, along with all the same core snapshot, talkback and monitoring facilities. Naturally, the Vi1 inherits many of the facilities of its larger siblings, including Soundcraft FaderGlow, four stereo Lexicon effects engines, BSS Audio graphic EQs on all output busses, and integral dynamics on all channels. The desk is compatible with Vi4 and Vi6 show files through the Virtual Vi offline editor, which is available as a free download from www.soundcraft.com.