As one attempts to unravel staging and set design practices, several questions become apparent: what is good design? Who should be the final authority on an effective stage design? What elements play into the success from both an aesthetic and functional standpoint? What processes should be in place for a design regardless of size or scope?
We spoke with several church and design professionals who have spent years refining the process of developing effective stage designs. Regardless of your budget, space, or available resources, implementing best practices and continual improvements will not only enhance the visual appeal of your stage, but act as a conduit for the message and ministry to better reach and engage each person who steps foot inside your church.
The Planning Process
Having come up through the ranks at North Point Community Church in Atlanta, and now production director for Canyon Ridge Christian Church in Las Vegas, Seth Medley understands the power of a sound planning process first and foremost. He says, “You need to bring enough minds into the process to propel it forward, but not too many that [it gets bogged] down. As the production director, my ego can’t get in the way nor should I be the sole person designing and making all the decisions.” When he first arrived at Canyon Ridge, Medley says they were changing out set designs for each new sermon series, special event, holiday, and more. He realized the intent was correct but that it was taxing their systems, both personnel-wise and financially. They’ve slowly made a shift to less design changes throughout the year, but to spending more time thinking through each set, maximizing resources and making each one truly spectacular and engaging.
“As the production director, my ego can’t get in the way nor should I be the sole person designing and making all the decisions.”
Willow Creek Community Church in the Chicago metro area, one of the largest churches in the United States, has employed multidimensional sets and staging for years. It would be easy to assume their processes have always been refined to the highest degree, but that was not always the case.“When I first started at Willow Creek, I would meet with the pastors and come up with concepts for their sermon series months down the road. The scope and direction though would shift and often change as the pastor began to dig into his message writing closer to the series launch. So, in turn, the design originally conceived would have to change, and on a short timeline, [and] that never goes well,” says Glenn Davis, scenic director and designer for Willow Creek.Davis explains how a potential design change can affect other departments in the church. “Imagine a new set that revolves around video screens, LED panels, and associated content. Clearly, any major changes to the set can affect the video team as they will have to produce potentially large amounts of content week to week. Is that feasible for them? Do they have the manpower to make it work within their current demands?” he asks.
Aesthetic and Function
Ben Hunt is the owner of Atlas Creative, a creative agency based in Atlanta that specializes in creative direction and environment design. Having worked extensively in the church world and now owning his own design agency, Hunt has seen how the intersection of aesthetic and function play out in multiple applications.“My approach more closely aligns with interior design or architectural design than a pure technical approach. Form always precedes function. When I allow myself to pigeonhole a design based on a space, the end result is always lackluster,” Hunt states. “Because of this, I spend a lot of time researching other fields—architecture, interior design, graphic design, landscaping, cooking magazines, and more.”
“Seek out professionals at every point when needed. Know the fire hazards, toxicity, rigging safety, load points, traffic flow on stage, and every other aspect.”
Hunt says many churches will dream up great pieces for a set but they end up being discarded at the end of a scenic cycle. Rather, he says, think about how to maximize your budget and use it as a springboard to multiply your creative impact over a long period of time, purchasing and building elements that have multiple uses and options.“For instance, I may have a hard scenic layer, a soft scenic layer, a high-res LED layer, a low-res LED layer, and an incandescent layer all in the same design. I can turn everything on at the same time and create a huge look, but 90% of the time the goal is to highlight certain emotions and moods, creating a versatile pallet that supports what’s on stage,” says Hunt.
While the visual aesthetic clearly needs intent and purpose, the functional aspects of a stage design are no doubt of utmost importance. What materials are appropriate? How will power and data cabling for lighting and video be run and rigged? Does a venue have appropriate rigging to fly or stabilize all of the elements? Davis says that you must understand the capabilities everything you do rather than taking it for granted. “Seek out professionals at every point when needed. Know the fire hazards, toxicity, rigging safety, load points, traffic flow on stage, and every other aspect. I’ve seen too many scary things out there which could cause serious harm to humans. Do it right and do it safe.”
Options and Long-term Thinking
Whether you’re a church just dabbling in more creative stage designs or a place that employs complex sets multiple times a year, one factor never leaves the discussion: budget. For most churches, stretching dollars and obtaining extensive mileage out of purchases are important. “A lot of churches are using scenic pieces but many utilize design that relies purely on lighting fixtures and video elements. I always recommend having a master plan in place for how you will purchase and supplement your lighting inventory long-term. Buy the best equipment you can afford, thinking how you will be able to use those fixtures in multiple ways year after year,” says Hunt.
In addition to a long-term plan, Medley emphasizes the importance of sticking to your budget without any excuses. He says that those who are entrusting you with this money need to know you are reliable, have done your homework, and are using monetary resources in a way that shows good stewardship. Trust in small ways typically leads to additional trust—and perhaps an increased budget in the future. In his long career, building and designing more than 200 sets, Davis says the importance of a team-oriented environment is the best investment any church leader can foster.
“The biggest mistake I see is someone creating a design then holding onto it like it’s their own. You must work with all of the various team members and flush out the best ideas, truly making that design effective and efficient. I’ve seen many team environments fail because one person wants to be celebrated. It really does bring joy when all parties involved are committed to the success in the final product.”
