The 6th Annual Christmas for the Cause fundraiser, auction, and concert transformed Eric Thompson’s Barn in Carrollton, Georgia, into a festival-style live music experience, powered by Illuminated Productions and driven by Obsidian Control Systems technology.
The sold-out event, which benefits families in the Carroll County community facing hardship during the holiday season, featured five full bands and a national headliner, Lonestar. Illuminated Productions (IP), a Carrollton-based full-service audio, video, and lighting production company, served as Platinum Presenting Partner as well as the event’s complete AV and stage provider.
Christmas for the Cause began six years ago as a grassroots effort among friends and has since grown into a non-profit organization delivering presents, meals, and “Christmas miracles” to local families in need. As the event expanded over the past few years, the need for a professional AV company became clear.
For IP President and CEO Chris Dunson, who has previously worked with Christmas for the Cause, the event is special. “There are many children in our county that may not have a Christmas due to no fault of their own. I wanted to make sure that we at IP were able to push that goal of helping as many kids as possible with this event,” he says, adding that they were fortunate to be able to give a third of the production cost back to the community.
At the Heart of the Lighting Design
IP was tasked with building the production infrastructure, including stage design, logistics, artist advancements, and more, and can call on several lighting directors whenever a show demands something beyond the ordinary.
“With this event, it was no question who I wanted to bring in to design and implement the vision we had for the stage,” Dunson says. “Daniel Boerner has been a great asset with IP for years, designing lighting and running multiple programs over the years. Daniel’s knowledge, vision, and calm demeanor make him a first choice in high-stress situations.”
Obsidian Control Systems NX4 Lighting Control Surface
Boerner served as lighting designer and programmer for the house lighting package, programming and running the show on an Obsidian Control Systems NX4 console, supported by Netron networking hardware—two Netron NS8 IP, 66-rated outdoor network switches, and a Netron EN6 IP Art-Net/sACN-to-DMX gateway.
“The NX4 and ONYX platform was great for this type of event because of the ability to quickly get a punt/busking file going by utilizing DyLOS,” Boerner explains. “By pre-programming presets like color, position, beam, and intensity, I was able to use DyLOS mapping to create unique effects on the fly. It has changed my workflow for the better. In a festival-style event like this, there isn’t a lot of time, and ONYX makes it easy.”
Flexibility and Speed
With five full bands on the bill and Lonestar headlining, flexibility and speed were critical. Boerner handled lighting for all opening acts and worked with Lonestar’s touring lighting director to integrate their show into the existing rig. “Daniel did a fantastic job running lighting for all of the opening bands and assisting Lonestar’s LD with integration with our existing fixtures,” says Dunson.
Despite the show’s complexity, he says the performance ran smoothly from start to finish. Boerner noted that the visiting LD was impressed with the Obsidian Control Systems workflow and that there were no technical hiccups throughout the night.
In addition to his role as LD for the event, Boerner serves as Technical Support and Training Specialist at Obsidian Control Systems, giving him a unique perspective on the tools in action.
“The Onyx and Netron platforms pack in a ton of features at a price point that’s accessible across the board,” he said. “I’m very excited for the future of these platforms and what’s to come.”
Christmas for the Cause 2025 gives attendees meaningful music and community impact, making the holidays brighter for those who need it most.
More info on Christmas for the Cause can be found at www.christmasforthecause.com
