Some of the most visible technical accoutrements at the church’s new multisite are Vanguard (formerly Aeson) video panels. Production staff at North Shore report that they rely on the company’s Rhodium P4 panels. “We currently have three LED screens in our auditorium,” says Matt Skrzypczynski, production director. Those three include two 7x7 panel walls for side screens and one 10x7 panel wall for the center screen.
The side screens are primarily used for IMAG and lyrics, while the center screen usually displays motion and still backgrounds and lyrics. Yet he reports, “We have used [all three] as a triple wide setup as well, and they do a fantastic job with creating an immersive experience.”
“We have used [all three] as a triple wide setup as well, and they do a fantastic job with creating an immersive experience.”
Kaleb Wilcox, executive producer, reports that the Vanguard panels making up the center screen, in particular, are designed to create more flexibility in the visually intensive performance space. “Our center screen is on motors to be able to move from a lowered position, just inches off the floor, to a height even with our side screens—or even up out of the performance space,” he notes. “We often use the center screen as a backdrop for special creative elements or message backdrops.”Beyond the configuration advantages of the video panels, the tech duo says the presence of natural light in the worship space was another reason they were drawn to the Vanguard solution. Despite the space’s two expansive walls of windows, Skrzypczynski says the team can now achieve “deep, cinematic blacks, even in high ambient light.”
And finally, ease of maintenance was another factor that made Vanguard an ideal fit. As Skrzypczynski explains, “The [Rhodium P4] panels are completely serviceable from the front or back, and can be either internally or externally wired. This makes clean installations/repairs incredibly easy. Due to this, our side screens are able to be mounted almost flush against the wall.”
Wilcox adds another video panel service and maintenance benefit. “Unlike a projector, a component could fail and we can replace it on-site or even make it through a service with partial functionality,” he says.
