When I first met Camron, it was via his blog at VisualWorshiper.com and the post included photos of his house. To clarify, the photos were of larger-than-life artwork projected onto the back of his house--and the results were magic. Something ordinary was suddenly extraordinary.
It would be months before I would have the opportunity to experience environmental projection in worship. The pictures on Camron's blog had only told part of the story. It was quite something else to worship in a standard church auditorium and have it transfigured into an artistic canvas.
So, when I ran into Camron at WFX in Atlanta this year, I couldn't wait to find the opportunity to interview him to find out more about his ministry.
What first inspired you to create digital environments?
It started at Irving Bible Church in Irving, Texas. I literally grew up there working with my brother—Russ Ware—who was leading worship. I started with the technical helping things “look right” but over time I learned to think in terms of the worship experience.
IBC gave me the freedom and opportunity to try new things. I began with lights adding color and texture to white walls, but then began experimenting with using projection instead of lights. Soon people who experienced the immersive environments wanted to create them outside the walls of IBC, and I began to explore what could be done in different places. Projected environments can work literally anywhere—from the most ancient of cathedrals to the most basic of hotel meeting spaces.
What has the impact/response been in worship?
There is something significant that happens when people are immersed in the beauty of God's creation—even when it is just through simple projection. The comment I get the most is that it is a fresh experience. After the service is over, people often come up and say, “I loved that.” It isn't that they haven't seen the images before; they simply haven't been surrounded by them while worshipping in a church building.
Using every sense in worship is something that was common in ancient times that we seem to have lost. Incense, liturgy, art…gatherings of corporate believers once engaged every sense. Church was big. It told a story. It used people's gifts to build it. Technology is facilitating a return to that immersion. The best part is that it is cross-generational. I love it when the sweet old ladies come up to me and talk about the experience.
What effect surprised you?
We did a simple effect with a black background and the names of God in white scrolling up. So many people came up after the service and commented. One person said that it looked like the praises were rising to heaven. Others connected with whatever aspect touched them personally at the moment….phrases like “He is mighty” or “He is our healer.” Each person was touched by something different.
It is interesting that people responded so differently to the same visual environment—and it was the most simple you could get. White text on black background.
I came away from that with a sense of how futile English language is to describe God, but that somehow in that moment when our physical being was connected to our spirit those words expressed something we couldn't otherwise.
How has this spread to other churches?
The biggest way the idea has spread is by people experiencing it. They want to take it to their own churches. You can tell people about it; they can see pictures, but until you experience it you still don't really get it.
From a tech point of view creating the environment all depends on your worship space. No matter what type of building you are in, there is something that can be done to create atmosphere that is intimate, engaging, and turns the space into a window into God's love, creation and grace.
It would be easy to say that you only have to grab a projector and shine it on the wall, but there are variables like ambient light, wall size and wall color. Probably the first thing that people could do who want to experiment with digital environments is to begin to look at their space as a canvas instead of simply walls.