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Photo courtesy of Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, TX
Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, TX, utilizes dramatic lighting and expansive LED walls in one of their larger venues.
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Photo courtesy of Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, TX
In today’s church production world, if you are a lighting designer or programmer, you are also dealing with video content. Modern stage design typically includes video elements, be it LED walls, IMAG screens, or even pixel mapping of lighting fixtures. So, how do we integrate video and lighting into a cohesive design?
Let’s begin by discussing the technical elements of assimilating video into a lighting rig. Content is typically contained on a media server of some kind. Some media servers are software-based and installed on a computer like ProPresenter or Mbox. These solutions are very cost-effective and simple to deploy. They also tend to have limitations such as outputs and resolution, not to mention you are then relying on the stability of the computer you provide. The other option is to use a media server integrated into its own hardware. Companies like Disguise and Pixera (and many others) build machines to match the capability you need, ensuring the hardware can keep up. While these solutions are typically more expensive, they also allow for more stability and customization of output configurations.
Before you pull the trigger on purchasing one of these products, it is important to determine how you plan to control it. A bare-bones option would be to have an operator run the server manually using whatever user interface is available. While this is technically simple, it also means another body to staff the position. In addition, this also means that video and lighting are controlled by two operators, leaving room for unsynchronized execution.
Video should be an extension of the lighting design - not a separate entity.
A much more efficient way to run your content is to integrate it with other devices in your system. Ideally, we want to remove an operator from the equation and allow a master device to control the video playback. While this can be done from a myriad of devices (video switchers, StreamDecks, etc.), if the goal is to integrate video and lighting, then the lighting console is the ideal solution. Many lighting consoles are able to treat the video server as a lighting instrument. You can add the server to the patch library just like any other fixture, but be prepared to consume a lot of channels. Once the server is patched into the system, the operator can now treat video playback the same way he/she controls the rest of the lighting rig.
Some control methods for connecting the lighting console and video server include MIDI triggers, SMPTE or MIDI timecode, contact closure triggers, or various lighting protocols like DMX, sACN, and Art-Net. We won’t go into detail about these methods in this article, but the important thing to consider when choosing a control method is the idea of “triggering” versus “synching.” When a piece of content is triggered to play, that means a signal is being sent to simply hit “play” for that clip. Many times, this is sufficient since the goal is to start the content at the same time as other elements are happening. Triggers can be sent via any of the protocols mentioned above. However, there are times when you want the content to be completely synchronized with the music. Not only does this ensure the content doesn’t “drift” as the song goes along, but it’s invaluable for rehearsals. When content is synchronized to the originating protocol, every frame of the video is assigned a specific moment in the timeline. So, when you jump to a different part of the song in a rehearsal, the content jumps right along with it.
For lighting consoles, synchronization is commonly achieved with timecode (SMPTE or MIDI) originating from the musical director’s (MD) rig. Timecode may be generated from ProTools, Ableton, or other playback systems and sent to the lighting console. When the MD has the power to trigger the tracks and the lighting/video, the production becomes very cohesive.
… photo-real imagery is a bold design choice because it draws attention to itself. It doesn’t blend into the background - it becomes the dominant feature of the stage design.
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Photo courtesy of Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, TX
Prestonwood Baptist Church’s dynamic lighting and vibrant LED walls in one of their intimate venues.
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Photo courtesy of Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, TX
Now that we can control the video content efficiently, let’s dive into design. For the purposes of this discussion, we will be talking about video as “digital scenery” that is being used for backgrounds in the stage design. Video content should be thought of the same way we think about lighting, manipulating the elements of color, motion, and texture. Video should be an extension of the lighting design - not a separate entity. Let’s talk about the choices we get to make when selecting and manipulating content.
First, what look are we going for? Remember, the moment should define your decision. Is this a fast song? Is it a slow song? Is it a sermon? An invitation time? The walk-in? The content should be appropriate for the moment.
Second, do we want photo-real visuals or non-descript graphics that create the feel we want? Photo-real content (like trees or water) can be very impactful, but they are also very specific. In other words, people are going to look at the video displays and see trees or water, so it needs to make sense. For example, if the worship team is doing “Oceans” in the worship set, it may connect well to choose a water-themed video clip. It’s a little on the nose, but most people won’t complain. However, keep in mind that photo-real imagery is a bold design choice because it draws attention to itself. It doesn’t blend into the background - it becomes the dominant feature of the stage design.
I highly recommend programming your services with a monitor nearby showing various camera angles.
Most of the time, we are looking for imagery that emanates a “feel” to correspond with the moment. This content is typically motion graphics generated video, and it is available in countless designs. One of the most important takeaways from this discussion, though, is do not feel like the motion graphic clip has to play as-is. Always be willing to manipulate the video to fit your purposes. All media servers give you tools by which you can make adjustments to the content. Or, you can always manipulate the content in the myriad of software tools available to you. Keep that in mind in the following discussion.
One of the most important aspects of designing lighting and video for worship is that our creativity should not be distracting. Ask yourself these questions about the various elements of design (by the way, this applies to lighting AND video):
Color
- Does the color palette match the mood of the moment?
- Do the video content and lighting create a seamless color image?
- Do I want a monochromatic look, or should I use complementary colors?
- Is there anything distracting about my color choices?
Motion
- Is the motion smooth or jerky (jerky motion is going to draw attention to itself)
- Does the speed of the motion match the moment?
- Should the motion change speed between verse and chorus?
- Should there even be any motion at all? (sometimes a still image is very compelling)
Texture
- How “busy” do I want the imagery to be?
- Are hard lines ok, or should I soften the focus to not draw attention?
- Does the texture look like something that may distract?
- Does the texture create leading lines that are beneficial?
Finally, be aware of two final design considerations. First, should we be using a visual theme throughout the service? If we’re not careful, we can create a service strung together with random videos and graphics that have nothing to do with each other. Maybe normal people won’t notice this consciously, but we risk creating an undercurrent of chaos and disconnectedness in the worship environment when we only design song by song instead of thinking of the worship service as a story arc.
Second, if your church uses cameras, always, always, always quality check how your content (and lighting) choices impact the video image. In the room, your eye can be very forgiving. The camera, however, is not. I highly recommend programming your services with a monitor nearby showing various camera angles.
…our creativity should not be distracting.
Whether you create your digital scenery in-house or purchase it from the many online vendors out there, strive to always engage your brain in the design process using the tactics we have discussed. As visual designers for worship services, we have a heavy responsibility to make choices that will enhance the worship experience, not distract.
