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This was one more item that we wanted to be consistent with the theme and the branding. The staging is such a big part of what a first time guest experiences.
We again drew from our inspiration — the Sherlock Holmes movie. As you watch the movie you see throughout scenes from the industrial revolution. And the part that inspired the design the most was the rusted iron, big beams, large rusted nuts and bolts.
And then the team took to one more level :: steam punk. We incorporated the industrial revolution style with brightly colored LED fixtures.
One of our stage volunteers (who is a cabinet maker by trade) craft panels that would skirt the stage risers and cover the front of the trussing that surrounds our 12 x 20 foot center screen. Incorporated into the design are cut-out segments (or lites as they call them in the door industry). Milky plexiglass was inserted into these open areas.
The LED lighting was placed behind which gave us the opportunity to light the stage in any color we desired.
Our lighting volunteer theatrically desiigned the stage lighting in order to highlight the fronts of the staging.
Materials: The panels were made of MDF. Painted with a paint with actual iron particles. Before the second coat dried, a green and beige patina was sprayed onto the paint which actually rusted the iron in the paint. The panels literally looked like an rusted iron structure.
Because the panels are “generic” in feel, we have the opportunity to bring them back and use them again when we need skirting but no specific them is needed.
I remember growing up with Dr Seuss books. I remember learning to read using them.
- The Cat in the Hat
- Green Eggs and Ham
- Hop on Pop
And of course I read them to my kids and now my grandkids. Who doesn’t love to take a brief trip to Seussville?
We thought we’d go there. The Sun Valley creative team is working on a summer sermon series about Jonah — using a Seuss-type telling of the story and marrying that with an accelerated video of the story being drawn by an illustrator.
The short promo goes like this:
The Lord’s word to Jonah came quite unexpected:
“Go down to Nineveh. You’ve been elected.”
But he didn’t go. Instead he ran right away.
Listen up, don’t you mimic. It will ruin your day!
Cause, you can’t run away from the Lord. Jonah knew it.
In this series we will find out what occurs when you do it!
There’s a little bit of kid within all of us. We are betting on that by covering the series subject of evangelism with a little levity.
On Wednesday, I’ll tell you how we put together the branding, the promo, and the sermon bumper.
REHEARSE EVERYONE
Everything that happens on the weekend stage should be rehearsed. Yes, everything. We know that the pastor studies and rehearses for the weekend. Our bands rehearse on Wednesday evenings.
So what about the host. You know, the guy that welcomes and does the announcements. A.K.A. Pastor of Miscellaneous.
He should rehearse too. And he does during our run-thru. I have found his or her live delivery is sharper when they’ve been forced to say it once.
Everyone should rehearse!
I’m glad they ask this question. I often find out very quickly the reason they ask this so early in the process and it’s usually stems from some tension with their pastor and the creative process.
Let’s cut right to the bottom line: your pastor is the most important player in the creative process. In this I have no doubt. The success of your team’s creative journey and the overall success of the creative process firmly rests on his shoulders.
Why? It’s simple: he is the catalyst. The “message” that God wants the creative team to deliver comes first from the pastor. After the pastor determines what the church community needs to hear, it is then handed to the creatives for expansion and clarity.
But wait and don’t forget–this is a team effort. Pastor provides the target message. The creatives round out the message–make it more clear, provide intrigue and interest, create flow and movement in worship. But there’s a partnership here. After a worship cue is designed, the ultimate stamp of approval must come from the pastor.
Since he is lead communicator, he needs to be confident that the elements surrounding his teaching strengthens the message. That’s the bottom line and what a teaching pastor is truly looking for.
TIP: If you want to drive your pastor crazy, offer creative elements in worship for creative purposes only. A creative team’s ultimate goal is to provide creative elements in worship that strengthen the message and provide clarity and impact, not to be creative.
I’ll definitely talk more about this subject because this is where the blame game often begins!