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IRVING BIBLE CHURCH BLURS THE LINE BETWEEN LIGHTING AND VIDEO
In Texas, houses of worship are often distinguished by their size as much as their character. However, while the Irving Bible Church boasts a sizeable congregation of more than 4,000 members, the creativity behind its worship services is its most impressive feature. With a little imagination, Irving Bible Church has utilized full-motion projection technology to create an immersive worship experience unlike any other.
“All you need is a projector, a laptop and a little creativity.” So says Camron Ware, lighting and projection designer at Irving Bible Church, who oversees the dynamic video display that characterizes the Church’s services. Because of the large static and moving images, the display more closely resembles an ancient cathedral that has larger-than-life paintings and stained glass to create a worship environment. However, the system is actually comprised of Hitachi America video projectors, which project moving graphics and static images directly onto a brick wall behind the altar, as well as onto the sanctuary’s side walls. There are no screens used for the “architectural projection.” The projectors throw straight on the walls of the sanctuary, floor to ceiling, side wall to side wall.
“We created a system that creates an abstract look and texture on the existing wall of the worship space, while also allowing for thematic, more traditional images,” Ware said. “The brick wall is a novel surface for projection, and while the wall has a texture to it already, the image still remains clear.”
“As with any church, we always need to take our budget into account when making purchasing decisions,” Ware said. “We wanted the effect of moving lights with simple textured gobos and breakups, but the Hitachi projectors are a much more cost-effective, and more flexible, way to get that effect. We literally did it all for $10,000, for projectors and cabling. We did the install ourselves.”
A Hitachi CP-X1250 projector displays graphics on the center brick wall of the Church, flanked by a CP-X605 projector on each side that also display imagery onto the wall. All three units use their standard lenses. Another two CP-X1250 projectors are used to display static images, such as lyrics, still photos and sermon text, on the main screens. There is a CP-X1200 used as a confidence monitor located in the back of balcony. The motion content on the Hitachi projectors is controlled by Easy Worship software, while Sunday Plus software handles the static images. All projector units and accessories were purchase from Shepherd Multimedia in Grapevine, TX. “Shepherd was a great help in picking the right units for the job. It is always a pleasure to work with them.”
“We use the whole architecture of the building as a projector surface,” Ware added. “It makes you feel like you’re immersed in the worship, rather than just being a spectator. Think of it as a post-modern cathedral using imagery instead of paintings and stained glass that surround and engage you.”
For more information on Irving Bible Church, please visit www.irvingbible.org
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