“When discussing new ideas, we need to consider audio mixing complexities, stage layout for orchestral seating, and how to manage the numerous cues for lighting and video,” says Matt Kotthoff, the technical and production director at Minneapolis’ Wooddale Church.
For many churches, annual Christmas services can tend to be some of the more artistic, creative, and expressive services of the year, which also means that they can be some of the most technically challenging services of the year also.
Having so many moving parts that are not normally part of the weekend flow is a recipe for disaster, if appropriate time and care isn’t put into managing the extra details that might be involved.
Whether it’s a drama or spoken word piece, a string ensemble or a choir, dancers or a singing Christmas tree, any unique element has the ability to cause more distractions than impact if it isn’t managed properly.
And as typical for any service creative element, its level of success is rooted in the amount of time spent on preparation.
“Over-communicating is not really possible... Plan early, dream big, and communicate often!” —James Brown, Director of Production at Idlewild Baptist Church, metro Tampa, Florida
“Having done many different programs over the years, from full-scale musicals and dramas, to choir and orchestra concerts, to having special guest artists come and perform, one of the biggest keys regardless of scale is planning and communication,” says James Brown, the director of production at metro Tampa, Florida’s Idlewild Baptist Church. “Over-communicating is not really possible in many instances. Plan early, dream big, and communicate often!”
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Photos courtesy of Idlewild Baptist Church, Lutz, Florida.
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Idlewild’s Christmas services may be bigger than what many churches will do, incorporating dramas, multiple choirs, an orchestra, and large-scale LED wall rentals and multiple stage sets, all part of a four-night experience that will welcome over 10,000 guests to campus.
This many moving parts means that advance planning and coordination is a must.
“This is the most vital piece,” Brown notes. “We work very early with the worship team to hear their vision for the script, set, and any tech needs they have determined. We work very early with the event/set team to work through any possible issues to that vision/plan. It takes many months of planning and work to make this work and be successful.”
More lead time in planning naturally leads to more open brainstorming sessions and ideating, whereas plans that come together later in the calendar have to quickly shift to more of a logistical flow simply because of the amount of time it may take to come up with a technical plan, schedule rehearsals, and inform teams of flow and responsibilities.
“When discussing new ideas, we need to consider audio mixing complexities, stage layout for orchestral seating, and how to manage the numerous cues for lighting and video,” says Matt Kotthoff, the technical and production director at Minneapolis’ Wooddale Church. “We also have to think about the physical setup and sightlines for both performers and the audience.”
When new service elements might be added for a special event, it’s natural to first think about the audio impact and requirements, whether that’s something as simple as patching in a couple new microphones, or maybe even needing to rent some additional wireless mics or beltpacks, which can then cause its own ripple effects.
“Adding extra wireless gear often leads to RF coordination challenges, especially in a space with multiple performers using wireless mics, IEM’s and instruments,” Kotthoff reminds. “It’s crucial to perform a thorough frequency scan and plan accordingly to avoid interference and RF overlap.”
But the coordination details don’t stop just with audio.
Consider the lighting impact for adding additional musicians or vocalists in places different from the Sunday flow.
… any lighting changes should be done in concert with the video team to ensure that white balance and colors on camera are accurate…
If a church has moving lights for their front wash, making an adjustment to light up a new part of the stage might not be a huge deal, other than taking the time to reprogram some cues. However, if lighting is done with static fixtures, then it takes time to get to the lighting grid and physically re-aim those fixtures.
Or maybe there are some older fixtures already in the grid that can just be programmed for this specific purpose instead of re-aiming something. It’s a great idea in theory, but what if those fixtures need to be relamped or regelled so the intensity and color temperature match the rest of the lights in the front wash? That’s effort that may take additional time to plan.
Furthermore, any lighting changes should be done in concert with the video team to ensure that white balance and colors on camera are accurate across the stage and there are no hot or dead spots in the wash.
And if the special element involves talent moving across the stage, potentially exposing uneven lighting? Yet another thing that should be considered and planned in advance.
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Images courtesy of First West, West Monroe, Louisiana.
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“We have used local dance companies to add ballet or lyrical dance to songs, and we have had also a local high school drumline,” recalls Cory Bolen, the minister of media and communication at First West, a two-site ministry in northeast Louisiana.
“Much of the challenge with these groups comes with being able to schedule rehearsal time prior to the performances. With the rehearsals, we do our best to give the groups click tracks of the songs and then really focus on their blocking and musicality the week before the program,” he adds.
Bolen exposed another, non-technical issue that tends to come from having unique service elements as part of a special event: how will rehearsals be managed?
It’s one thing for a ministry to schedule its own choir or vocal ensemble for additional rehearsal times in the days leading up to a service, but that gets more complicated when artists outside of the church are involved.
When those people or groups are part of a show, rehearsals and sound checks should be planned and managed very strategically in order to maximize the time of those people when they’re onsite. Can the regular choir or band work through certain elements ahead of time so it doesn’t infringe upon a rehearsal with a guest artist or performer? Can the technical teams have separate opportunities to address their concerns so they don’t eat into critical times when visiting performers need to be on stage?
… it’s so important to have a thorough run sheet or schedule planned in advance, not just for the main service itself, but also for rehearsals…
This is why it’s so important to have a thorough run sheet or schedule planned in advance, not just for the main service itself, but also for rehearsals. What is happening and when? Who needs to be where at what time? What sort of specific notes or cues need to be shared with various members of the technical teams? How is the timing of certain transitions set up so that it can get fully practiced?
“Early on (around 4 months prior), [a Planning Center flow] is created for teams to be able to listen/learn music,” says Idlewild’s Brown. “Two weeks prior, a detailed format is printed in block/table form with script, timecode, audio, lighting, and video notes as well as stage/scene notes. Every item has a line/item number to make it easy to keep everyone on same page. The producer is constantly calling cues and scene changes [and] item numbers are called out so that prompter and everyone stay on same page through the entire event. This level of coordination can only be done with extensive planning.”
“With the number of mics used (usually 30+), it is critical for our stage manager to have detailed needs for mics and getting them labeled. One week prior to rehearsals, the stage gets spiked, blocking is completed, mics are labeled and all other preparations are completed, he continues.”
“Detail is paramount in planning and executing events,” agrees Wooddale’s Kotthoff. “Proper labeling of mics and packs, spiking the stage, and clear communication among stagehands prevents mistakes and ensures smooth transitions during the live event.”
In a flurry of activity backstage or during a transition, advance preparation can help minimize any level of stress felt by performers who suddenly aren’t sure of what to do or where to go, especially if a ministry may not have a stage manager to help provide guidance.
Using colored spike or gaff tape to mark spots on stage for performers, or even to denote specific mics or beltpacks to use, is a great way to eliminate any confusion. Another idea would be to have specific (and clearly marked) places where mics or instruments are waiting backstage before being used so there’s never any confusion regarding where something is or who is using it.
Preparation is the key to success, and the ultimate sign of preparation is an effective plan for rehearsals. After all, practice makes perfect!
“A detailed schedule with all rehearsals and times is given two weeks prior to load-in,” notes Brown. “This allows everyone on the teams to know who has the stage space and when. Planning every detail keeps a lot of headaches and frustration among the teams as it can be difficult to program lighting while the actors are trying to rehearse and block, or while the stage crew is trying to spike set pieces and rehearse moving them into place. Same with the audio team trying to adjust tracks or ring mics while the orchestra is trying to rehearse.”
Rehearsals can be critical when managing the timing of transitions or for loading/striking the stage, since the last thing that a team would want is the lights to come up with stagehands still on the stage trying to manhandle a riser.
They also help each team hone details: will mics and beltpacks be locked on and just muted/unmuted at the console to prevent a “whoopsie” moment by talent? Do the camera operators and directors know where onstage to find a certain instrument during a key solo? Is the lighting team prepared to follow a dancer across stage? Are monitors dialed in for vocalists? Are any theatrical performers’ costumes bumping against their headset mics?
Typical Sunday services can occasionally feel like a wash, rinse, repeat cycle of a certain feel and flow, week-in and week-out. When that rhythm is present, it can be easy to lose muscle memory for things like Christmas performances that only happen once a year.
That’s why it’s so crucial that multiple teams are involved in the communication and planning details ahead of time, to shake off the rust and prepare for a special service that may include an atypical number of moving parts.
As always though, technical teams can’t get so focused on the minutiae of the equipment and service flow that they focus on those things just for the sake of the gear and the nuts-and-bolts. Something bigger is always at stake that makes all the planning and preparation worthwhile, if the service can flow smoothly and with minimal distractions.
“We understand that for many people, this time of year may be the only time they walk in our doors,” Brown reminds. “We want to be a spark that ignites a flame for someone’s life to change forever. We get the opportunity year after year to tell the greatest story ever told!”
