Concert Scene

Hey!

Since many churches use non-traditional spaces, I'm going to tell you some of the things you can do to make you concert scene feel more welcoming and professional. In Rochester NY we converted our church basement from an old, outdated reception hall to a functional entertainment venue for music scenes and theatrical productions. My goal is to give suggestions that can take all the work you are already on the performance and elevate it to give the audience an even better experience! 

-Logan Van Epps

1. A Physical Stage
   One of the first basic things you can do (ceiling permitting) is to build a stage to elevate the performers. The height you can get away with really depends on the ceiling height, I recommend not going over 2 feet without steps. If you are building from scratch, don't forget to add recessed power intermittently for amps and other things. We also like to use risers to stand on when we can, they are helpful near the crowd to rise up near the crowd if the stage doesn't go out that far. Installing under lights, trap doors or spinning diases can also be useful, and are worth considering if you are building from the ground up.
   
   

2. Black Paint
   Our original room had wood paneling halfway up and a plant design above that. Painting everything (walls, ceiling, pillars, stage) flat black to help the back of the room from being distracting; allowing your lighting to bring focus to the performer/speaker. You can get flat black Glidden paint for about $20 at Home Depot.
   
   

3. Use of DMX lighting and LEDs
   Upgrading or purchasing LEDs can open up a lot of opportunities, for starters it will be MUCH less hot. Secondly, when connected correctly, DMX-capable LEDs can be connected to a computer via a DMX converter and used in conjunction with a program (we like Lightkey, but there are others out there. You can read more about this and the benefits of DMX lighting and Ableton for plays, music scenes, and haunted houses here:  https://www.cfmhelp.com/home/lights
   
   

4. *SMOKE*
   Cannot stress enough that smoke enhances lighting as much as salt enhances cooking. Understandably some rooms have restrictions, so do a little homework on your building and make sure to cover any alarms with saran wrap and rubber bands if you cannot disable the system. A smoke machine will make even the simplest lighting look moody and epic. Avoid using low-lying fog, which is usually for haunted houses, I also avoid haze, which has just a hazy, muddy look to it.
   
   

5. Using Blinders
   Blinders refer to bright lights in the back of the room behind the subject that shine into the audience's eyes, this can create a very simple but dramatic effect for certain moments of a performance, and some nice dramatic silhouettes. You can rig up some basic floodlights and run the power to the sound/light desk with a simple power strip switch, or for a more sophisticated approach tie them into your DMX lighting rig.
   
   

6. Good Mains/Good Monitors
   It goes without saying but having main speakers that can handle the volume is important, as well as having proper monitors can help the performer to be able to focus on their performance and reduce feedback. Read more about it here: https://www.cfmhelp.com/home/Sound
   
   

7. Curtains
   Black curtains can really make it look like a real stage and can be quite simple to make and hang.
   
   

8. Wings
   Wings, as we refer to them in the theatrical world, or "side stage" can be useful for giving performers and place to exit and enter the stage without walking in view of the audience. Usually, there is one longer back curtain, and a smaller curtain on each side a little closer to the audience allowing the performers/speakers and place to get ready/tune/review lines before going on stage.
   
   

9. Cord Management
   It is important to hide as much cabling as possible, especially running from the board to the stage. This includes mic cables, power cords, HDMI cables, etc...
   
   

10. Bumper Music
    This is more so for running music scenes. Even though the goal is butter-smooth transitions between acts, we all know that sometimes in the dark the can be an awkward pause or two. It can be helpful to have a loop or playlist of instrumental music ready on a separate channel (or speaker system) that is there just in case there is a pause.
    
    

11. Transitions
    Also regarding music scenes, the order of the night can really help make things smooth. For example, if you rotate between band, testimony, and drama it can keep the night moving while giving the other acts time to set up/tune. Ideally, you're drawing the audience's attention to different points of the stage allowing other performers time to set up as well as creating seamless transitions.
    
    

12. Glow-in-the-dark Tape
    This is essential to make sure no one trips over anything backstage in the dark, on the edge of the stage, or bumps into a speaker stand. The tape also needs to be charged by sitting in a room with the lights on or a quicker way is to have people go around with a flashlight and shine it directly on the tape.
    
    

13. Elevated Sound/Media Booth
    Having a booth that is elevated can give the sound people a better view of the whole concert, and hopefully they can see over the audience.
    
    

14. Projector
    Being able to project skits or prerecorded testimonies can help with the flow of the night as well as the professionalism of the verbal music scene. Even better, a live camera feed from somewhere in the room can make the performance a little more dynamic. A simple HDMI switcher can take 2 very simple camera feeds and create a live, multi-angled effect that can really elevate things.
    
    

15. Final Note
    There are a lot of other variables worth discussing, and I find other churches experience valuable, though of course, every city is completely different. Some churches have tried to put kids in nursery to create a more mature atmosphere. There is also theme nights which can be used as a way to draw people out to a more targeted event-full concept commitment required.