Throughout the construction process of their brand-new building in Ravenhall, Victoria, Mara Evangelical Church enlisted the expertise of Forefront Productions to design and install a state-of-the-art audio, video, and lighting system.
Like every new build project Forefront embarks on, the team focused on presenting a solution that would address both the present requirements and future expansion of the congregation, whilst simultaneously remaining under budget. Thanks to over 30 years of experience in the field, we were well up to the challenge.
Controlling Everything with the Push of a Button
Whilst installing a capable system for the church auditorium was a focus, Forefront saw the opportunity to bring the power of automation using Kramer control, allowing otherwise complex audio, video and lighting systems to be easily controlled with minimal training.
Once installed and programmed by the Forefront team, users could easily change and mix audio sources, and control video feeds and lighting scenes, using iPads positioned around the building. The church’s leadership team where quickly impressed by its capabilities, seeing its potential to both lighten the load on volunteers and allow others to set up smaller meetings, such as small groups and prayer gatherings, without the need for rostering highly trained production team members.
LED Screens: Not Just for Mega Churches
With an auditorium of 350 seats, expandable to 500, the church had not initially considered installing an LED screen, having instead opted for a projector. However, thanks to the affordability and flexibility of PixaPanel screens, LED video has become a viable option for many smaller auditoriums, comparable in price to a suitable projector for the space.
The 3.5x2m PixaPanel Quantum screen serves multiple purposes for the Church, providing vibrant visuals for moments of worship, as well as clear and sharp text for message slides and other graphics. This, combined with a well-balanced audio system powered by NEXO and Allen & Heath, and a streamlined lighting rig, helps to create an immersive worship service for every person in the auditorium.
To reach past the four physical walls, Forefront also installed a simple-to-use but highly capable live streaming set-up. With 3 PTZ cameras from Birddog, all remotely operated from a single control panel, a full livestream video feed can be directed and produced by a single volunteer – reducing the load on the team immensely.
