Architectural Installation

( Starting a new church or re building an Old one? Here’s some Ideas and Questions to Kick around as you get started.)

When it’s time to look at buying lighting equipment, first we have to look at what type of lighting you need. Sounds simple, right? Well, unfortunately, all too many lighting and sound companies look at churches as cookie-cutter projects and have set formulas in place to give themselves the maximum profit without necessarily giving you the best lighting. Lighting dealers are professionals who find the best ways to give you the best lighting for your house of worship. So how do we decide what kind of lighting you need? We ask questions, that’s how. So here are some questions to know the answers to before you talk to a salesperson.

1) Do you plan on broadcasting your services, now or in the future? This is a critical question, as lighting for broadcast is very different from lighting for drama or simply illuminating the service for the congregation. Lighting for broadcast requires much more light than any other style of church lighting, and it must be very even, with no dark spots. This means more lights, and more electrical power, than simply lighting for drama or for Sunday services. If you don’t immediately plan to broadcast, but think it is likely to happen in the future, you must make sure there is adequate power before beginning the project. If you run out of electricity, you’re done. Game Over.

When lighting for broadcast, make sure that the company you hire has experience in lighting for television. This is not something to trust to the local music store. Television lighting is very exact, and can be very expensive. I generally use a rule of thumb of $100/seat to insure adequate lighting for broadcast.

2) Do you have a contemporary or traditional service? Typically, a non-broadcast, traditional church service is the least expensive type of church lighting system you can get. It provides general illumination, perhaps with some ability to highlight the pulpit area or a few spots for solo singers, but it’s mostly a clean, even wash without too many bells and whistles. We’re just lighting the platform area so that everybody can see everything that’s going on.

A contemporary service can be as elaborate as any rock tour, with fog, changing colors, moving lights, patterns and all sorts of whiz-bang toys. But the last thing you want is a contemporary system, with all its capabilities and associated expenses, in a traditional church. A contemporary service is likely to have trained operators and a dedicated (and occassionally paid) group of church lighting and sound programmers, while a traditional service is typically a “turn the lights on and leave it” kind of project. Contemporary services are also very involved, and can exceed the $100/seat rule that I have set for broadcast. It all depends on the imagination of the folks involved.

3) What is your budget? Don’t go into the process without a clear budget, and it’s okay to share that information with the salesperson, if you trust them. When I’m approached about a project, I ask the budget question for two reasons. First, to see if a project is worth my time financially or if I should refer it to someone else. Second, to see if I will be able to achieve my customer’s objectives with the money they have on hand. We’ve certainly all known people with champagne tastes and a beer budget; well, the same thing happens in construction projects, too! Being up front and clear about your budget lets everyone know the best way to compromise to meet your goals.

4) What is your timeline? If you want a new church lighting system in time for your Easter pageant, April is a bad time to start talking to lighting companies. Ditto for Christmas and November. I typically spend anywhere from one to three years on a project before it’s completed. That’s on new buildings. On renovation work, a year to eighteen months is pretty standard.

We’re going to have to meet a couple of times before I get the design right, then it’s going to have to get budgetary approval, then we have to deal with the money, and only then can I begin ordering equipment, which typically has at least an 8-week lead time for delivery. So I tend to tell customers that it takes a minimum or 90 days from the time I get the contract to get their equipment installed, and that’s if everything goes perfectly.

On new construction, if someone calls and wants me to work on the project, the first question I ask is “have you broken ground yet?” If the answer is “yes,” then we’re already running out of time. Getting everything settled early is critical to a successful project, and we all want to stay friends once the building is built, right? But the Secret there is really keep up communication as much as possible, to get you exactly what you need.

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Learning about Fixtures.

In some cases you may not need a full Installation but instead want to build on what you already have. In an installation  a lot is  by the Dealer, however when you just need a few lights getting the right purchase is up to you. When looking at individual fixtures you need to have ready questions to ask so you get the best bang for your buck. Compare and be willing to shop around a little so you can build on your knowledge. The next time you speak to a dealer or find yourself at a trade show, try asking some of these questions.

1. What changes does my space/ service really need for lighting?
Have a good idea going in. Is it more important to make the Preacher visible or the choir? Would you like more color control or do you need to fill in those dark spaces? My preacher walks around a lot, how is the best way to keep him/her lit though the entire service? If you’ve got a second sit down with a pen and a sheet of paper and start writing out ten things that you feel could really improve the Lighting situation. At this point imagination is the most practical tool you have. Be willing to share and explain these ideas to others. Really, the more input the better.

The next important question is the deceptively simple one, and I  find a good deal of people glaze over it when talking to sales reps.

2. What is this fixture made to do?
It’s a simple question but it’s your first step to getting the right light for the right situation. Some lights are made to light people and others are made to light walls. Some are great for Gobos and others are great for color. There are Architectural fixtures and club fixtures, theater fixtures and rock and roll fixtures. Knowing what your dealing with is essential to making the right decision.

3. Where can I put this light to create the Best results?
( What is the maximum throw distance? How wide is my beam? what degree is this particular light?) Will this light still be bright 30 feet away from the Target or should I try and keep it in a ten foot range? How large a range will this light cover and what happens to intensity if I make it wider? Will my light “wash out” because of stained glass windows? In LED’s especially a good deal of club lights have worked their way into the church market. Club lights as opposed to Theatrical lights are made for closer range lighting than Theatrical fixtures. This does not mean they are bad fixtures, but what it can mean is that you may not be able to get the best result from a light hung high in the air as you would that is low on the ground.

4. Can you show me?
This is the fun part. Take a look at the light and compare it to your situation? Is it bright enough? Is the beam wide enough? How hard is it to control, how dose it move? How intense are the colors, and what will it look like if you change the lenses? Remember if it’s not enough for you it won’t be enough for miss Hubbard in the last Pew.

5. How will this fixture work with what I already have?

Power consumption and DMX  control are always important considerations. Most  LEDs can run off of less than 50watts or less, most movers require  up to 220 volts to operate, both require DMX to operate. Conventional fixtures don’t need DMX, but their dimming systems will. If you already have in house dimming then great, but if you don’t….. When going in know your space and understand it’s confines and strengths.  What can you do for a real upgrade instead of investing in something you may or may not need.

6. Is there a warranty on this fixture and if I have problems with it, who do I contact?

Most companies will provide some form of warranty, or be willing to do service repairs for up to a year or more afterwords.  Sometimes it is your dealer, ( the company selling you the light) that will be doing work as opposed to the manufacturer ( the company making the light).   large  Installations carry much longer service. Single or even small instrument purchases may not carry the same protections. Regardless,  be sure to read the warranty carefully. Sometimes doing your own repair will void the warranty. Most warranties will not cover basic service such as changing lamps or plugs on fixtures.  Ask about service from the manufacturer, some companies are well known for having great service records while others are,  well,  less so.

7. How much does it cost?

Bet you thought I forgot about this one. No instead cost should always be one of the last things you talk about in choosing a fixture. This is not because all budgets are expandable or negotiable, but instead because you want to get the most information about the light that you can. Dealers typically work with two different prices.  One is MSRP, which stands for  Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price. The Second is the List Price, which is the lowest price the manufacturer will allow the fixture to be sold for. Most dealers will give you the List price. A little internet research will help to find out what a good price is and what’s a little much. Remember though a few of the perfect lights might go over better than a lot of the so-so lights. Just remember purchasing a Light is very much like buying a car. You really want to know what it can do, and how long, it’s going to work for.

These are a few things to think about when planning for a new church lighting system, or when looking at buying fixtures.  Hopefully, they’ll help you get moving in the right direction.