Halloween Stage

For our Halloween service, we went all out in Fusion (our student ministry at Southern Hills Christian Church).  A few spider webs here, a giant spider there, some hanging clothes, a BUNCH of pumpkins, eery lighting, and VOILA!

(As usual, the pictures don't do it justice, but you get the idea.)

The orange "string" is actually marking tape, available at Lowes or Home Depot.  This was part of the preexisting stage design, but added a lot to the Halloween decor.

Corey and I continue to enjoy the pumpkins as we take them home and roast the seeds.  Yum!

At the Circus

This past Sunday in our children's program we finished a circus series titled "Under the Big Top."  To create a tent look, we used plastic table cloth, tacking it into the wall and ceiling.  We feared the kids would demolish it, but as you can see it held up fairly well over the 8 weeks.  We gathered some props from around the church and from a few friends (yes, that is a unicycle that one of our volunteers can actually ride!).  We created a concession stand out of 2x4s and once used coroplast.  Coroplast doesn't hold paint well (you can scratch it off with your finger nail), but it was a resource we already had and could reuse.

The table cloths to the side of the stage proved difficult to hang and stay in place because we couldn't affix them to a cinderblock wall.  Eventually we gave up fixing them every week, but no one seemed to notice and they still looked ok.  We bought a few clown like hats at Target and used them to display the interactive elements, juggling scarves and balls.  We also had Buddy Walking boards and put those out for the kids to play with.

I always consider costumes as part of decorating the stage.  Dressing the part adds so much and completes the look.  Corey was the ring master.  Occasionally we had a clown, juggler, lion tamer, and once we had a guy on stilts.  It was a great series, but on to the next! 

Robot Repair Shop

Our previous series in All Stars was titled "Dr. Tomorrow's Robot Repair Shop."  Here's what the stage looked like!

We took apart a computer monitor and a TV/VCR combo.  I filled this metal cart with the internal parts and put the empty screen shells next to the cart.  The flat screen monitors displayed videos of a dancing robot and the matrix (green falling numbers).  The styrofoam head can be purchased at hobby lobby.

I made the gears with leftover insulation foam board from the Heroes series.

I filled glass jars with odds and ends: colored blocks, batteries, wires, ping pong balls, markers, etc.  On the table we also had a magnifying glass, rubber chicken, work gloves, box of foil, cordless telephone, lamp, and duct tape.  The chalkboard was covered in random math equations and the dry erase board had the "plans" for the exo-suit we created for the skits.  On the wall I taped random robot blueprints Corey found online.  

It was a great series and the kids loved Dr. Tomorrow and his assistant Gasket!  Check out a video of highlights from the series on the Southern Hills Facebook page!

Time Set

Our last series at church was titled "What a Difference a Day Makes."  For the graphics and stage set, our creative team focused in on the time aspect of the series.  We made abstract triangle columns that we saw on this site, added fancy lightening and VOILA! the stage was set.

Ok, making a 16 foot by 12 foot clock was not that easy.  But it was worth it!  I thought the abstract triangles and larger-than-life clock gave the stage an "Alice in Wonderland" feel.

We removed the center of the clock and placed it two feet in front of the rim to give more depth to the set.  This also allowed for band members to enter the stage from the back through the clock.  A lamp was placed behind the center to light the rim.  At times the rim was also lit with stage lights for more affect.

For the next series, we are simply removing the clock and adding another column of triangles in its place.

How we made the clock- The clock is made up of 3 layers of alternating insulation foam board.  (Remember to use foam board glue!  Other glues will eat through your project.)  Once the glue cured, we stood the giant sheet up and I finished the clock with it standing.  I projected the image onto the board, traced it, cut it out with a saws-all, used high-gloss paint, and filled in the seams with caulk.  The center is mounted to the floor with spare 2 x 4s and the rim is secured to a giant wall we have near the back of our stage.  When we removed the clock, it was cut into manageable pieces that will be recycled for future sets.

How we made the triangles- Melissa made the triangles out of coroplast, or sign board.  We planned to hang them from fishing line, but the triangles were too heavy.  So Kevin and Andrew fixed them to 2 x 4s that are secured to the ceiling.

On the Trail

Last week we started a new series in All stars, the children's program at Southern Hills Christian Church.  We are using the Elevate curriculum made by Fellowship Church which can be purchased at www.creativepastors.com.  Each series lasts for 8 weeks and we are currently "On the Trail" with Cookie and Tex, learning about how Moses was obedient to God.

Here are some pictures of the stage set.

This back drop, cacti, and burlap sack were the only props I made for this series.  The backdrop is acrylic paint on canvas.  I free handed it based on a picture included with the curriculum.  The cacti are made with insulation foam board and the stands with scrap 2 by 4 pieces.  The rest of the props were gathered from around the church and from church members.

I also consider ourselves props as we dress the part.  This encourages the sponsors and kids to as well.  With all the cowboy get-up and the stage, it really does feel like you just stepped into the wild west!

More Foam Board

Here are some other projects I worked on for Southern Hills.

On Wednesday nights we are doing a series called "B."  Jon Day, the Executive Pastor, asked me to make a gigantic letter B for a prop.  He bought 5 pieces of insulation foam board each 1 inch thick.  I drew the original B, cut it out, and then traced it on the remaining sheets.  After cutting out those, I glued them all together with insulation foam board glue and voila- an 8 foot tall, 5 inch thick, self-standing B.  Jon paints it a different color each week.  Again, you can't see the depth of the B in the picture, but you get the idea.  It looks awesome on stage!

For the Sunday morning Heroes series, we transformed the entire stage.  I created the word heroes, making 4ft high letters out of 5 pieces of 1/2 inch thick insulation foam board glued together.  I painted them with a high gloss white and added some grays for a grunge effect.  Here's some pictures without any lighting effects.  (For those who would like to know- the hanging windows are 2x2 boards nailed to create a frame with thin fabric stretched over it and stapled.  A frame with a t in the middle was made and then laid on top of the fabric frames and sprayed with black spray paint to create a window pane look.)

Add some LEDs and projection and here's the result.  Very cool!

Heroes: Stage Design

This past Sunday was the first of a 9 week, church wide series at Southern Hills called "Heros."  Each week we are looking at a hero from the Old Testament leading up to Jesus on Easter Sunday.  Several weeks ago I began building the stage set for the All Stars, our children's ministry.  After the volunteer's banquet on Saturday night, I began setting it up.  With a few hitches, help from Corey, and some much appreciated insight from Kevin Jarrett, it all came together.  Here's a few pictures to give you an idea, but the depth of the set is lost.  To get the full effect, you'll have to come check it out personally!

For those who might find it helpful, here are the logistics of the set- The Pow, Bam, Boom, and Batman logo are made of insulation foam board.  I used foam board because it is light, easy to work with, and adds a dimension to the piece.  You can purchase this at Lowes or Home Depot.  It comes in varying thickness.  Your project (and budget) will determine what thickness will be best.  For these pieces I used 3/4 inch foam board.  I projected the images onto the board, traced it, cut it out using a hot knife and jig saw, and finally painted it with your basic acrylic paints.  (Most insulation foam board has a plastic sheet on it that needs to be peeled off prior to painting.)  Pow, Bam, and Batman are hung with fishing line from the frame of the ceiling.  For the Batman logo, I simply used duck-tape to attach the fishing line to the back of the foam board.  The Boom is actually 3D itself, with the "Boom" and yellow explosion each being two pieces thick and the black background is one (which I should have also made two thick so that it would be more stable, but hindsight is 20/20).  Foam board glue must be used with insulation foam board; other adhesives will eat through the styrofoam.

The city silhouette is cut out of thin plywood.  (I believe it's called polywood, but that might not be right.  It's whatever the cheapest 4x8 sheet of wood is at Lowes).  It is 10 inches away from the wall, screwed into a 2x4 that we nailed onto the floor.  It stands on its own fairly well, but to add stability we added a 10 inch piece of 2x4 towards the top and middle.  The lit windows of the city are mailing labels that we printed all yellow and cut into squares.  The starburst behind the city is the back of a canvas we used for a previous series.  It is hung from its grommets with picture hooks.  Behind the city is a rope light that adds another dimension to the set and makes the city "glow."