New Buckhead Stage Design

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Posted on 08. Dec, 2008 by loswhit in Uncategorized

3 months ago…

Extremely paraphrased for brevity’s sake…

Carlos - “Hey Jared. So I’m feeling like it would be cool to have a theme this season of Christmas In The City”
Jared - “Um… What does that mean?”
Carlos - “Well. Like a city park with a phat skyline or something?”
Jared - “I got it. OK”

Then I walk in on yesterday to this…[click to enlarge]

I work with the most amazing team in the world.
Thanks Jared for making our auditorium irresistible.

HoHoHo,

Los

Tags: Buckhead, Church

6273CommentsNew+Buckhead+Stage+Design2008-12-08+17%3A27%3A36loswhit to “New Buckhead Stage Design”

chackler

08. Dec, 2008

Very nice!
chackler

08. Dec, 2008

What material was used to construct the cityscape?
philsantillan

08. Dec, 2008

wow…
stephen

08. Dec, 2008

that's insane.
loswhit

08. Dec, 2008

Hey bro. We used the same material that we used to build the DRIVE set this last year.
I'll get on this and maybe do a detailed post as to how.
Los
haemin

08. Dec, 2008

that would be great! i showed this to our media director and he got excited and sad at the same time.
Aaron Blevins

08. Dec, 2008

I feel jealously rising up in me. BACK Satan BACK!

Good work guys, it's always top notch work!
Van Metschke

08. Dec, 2008

Yeah, now you're going to have to really explain what went on to make it happen. Thanks for posting those pics. Upping the bar for everyone else. Keep it up. Tell Jared he rocks.
artgood

08. Dec, 2008

Ok, I know I'm going to labeled a misfit at best, or a jerk at worst, but I ask this with all sincerity… what's the point? How does this backdrop/stage design help people worship God more/better?

Please don't think bad of me for asking. I really am curious to know. We don't do much of this kind of thing, but I like it, and wonder why we should do it.

Thanks.
phil_brangers

08. Dec, 2008

I kinda have the same thoughts. I work for a production company so my first thought is amazement, because it is awesome. But then I kinda think of what good the money that went toward this could have done.

So I am curious too of the reasoning behind it.
loswhit

08. Dec, 2008

Not a jerk at all man.
Great question.
I liken it to walking into a restaurant that has an amazing vibe.
When you walk in, you are already at ease and willing to take in some food that you might not be used to just because you appreciate the vibe so much.
Believe it or not, people are doing the same thing when they come into church.
By setting an irresistible standard and vibe, they are more willing to take in the good news of Jesus Christ.
DO you need a rad stage?
No.
Is it bad to have a rad stage?
No.
God will move where and however He sees fit.
The community that we are reaching values excellence and when one walks into our auditorium for the first time after seeing Transiberan at the Fox Theater the night before, they give our church a chance.
One is not right or wrong.
It just is.

And all you fanatics thinking I am comparing the Church os Christ to a restaurant get off your laptops and stop typing those emails.
I'm not.
But I am saying that we should strive to be the best at what we do.
Better than the world.
Los
loswhit

08. Dec, 2008

Not a jerk at all man.
Great question.
I liken it to walking into a restaurant that has an amazing vibe.
When you walk in, you are already at ease and willing to take in some food that you might not be used to just because you appreciate the vibe so much.
Believe it or not, people are doing the same thing when they come into church.
By setting an irresistible standard and vibe, they are more willing to take in the good news of Jesus Christ.
DO you need a rad stage?
No.
Is it bad to have a rad stage?
No.
God will move where and however He sees fit.
The community that we are reaching values excellence and when one walks into our auditorium for the first time after seeing Transiberan at the Fox Theater the night before, they give our church a chance.
One is not right or wrong.
It just is.

And all you fanatics thinking I am comparing the Church os Christ to a restaurant get off your laptops and stop typing those emails.
I'm not.
But I am saying that we should strive to be the best at what we do.
Better than the world.
Los
Annie B (Kyoodled)

08. Dec, 2008

All I can say is….whoa. That's beyond impressive.
loswhit

08. Dec, 2008

Oh. And you also judge based on a wrong assumption that “the money” was a certain sum. You would be amazed as to what you can create with little money.
phil_brangers

08. Dec, 2008

Sorry, I am not judging…just questioning…
and honestly with slightly jaded preassumptions.
I am currently in the middle of watching my home church waste around 30,000 on a christmas musical, which gives me a jaded position

But yeah it looks amazing and done on a small budget it looks REALLy amazing
phil_brangers

08. Dec, 2008

I like the comparison…its a good look at how people approach things.
loswhit

08. Dec, 2008

Yea that is tough. Especially in light of our economic transitions.
We have decided to scale back on all Christmas decor and programming in light of where our attenders are financially.
Thanks for the question!!!
artgood

08. Dec, 2008

Thanks for the answer! I agree, doing things like this to put people at ease to hear the Gospel is right on. We don't do much with stage design and stuff, but we are looking to get out of an old run-down building and into a better space for exactly the same reasons. Maybe in a better spot we would so stuff like this.
Josh Harwell

08. Dec, 2008

delicious
Karen

08. Dec, 2008

That is awesome. I LOVE IT!

Also … on the question about the point of something like this … what's the point of stained-glass and other gorgeous things that are used to decorate traditional sanctuaries? Don't get me wrong–I love both (and I am a traditional-worship type of person)–but to me it is along the same lines, I guess. :o) Thanks for sharing–this set is great!
Keith Barger

08. Dec, 2008

next time, time lapse the construct. Or at least the install.

Nice.
timlem

08. Dec, 2008

totally agree! Want to know the how-to of this set!

Thanks!

Tim
esther

08. Dec, 2008

though pretty… your pix don't really do justice to what the set looked like in person yesterday… i must say the set looked amazing and the worship… awesome!!!

thanks for letting me say hi to losiah… it was one of those, “i don't want to seem like a stalker but a friend told me about your adoption story and i feel like i know you all but i don't but because i have korean blood in my own veins i feel connected to your beautiful son” moments… and… he is just as adorable in person!!! so thanks… ^^

and i think we did meet before… it was at a mtr meeting this year…

anyhow…
thanks again ^^
Daniel Roberts

08. Dec, 2008

Yeah, I want to know the same thing. I almost asked you yesterday morning, but you looked busy.
jbstansel

09. Dec, 2008

I had the same question but was afraid to ask. I'm not judging or assuming, I'm just curious. I really am asking this in humility, I promise, just because I am trying to grow as a disciple of the Lord…shouldn't we be pushing people away from the world's perception of excellence? I feel like a lot of people, and me included, are fed up with the whole concept of being the best and being excellent. I want to see humble hearts of excellence, not amazing stage designs. Again, I'm not making and calls on Buckhead Church, but just raising a question. What does the Lord see as excellent? Do I make sense? By the way, it looks incredible
loswhit

09. Dec, 2008

If you have to have 4 qualifying statements, I'd double check those facts.
Why in the world would we push people away from the worlds perception of excellence?
I want a pastor who can communicate better than any motivational speaker out there.
If you are fed up with being excellent, the rest of your journey should be rather simplistic.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…It is the Lord Christ you are serving - Colosians 3:23.
If that means you are a set builder, build it better than you could have imagined.
If that is a production engineer, mix like you have never mixed before.
I just don't get people passing on opportunities to excel in the gifts God has given them.
jbstansel

09. Dec, 2008

I don't mean to put you on the defense. I was just trying to make you realize you didn't have to be offended so quickly. It's no big deal, just a question.

Why in the world would be push people away from the world's perception of excellence? Because it is the world's perception of excellence that causes people to feel like failures. And the verse you used backs my point up entirely! Work as though it is for the Lord, not for men! I am just coming from a different perspective. I think a lot of people in my generation are tired of the same old junk and we want something different. We want something a little more humble and focused, that's all. That isn't a cut to your church, BTW…I know nothing about buckhead church or how much money they spend and on what.

I am not fed up with being excellent. I am fed up with trying to be excellent in the wrong areas. I want to have an excellent relationship with the Lord, an excellent knowledge of who God is, an excellent conception of community and love, and an excellent understanding of how money should be spent by the church.
loswhit

09. Dec, 2008

Yea. Sucks that we have such different takes on the same verse.
I think it applies to what you said and what I said.
And the perception of failure is sin.
We are all failures.
I don't think we need the world to show us that.
We just need look in the mirror to see failure.

I think it is important as people challenge excellence to be careful what they are challenging.
Challenging “shine” is what I think we should challenge.
But to challenge our best is dangerous.
The death of excellence and the rise of authenticity should always be the norm.
But the death of excellence for the sake of it's death should not.
jbstansel

09. Dec, 2008

Yeah, I think it's just two ways of worshiping the same God

Blessings.
Steve Gwilt

09. Dec, 2008

Wowsers! It's the sort of backdrop that makes you stop dead in your tracks when you walk in. I bet you had a traffic jam by the doors the morning!

Extraordinary ambiance can really pull us out of ourselves and give us a chance to see the Lord from a new perspective.

Well done Jared!!!
Georgia Holiday Decor

09. Dec, 2008

I wish I would have known or I could have hooked you up with some sweeter LED lights for your trees that change colors.
barton Damer

09. Dec, 2008

That looks good. I wanna see matching motion clips that use the big glowing pixelated blocks! Will you be posting the production online?
Jessica

09. Dec, 2008

the set looked amazing and the service was great! it was so nice to visit and get to meet you !!!
Elgin

09. Dec, 2008

See, I'm of the school of thought that “things like set design matter.” I'm a youth/worship pastor at my church. My Senior pastor, who would never read this blog and barely knows what a blog is, would beg to differ. We spend oodles of money on the wrong things - in my opinion. We just spent a large amount of money on renovations, but you couldn't tell it if you walked in to our church. Looks like a sanctuary out of the 80's. He says that things like this don't make a difference, but I think they do. I think there's a lot we can learn from big churches. They all didn't get that way overnight. Not that you got that way from having a cool stage, but hopefully you understand where I'm coming from.
Chris

09. Dec, 2008

Wow…that looks amazing. I don't know who was behind it, but they did a great job. Oh, and to all future naysayers of excellent stage design, I ask this question: Is God using Buckhead Church to change lives? If the answer is “yes”, move on.

Keep doin whatchya doin Buckhead.
forjustice

10. Dec, 2008

I wasn't sure where to post this- a comment under this post or the Advent Conspiracy post. I'll post here because a discussion has already begun.

I was struck by the 2 posts- they seem like a juxtaposition. Then I read all of the comments here. On one hand, I do agree that the environment (in all senses of the word) matters. We want people to feel welcome and comfortable. Excellence is also important and a Godly value.

Still, something pulls at me and I don't know how to express it. I guess I see an inconsistency in presenting the Gospel in a completely integral way. On one hand, we may use the culture (an excellent stage that reminds them of last night's concert) to pull people in in such a way that they are open to hearing the Gospel. Eventually they accept Christ and embark on the discipleship journey. At what point do we break the news that Jesus' message is highly counter cultural? At what point do we ask ourselves to live in the upside down kingdom/

I guess to take this a step further, we must ask, what is the Gospel we are sharing? A deeper critique is the North American church's unbalanced Gospel that is more about “my” faith and reaching individuals than ushering in the Shalom community that God intends. The Kingdom is not just the collection of individuals who have come to Christ. The Kingdom and shalom are about public justice, not private faith and morality.

These issues are not about the best ways to evangelize the North American church. These issues are about justice. Is it just that American churches spend a lot on stages while 10 times as many suffer for basic needs AND to know Jesus? Carlos, you said that the stage is actually not very costly for how it looks. Isn't it all relative… especially after you present the Advent Consipracy video? And, you also said that the church has scaled back its decoration and Christmas budget “in light of where our attenders are financially”. That is exactly what I'm saying. Why not scale back your budget (or re-shuffle it) based on where those with out food or water or health care “are financially”.
forjustice

10. Dec, 2008

I wasn't sure where to post this- a comment under this post or the Advent Conspiracy post. I'll post here because a discussion has already begun.

I was struck by the 2 posts- they seem like a juxtaposition. Then I read all of the comments here. On one hand, I do agree that the environment (in all senses of the word) matters. We want people to feel welcome and comfortable. Excellence is also important and a Godly value.

Still, something pulls at me and I don't know how to express it. I guess I see an inconsistency in presenting the Gospel in a completely integral way. On one hand, we may use the culture (an excellent stage that reminds them of last night's concert) to pull people in in such a way that they are open to hearing the Gospel. Eventually they accept Christ and embark on the discipleship journey. At what point do we break the news that Jesus' message is highly counter cultural? At what point do we ask ourselves to live in the upside down kingdom/

I guess to take this a step further, we must ask, what is the Gospel we are sharing? A deeper critique is the North American church's unbalanced Gospel that is more about “my” faith and reaching individuals than ushering in the Shalom community that God intends. The Kingdom is not just the collection of individuals who have come to Christ. The Kingdom and shalom are about public justice, not private faith and morality.

These issues are not about the best ways to evangelize the North American church. These issues are about justice. Is it just that American churches spend a lot on stages while 10 times as many suffer for basic needs AND to know Jesus? Carlos, you said that the stage is actually not very costly for how it looks. Isn't it all relative… especially after you present the Advent Consipracy video? And, you also said that the church has scaled back its decoration and Christmas budget “in light of where our attenders are financially”. That is exactly what I'm saying. Why not scale back your budget (or re-shuffle it) based on where those with out food or water or health care “are financially”.
Dene Jamieson

06. May, 2009

Any clues on wat material you used for this amazing stage set?

The Deets

:: This whole Ragamuffin thing is simple. I'm just a screwed up man, in need of adoption, trying to be real. I was poured into, mentored, taught, and sometimes beat into authenticity by my family at Sandals Church. They created this beautiful mess of me and I'm forever grateful.
:: Now in the ATL with my hot wife and kids, I get to create relevant & engaging worship experiences every week. I am being shaped by Jeff Henderson and Andy Stanley at Buckhead Church. From creative sermon planning, to off the hook music experiences. This place is stretching me to my limits and I love it.
:: My life goal is to inspire a movement of authenticity among all generations of Christians that morphs the face of the evangelical church into a place of being real with yourself, others, and God.