lighting for “ hype videos ” for school sports . Perry and I did lighting for the University of South Alabama basketball team ’ s hype video and then I did lighting for a Saraland HS football video too . Even though these were out of the norm of my usual stage lighting scenario , the results turned out great . They were fun projects because we got to be creative and go nuts on some programming ( which we don ’ t get to do a lot in church .)
[ WM ] Are you using Dante ? If so – how do you like it and for what function ?
[ Travis ] Yes , but not applicable for lighting .
[ WM ] Is your church streaming ? Were there any challenges in the lighting department when it came to looking good in the streaming ?
[ Travis ] Our church streams four services on three platforms between two campuses weekly . It ’ s a challenge to balance some of the details when using lighting with cameras for IMAG and streaming . One must determine the best way to make everything look good in person , on IMAG , and online . Lighting can affect these three things very differently if done incorrectly . The goal is for them all to look as close as possible to one another .
Our approach is to first make it look incredible IN-PERSON to the naked eye . Then , we adjust the cameras to compensate for IMAG ( by adjusting white balance , gain , iris , etc ). Then , we adjust the stream so that those things translate well to our various platforms .
We recently made the switch to LED for all our key lights , and it took probably half a day to dial all the details in . Honestly , this past Sunday we were still making some small tweaks to lighting angles and such . This is why I love the hashtag for the magazine # BetterBySunday . Constantly improving is the name of the game .
[ WM ] How do you keep the relationship and communication strong between the worship leader and the team on stage , the audio techs and your own lighting efforts ?
[ Travis ] It starts with our relationship off the stage . By having meals together , laughing together , crying together , doing ministry together , and caring for one another on a personal level throughout the week . We build trust so that when it is game time , problems arise , and Sunday stress hits , I know we have each other ’ s back . My worship leader is my biggest fan and I am hers .
[ WM ] What is the main goal of your lighting in the sanctuary ?
[ Travis ] My main goal is to add and not take away . I want to accentuate what the worship team , hosts , and teachers are doing , not distract . I want the lights to move dynamically with songs to help tell the story of the gospel using color and art .
[ WM ] Can you name a few Worship albums that inspire you ?
[ Travis ] I like Mack Brock . From his early days at Elevation to his solo career now . Elevation also just puts out bangers one after another . I grew up on Shane & Shane , so those guys always hold a special place with me too .
[ WM ] Words of encouragement or advice for