Stage Designs

Wavy Apps

Paul Smollen from La Croix United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau, MO brings us this app wall with a curve.

They created their “faith apps” with 2×2′ squares of white finished headboard (used in showers and bathrooms). They also cut a few from 1/4″ luan for some texture and variety.

They made a template with the edges rounded and a jig so they could stack the pieces and round them accurately and consistently. They cut the pieces on a table saw, then rounded them with a router and a flush-cut pattern bit. They sanded the edges since the enamel paint can leave edges sharp enough to cut you.

Next, from a farm supply store, they bought 4 pieces of cattle grate for making animal pens. The pieces were 5’x12′ and had heavy wire welded at 4″ spacing. They wanted to make it “invisible” on stage to hang the squares from so they ended up using 15 cans of flat black spray paint to cover all sides and edges. They wanted more texture and visual interest than a flat surface so they used the natural curl of the pen material and offset the curvature into an ‘S’ shape. They hung it end to end and connected the pieces with heavy wire and cable ties. The grates were hung from the high ceiling above the stage with black steel cables and a product from a Ver Sales called a “Gripple”, which is a secure but adjustable way to suspend stuff with aircraft cable.

Next, they assembled the squares on the grid with cable ties and cut a smaller section of fencing to extend down to the stage floor behind. They attached everything together with heavy guage wire and black rope. The final detail was a 11×9 rear-projected video screen made from a wooden frame and waxed paper which was basket-woven together and “welded” with a warm iron. A super inexpensive way to make an excellent rear projection video screen.

They used some abstract video images to add some motion and visual interest to the stage.

Then they lit the squares with intelligent lights with the irises all the way down tight and a few wash lights. Then they programmed a pattern of motion with squares and icons moving around so it looked like a changing desktop or smartphone.

The stage cost around $700 but they reused the grating for several different stages to suspend staging pieces at the back of their worship space.

Alien Green A Splash

2 responses to “Wavy Apps”

  1. Amy Nicholls says:

    I love this look! You guys are so creative!

  2. Craig Taylor says:

    Do you have a close up of the wax paper screen? Is it really that easy??? Sounds awesome!

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