Stage Designs

Luminescent Columns

Lindsay Hefner and Shane Hollar from Shawnee United Methodist in Lima, Ohio brings us these beautiful light boxes on their stage. To create the boxes they built wooden frames and covered the frames with two layers (each) of white Muslin fabric–one layer inside and one layer outside. Then they added black trim to the outside of the boxes to give them defined edged. The boxes were lit with colored flood lights.

The Billows were made with white liner fabric with a smaller billow inside to diffuse the overhead lighting they had. They put colored films/gels over the lights to change the colors.

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12 responses to “Luminescent Columns”

  1. JCostanzo says:

    this is beautiful, 'nuff said!

  2. Jackie says:

    Lindsay,
    Great stuff! I have one question…how did you light the columns two different colors? I understand a flood light with a gel to create the colored light but how did you accomplish the two colors?

    Thanks! I'm new at this stuff but excited to give it a try!

    • Lindsay says:

      Hey Jackie!
      We made each column out of 3 separate boxes (two 3' x 2' and one 2' x 2') and stacked them. They each have their own colored flood light inside so we can change the colors in all different ways. It also gives us the ability to use the boxes in different designs. (ex. our current design has them laying long ways across the stage with green flood lights).
      Hope that helps!
      Lindsay

  3. Andy says:

    What wattage flood lights do you use?

    thanks
    Andy

    • Lindsay Hefner says:

      We used 100 watt colored flood lights. We pointed them backwards and reflected them off white foam board to reduce "hot spots". We used red and amber in this design. Thanks!

  4. matt says:

    Hey! How did you mount the lights inside? It just seems hard to do if you can sit them any way you like.

    • Lindsay says:

      Hey Matt!
      We used Aluminum Incandescent Portable Work Lights that we took the clamp off of and then bent the aluminum flat on 1 side so it sat flat. We then screwed the light into the box so it stayed any way we turned them.

  5. Lindsay says:

    Hey Kyle!
    We used some simple paneling cut into strips painted black for the trim. We used a staple gun to secure the fabric to the wood frame. The top and the bottom of the boxes are solid plywood painted black as well- so they are stable and can be stacked. The muslin fabric is breathable so we haven't had any problems with heat.
    Thanks!

    • Kyle says:

      Thank you Lindsay. We have a small sanctuary, so I think this is a great way for us to improve the look without going overboard. Hopefully in the next month or so I can put something similar together. I appreciate that you shared your ideas!

      In Christ,
      Kyle

  6. Mark says:

    Hey what kind of wood did you guys use for the frames? and where did you get it? along with the dimensions?

    • Lindsay says:

      For the frame we used 2″ x 4″s that we cut down into 1″ square pieces for the posts. We then used plywood for the top and bottom. So the frame was 2 square pieces of plywood and then the 1″ leg/posts screwed into the top and bottom pieces. The larger boxes were 3′ tall by 2′ wide. The smaller boxes were 2′ by 2′. Thanks!

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