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Free Chapel
Free Chapel
Spartanburg
Spartanburg, SC
2,700
$1.75 Million +
Audio, Video, Lighting, Multi-Campus Transmission, House Lighting, Motor Control, Power Distribution
Free Chapel's primary campus is in Gainesville, GA, where Senior Pastor Jentezen Franklin preaches and that message is then broadcast to satellite campuses across the country. The church approached us with plans to purchase an existing building and convert it into their first satellite campus in South Carolina, with only five months before the target facility's opening date. Our proven process in broadcasting, multi-site church production, and executing large systems on expedited timelines awarded us the opportunity to partner with Free Chapel on this project.
Stylistically, Free Chapel runs the gamut with technology during any given service. Their intentionality behind each element engages audience members at every level, which reinforces how vital production technology is to their high-impact environment. Practically, it was critical to develop a system design that would allow the church to grow into the space over the coming years, while also maintaining ease of use for their volunteers.
The entire system was designed in a hybrid touring model, utilizing traditional arena-style rigging and power distribution for loudspeakers, LED video walls, theatrical lighting trusses, and stage equipment. This approach saved thousands of dollars in steel and electrical work, increased the flexibility for how the space can be used in the coming years, and also met the unique demands of the project timeline.
We had two and a half months from when the church gave the contractual go-ahead to the first service. This included not only a full technology renovation but also construction timelines integral to our team beginning work. We addressed all aesthetic and infrastructure issues before deploying our brigade of technicians through tenacious collaboration with the architect and project manager, ultimately finishing on time and on budget.
Guardian by Mankin, an exclusive and innovative managed services plan, ensures Free Chapel's production systems live up to their full potential. We can work with their team on an ongoing basis to provide remote monitoring and management of production gear, priority 24/7 phone support, and real-time access to our state-of-the-art network operations center in Franklin, TN.
The production system is comprised of a concert-level L’Acoustics Kara loudspeaker system with a Digico console, Shure wireless mics and in-ears, and Aviom personal monitoring. The PA is designed for when seating in the room expands, additional boxes can be added to the main arrays to cover these areas – without requiring a completely new solution in the future.
A GrandMA console controls the theatrical lighting system, which is comprised of 100% LED pan/tilt/zoom Chauvet Rogue lighting fixtures, as well as MDG haze.
The broadcast video system is comprised of: Ross Carbonite switching, Imagine Platinum VX routing, Hitachi cameras, and Imagine Selenio encoding/decoding for the two-channel broadcast feed to/from the main campus in Gainesville, GA. Since the transmission of Pastor Franklin’s message is mission-critical for every single service, we recommended the Imagine Selenio system because it provides a robust and flexible platform compared to the previous streaming hardware used. Intercom is provided by Clearcom HelixNet, and LEX Power Distribution is also used.
Lastly, LED is a staple at every Free Chapel location due to the high-impact wow factor of the technology – tremendous image quality, low cost of ownership, and silent operation in the room. We utilized 198 panels of CreateLED AirMAG 4.6mm LED to create three video walls, with the center wall utilizing a Kinesys Motor Control system for preset positional control.
Launch Photo Gallery
The environment is now warm and inviting, the PA is powerful and enveloping, and the video and lighting systems are breathtaking. New life has been given to this space, and the feedback has been fantastic. Equally important, the church was able to accomplish this renovation in a way that fit its strategic goals for the campus, positioning them for a solid growth plan as the campus flourishes in the community.
We continue to receive positive feedback regarding the execution and operation of this room, which could not have been accomplished without so many smart and savvy people working together toward a common goal. We’re thrilled to have been part of the process.