NorthRidge Church in Plymouth, Michigan has installed three Christie digital projectors. Featuring 3-chip DLP™ technology, the projectors – a Christie Roadster X9 and two Christie Vista X5’s – were part of a major upgrade in the church’s audio/visual installation.
The spiritual center for over 7,500 people, NorthRidge Church features a 3,100-seat auditorium with a large stage area, video screens for multimedia presentations, advanced A/V equipment and theatrical lighting. The Christie projectors play a major role in the church’s stage presentations, which also incorporate high-end cameras, switchers, computers and wall monitors, all controlled from a new, state-of-the-art studio facility. The projectors are used for image magnification, scenic backdrops and atmospheric effects. The Christie Vista X5’s light up 14-foot screens on either side of the stage while the Christie Roadster X9 illuminates a 20-foot screen that dominates center stage.
The NorthRidge Church ministry is nationally recognized for its tremendous outreach program to the community that integrates innovative sound and video elements to dramatically enhance the impact of its non-denominational services. Its annual, highly anticipated Glory concerts attract from 14,000 participants for Easter to over 24,000 during the Christmas holidays. More than 200,000 people have attended its major holiday concerts in the past seven years.
“We used to have a system that was a combination of analog and digital. But we realized we needed to go digital to get the quality and the types of effects we wanted, such as computer overlays,” explained Scott Storteboom, media director, NorthRidge Church. “We chose Christie projectors based on the quality of the image, pricing and features. For example, the color matching between projectors is excellent. When we send the same image to all three projectors, they look exactly the same with no discernable difference in color. The projectors’ ease of use was another important consideration. Our video team is comprised of 53 volunteers with varying levels of technical skills, so much of our equipment has to be easy to operate. Christie meets our criteria in every way.”
Storteboom noted that NorthRidge church also regularly features Christian rock and roll shows, “The bands will show up with a truck-load of equipment, but after seeing how sophisticated our set-up is, they end up using ours. They just say, ‘Hey, we don’t have to unload our truck.’”
Reinforcement, Inc., which designs and builds sound, lightning and video systems to ministries, has been providing the majority of NorthRidge Church’s technical support for many years. The company helped the church take the next substantial leap in audio and visual capability.
“The A/V features are a very important part of their services. It’s what keeps people in their seats,” noted Mark Postma, president, Reinforcement, Inc. “When it came to choosing the projectors, we provided them with a competitive scenario that allowed them to compare Christie against other manufacturers. Among the features that attracted them to the Christie projectors was the build-in, out-of-the box remote control functionality, which meant they didn’t have to go to a third party for the function.”
A significant decision during the upgrade was moving the control room from the balcony overlooking the stage to a nearby space from which the stage is no longer visible. Christie’s out-of-the-box, two-way remote functionality is critical because it allows them to monitor remotely what each projector is doing in real time. According to Postma, the projectors also offer a high precision lens shift feature – often lacking in lower-end projectors – that lends itself to easier set-up.
Gary Fuller, director of sales and global product manager for rental/staging at Christie observed: “We continue to see a significant shift among houses of worship in the use of technology. Increasingly, they are incorporating cutting-edge audio/visual elements into their services that are more compatible with the modern lifestyle of their congregations, for whom technology impacts every facet of their lives. Since the 1980’s, NorthRidge Church has always been a true pioneer, delivering its message of discovery, development and experience in an engaging, highly visual way. Its steady increase in membership over the years is a testimony to their success.”