At the Movies

Zach Lee from nsas brings us their set design for “At the Movies”.

To illustrate the pastor’s messages they wanted to set a true cinema experience. Zach used crushed velvet curtains bought from Fellowship Church in Grapevine. Then he used inexpensive silver organza fabric to wrap around the trussing. He lit the organza with Rain 56 LEDs.

The center screen is 17×10 and the two side ones are 12×5.5 (spandex from RoseBrand). They projected onto them with rear projecting 2500 lumen Epson projectors (~$500).

They decorated their lobby with red carpet and borrowed Oscars from the local Hollywood Wax Museum. They built their own marquees and hung them from chain. Each week they would change out the movie posters. The lobby music was everything from Jaws to Star Wars…and they served tons of popcorn, cokes and candy. Cool!

Tip: Make friends with mega churches. They love helping smaller churches out and will hook you up with used sets for cheap.

The crushed velvet curtains provide excellent light absorption, creating a true theater atmosphere while preventing unwanted reflections during projection. When sourcing used curtains from larger churches, inspect for sun damage or fading, particularly on the side that faced windows. The velvet’s dense pile helps with acoustics too, reducing echo in rooms with hard surfaces.

The silver organza wrapped around trussing creates a glamorous, shimmering effect when hit by LED lighting. The Rain 56 fixtures mentioned are likely RGBAW LED pars that can shift colors to match movie themes—from golden age Hollywood amber to sci-fi blue to romantic comedy pink. This flexibility allows the same physical set to support vastly different sermon series week after week.

Rear projection is the secret to clean cinema-style screens. By placing projectors behind the spandex rather than in front, you eliminate shadows cast by speakers or musicians and hide the projector hardware from view. The 2500-lumen Epson projectors work well for smaller venues, but for larger rooms consider 4000+ lumens. The spandex material from RoseBrand is specifically designed for projection—stretching it tight eliminates wrinkles that would distort the image.

The immersive lobby experience deserves as much attention as the stage. The red carpet creates an immediate mood shift as people enter, signaling that something special is happening. Borrowing Oscars from a wax museum is creative relationship-building—many local attractions are happy to partner with churches for community exposure. Changing movie posters weekly gives returning visitors something new to discover and reinforces that the church is actively engaged with current culture.

Related Designs

• At the Movies with Kids – Elaborate cinema-themed kids stage with giant popcorn, ticket, and movie reel props
• Star Wars – Large Hoth-themed stage design with white stretched fabric and cardboard mountains
• Star Wars Christmas – Epic Star Wars meets Christmas design with TIE fighter photo op and Millennium Falcon tree
• Purple Spread – Draped curtain design with pipe and drape for elegant backdrop
• Lighting Color Theory and Emotion – How to use colored lighting to evoke specific moods

Pro Tips for Cinema Stage Design

Projection Screen Setup: Stretch spandex tight using bungee cords or grip clips on a rigid frame. Wrinkles and sagging ruin the cinematic effect. Test your projection in the actual room lighting conditions—what looks bright in a dark shop may wash out under stage lights.

Velvet Curtain Care: Crushed velvet shows wear quickly if not handled properly. Store curtains rolled rather than folded to prevent permanent creases. Vacuum gently using an upholstery attachment with the pile direction, never against it.

LED Lighting for Fabric: When lighting organza or similar sheer fabrics, position fixtures to graze the material at angles rather than head-on. This creates depth and texture. The Rain 56 LEDs allow color mixing—experiment with complementary colors (blue/orange, purple/yellow) for dramatic cinema vibes.

Mega Church Relationships: Reach out to production directors at large churches in your area. Many have storage units full of used sets they’re happy to sell cheap or donate. Attend church production conferences—these relationships often begin in the exhibit hall between sessions.