Moonlit Dream

Michael Taylor from Hoffmantown Church in Albuquerque, NM, shared some truly inspiring ideas for their Christmas stage design. Here’s how they transformed their stage with creativity and innovation:

“Merry Christmas! For this year’s theme, ‘The Star Still Shines,’ we designed and built an awe-inspiring 8-foot star to hang above our choir risers. To bring this vision to life, we started with 4×8 sheets of Styrofoam insulation. Using a handheld foam cutter, we meticulously carved out the star shape. To add a magical glow, we lined the edges with RGB LED tape, and then installed an Environmental Lights DMX decoder on the back, enabling us to control the star’s dynamic lighting effects directly from our lighting console.

For the trees, we went with more 4×8 sheets of foam. We cut the foam into slats of varying widths and affixed them to wooden posts to create tall, majestic trees. At the base of each tree, we placed an Elation SIXPAR 100, directing light upward through a sheet of Rosco R160 gel in the fixture’s holder. This created a stunning linear light diffusion, enhancing the tree’s natural elegance and illuminating the entire stage in a soft, warm glow.”

By combining skillful craftsmanship and strategic lighting, Hoffmantown Church created a breathtaking Christmas stage that truly embodied the message of the season—the star still shines bright.