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- Location
- Constantine, MI
For the past three years our church has put on a "Living nativity" for the enjoyment of our community and to help raise funds for some worthy cause. Last year we raised funds for a local home for troubled girls. This year we're working with a local mission that houses men that are down on their luck and also supplies meals to families. They expect to supply over 40,000 meals this Christmas season. Visiting the nativity is free and open to all. A separate booth is maintained for voluntary donations. Our church does not take any money for our efforts.
In years past we have simply piled up bales of hay and thrown a tarp over it and called it good. This year we're expanding with 2 12 x 12 animal pens (we get several sheep, a donkey, and a camel! The manger this year will be a 12 x 20 wood structure. A friend is building the entire thing in his garage - panelized, so it can go up and come down easily. I'll post pictures of the structure next week as we won't be erecting it till this coming Saturday.
In the mean time I have the privilege of running all the sound and lighting and, with that, the job of installing it. Below are the pictures of the beams that will hold up the front of the structure. The lighting will be on the inside of the beam so's not to be visible by the audience. There are two lighting circuits to the manger - one with blue lights (for the time between the plays when it is unoccupied) and the other with clear flood lamps. 1,000 watts of halogen total. There is also a star above the manger with 700 watts of light. All these are controlled remotely in time with the action taking place. A local radio personality has recorded the narration with a muisic background and the play runs every half hour.
For me, the lighting of the beam took me an entire day in the shop. The pictures are of only one beam - but there is a twin. A plug and socket allow them to be connected together once in place.
In years past we have simply piled up bales of hay and thrown a tarp over it and called it good. This year we're expanding with 2 12 x 12 animal pens (we get several sheep, a donkey, and a camel! The manger this year will be a 12 x 20 wood structure. A friend is building the entire thing in his garage - panelized, so it can go up and come down easily. I'll post pictures of the structure next week as we won't be erecting it till this coming Saturday.
In the mean time I have the privilege of running all the sound and lighting and, with that, the job of installing it. Below are the pictures of the beams that will hold up the front of the structure. The lighting will be on the inside of the beam so's not to be visible by the audience. There are two lighting circuits to the manger - one with blue lights (for the time between the plays when it is unoccupied) and the other with clear flood lamps. 1,000 watts of halogen total. There is also a star above the manger with 700 watts of light. All these are controlled remotely in time with the action taking place. A local radio personality has recorded the narration with a muisic background and the play runs every half hour.
For me, the lighting of the beam took me an entire day in the shop. The pictures are of only one beam - but there is a twin. A plug and socket allow them to be connected together once in place.
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