The REAL FAKE BUILDINGS (RFB) company is one of the top companies in the world that specializes in theming churches.  The Free Methodist Church in Lawrence, KS contracted RFB to theme an entire new wing of the church.  Their target audience was the 5th graders.  The church wanted to create several theatrically themed rooms that 5th graders would be inspired to produce their own presentations to other church goers.

Lazarus Lighting Design (LLD) was dispatched from Los Angeles to travel to Lawrence, KS to install approximately 3,000 optical fibres (stars).  It was immediately determined that it would take 1 day to travel, 3-10 hour days to install, and 1 day to return, 5 days total.  The installation price and schedule for the Stars From Mars® system and installation was quoted to RFB and accepted.  3 days later the installation was underway.

Rather than just filling the entire ceiling with stars, the designer chose to "suggest"  the feeling of an enveloped space that started in the audience area and continued onto the back wall of the stage.

TIP:  The relationship between RFB and LLD, like all relationships, was critical to this project going smooth and easy.  Make sure you communicate to your client what you say you're going to do, and then do it.

This design concept draws the audiences eye from house ceiling to the stage ceiling and ultimately to the back wall.  You actually feel like you're a part of the production.

RFB had removed the drywall behind the stage prior to LLD arriving.  This saved a tremendous amount of time that normally would have been wasted waiting around time.

LLD started first with installing The Collumator™ fibre optic illuminator in its' permanent location.  RFB and LLD had agreed that RFB would have an electrical outlet installed where this Collumator™ is, plus 3  more Collumator™ locations.  In addition, the church would control the entire Stars From Mars® system from their dimmer control board at the back of the room.

LLD (Geoff, the starfield designer) designed the stars in his head while he "dotted" each location.  Then he drilled the fibre holes from the front of the back wall. 

LLD (Arthur, the star rodder) marked the locations of the stars as the drill bit came through the wall.

TIP:  The communication between Geoff and Arthur was critical.  When one person can't hear or misinterprets what they think the other is saying, it DOES NOT WORK.  By the way, neither is the working relationship after a few minutes.  Use a walkie-talkie or establish a procedure for "knocking" as a form of communication.

Once the holes were drilled, Geoff handed the optical fibres over the stage drywall (back wall).

Arthur was on the backside and pulled the fibres as much as he needed while Geoff fed the fibres from the front.

Once Arthur was set with the right length of fibre, he started "rodding" the fibres through the holes.  Geoff then started pulling those fibres from Arthur from the front side until Arthur would say "STOP".  This expedited the rodding by 20%.

Fibres were routed through the horizontal 2 by 4's and then siliconed in place.  Drying time for the silicone is at least 1 hour.

DO NOT TRIM THE FIBRES ON THE FRONT SIDE UNTIL THE ENTIRE JOB IS DONE.

Some of the fibres were designed and then drilled in "cluster groups" to create nebula and "Milky Way" effects.

TIP:  Take a "Sharpie" black felt pen when the job is complete and dab the ends of some of the fibres.  This will make for bright, dim, and every variation in between.  This will increase the realism and the overall star effect by 50%.

This is what it looks like from the front when you create cluster groups.

The second Collumator™ was mounted on the stage also, so the third & fourth Collumator™ illuminators were mounted in the house ceiling.  This is where the rodding in the "T" bar drop ceiling to place.

Since this was new construction, there was no insulation or dust to deal with.  Simply by thinking about where you want the holes and then drilling them, you poke the fibres through, put a dab of silicone and move on to the next panel.

TIP:  You can tie a bundle of fibre onto a roll of masking tape and toss it to the person that is too far to hand it.

Once you have rodded as many panels as you can reach, it's time to put the panel in the hole you were working on back.  We lowered the last panel below the ceiling, drilled our holes and inserted the fibres.

Then we lifted the panel back through the hole and let it slip into place.

DO NOT TRIM THE FIBRES UNTIL THE ENTIRE JOB IS DONE.  WITH A PAIR OF SIDE CUTTERS WE CUT THE FIBRES FLUSH TO THE CEILING.

On the 3rd day, right on schedule, at 5:00 p.m. this is what the Stars From Mars® system looked like.  The contractor, REAL FAKE BUILDINGS was proud to see the results and invited their client, the Free Methodist Church people, to see the results.

REAL FAKE BUILDINGS is presently continuing with their theming and construction and will report with new photos the final version.  At this point, all parties were very satisfied with their results.

What a moment!  REAL FAKE BUILDINGS and LAZARUS LIGHTING DESIGN successfully completed their first of many projects to come.