NASHVILLE – The Gospel Music Association held the 52nd Annual GMA Dove Awards with a star-studded, in-person Nashville event on Oct. 19 at the Allen Arena. Bandit Lites supplied the lighting system for the night of worship and celebration, which featured performances from Dante Bowe, CAIN, Lauren Daigle, Hope Darst, Elevation Worship, Natalie Grant, KB ft. Matt Redman, Koryn Hawthorne, The Isaacs, Brandon Lake, Maverick City Music, Jonathan McReynolds ft. Mali, We The Kingdom, CeCe Winans, and Zach Williams.
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The awards aired exclusively on TBN and was simulcast on SiriusXM The Message. Due to the broadcast, production designer and manager Scott Moore of Go Live Productions was mindful of how each moment would look on camera and how best to fill the shot with as many lights as possible while also coordinating how the show physically happens. With the stage a mere 30 feet deep, Moore had to account for the logistics of set changes, their timing, where the awards are presented, where the cameras will move and more.
“That was accomplished through automation,” said Moore. “We used every square inch of the stage. We had 15 acts that played totally live in a 2 hour and 20-minute show, while we try to create as much depth as possible in a space that doesn’t have much depth.”
One example of adjusting the lighting system to account for the lack of stage depth: removing floor lights. “We built floor lights into the scene elements that are automated, so there were no cables or lights in the way.”
Bandit Lites supplied lighting designer Mark Carver with more than 300 fixtures for the lighting system including Ayrton Khamsin S, Ayrton Mistral S, Chauvet Rogue R2X Washes, Chauvet COLORado Solo Battens, Claypaky B-EYE K20, Elation Smarty Hybrids, Elation ACL 360i, GLP JDC1 LED Strobes and two grandMA2 Full consoles for control.
“Mark knows exactly what I’m trying to do and so we don’t have to have much conversation about how this is going to work,” said Moore. Carver used Ayrton Khamsins for both main key light and backlight, providing consistency in video images. Claypaky B-EYES supplied color as well as air effects, while Elation Smarty Hybrids were used for hard gobo, beam effects and slow visual movements. Chauvet Rogue R2 washes illuminated the audience while JDC strobes gave the camera eye candy, color as well as accents for songs.
“The Khamsins were a workhorse for the color correction capabilities, consistency and flat field for key lighting most of the talent for video,” said Carver.
Another key element to the lighting was the live audience, as Moore and Carver worked to extend the stage experience into the audience by using a larger audience package to showcase the arena, while disguising steel beams. Three 40-foot trusses were flown over and populated with LED wash and Edge Light fixtures.
“A project like the Dove Awards is challenging, as there is a limited time to get the project installed, limited time to program, and then we put a lot of acts on stage in a short period of time. It is crucial to have partners that understand the timeframe and know that we only have one shot to get it right: to get everything installed correctly so to give the team enough time to program, and Bandit did a fantastic job,” Carver said. “Time is always a key factor, so the system prep and attention to details were key factors in our timeline. Bandit came through on both counts with a well prepped system.”
Bandit’s crew was comprised of lead crew Scot Sepe, Vanessa Sexton, Andrew Ellis, Nikki Dotson and Mike Stanley, who worked to have the rigging installed in one day and all the lighting up on day two. “They executed it flawlessly,” said Moore. “It is a complicated rig, with things hanging from other things, and they did a killer job. Bandit’s prep is second to none, and the crew knew exactly what we needed to do in the time frame, and they had a great attitude. That’s a lot to ask for today. 2020 was tough for all of us, and 2021 is tough for different reasons. They really showed up and did a great job.”
“I believe this year’s Dove Awards was the most ambitious and technically challenging one to date,” said Bandit Lites Vice President Mike Golden, “but when you have a veteran production team leading things and open to ideas, you find ways to make things work. Scott Moore and Mark Carver began working with Dizzy Gosnell and myself in early August regarding the overall design and vision, and we spent two months working with Don Lockridge moving fixtures, trusses and scenic pieces around in order to make all of the puzzle pieces fit.”
“Mike Golden and Don Lockridge worked to give us a system that met our budget and prep guidelines,” finished Carver. “The show crew worked hard to get our system up and maintained 100 percent during the show. Show Gaffer, Luke Carver, and lighting programmer André Petrus and lighting and video programmer Tony Fransen rounded out a great crew.”
“Mike Golden is great at getting us where we need to go with design and fixtures,” said Moore. “We are doing a lot with a little in a very short period. We picked quality when we picked Bandit, and Bandit definitely delivered.”
“To see the final product was worth every bit of the time spent,” said Golden. “It was stunning! We enjoy every opportunity to work with the entire Dove Awards operation, and I speak for all of us at Bandit in saying we are looking forward to the next time.”
Production Design: Scott Moore, Go Live Productions
Lighting Design: Mark Carver, Carver Lighting Design
Lighting Director/ Programmer: André Petrus
Media Programmer and Content: Tony Fransen
Gaffer: Luke Carver
Edge Light: Nick Holbrook
Bandit Lites Client Representative: Mike Golden
Bandit Lites Project Manager: Don Lockridge
