BALI, INDONESIA – Multi-platinum and Dove Award-winning recording group Hillsong UNITED have told interviewers that their sixth studio album “Wonder” was inspired in part by the things they’ve experienced visiting new places. It is very fitting, then, that the world-famous group recorded some songs on their new record in Bali, home of their church’s first campus in Asia.
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Located in a pleasant, low-keyed new building on a tree-lined street, the recently opened Bali campus embodies the warm, inviting and uplifting spirit that draws over 80,000 people each Sunday to Hillsong churches on five continents. Although the Bali church building itself is relatively simple in its structure, it quickly engages visitors with help from its immersive and colorful lighting, created with CHAUVET Professional fixtures, supplied and installed by ASIIS.
“The people from Hillsong first saw us at an exhibition,” said ASIIS owner Andy Mulya Sutikno. “It was clear pretty quickly that we shared the church’s vision for the kind of environment they wanted to create. Having the right lighting was a big part of achieving that vision. We worked very closely with Stephen Pippett, the Head of Creative Technology from Hillsong, to make it happen.”
ASIIS installed six Ovation F-165WW Fresnels and three Ovation E-260CW high-output LED ellipsoidals at the church. Joining these Ovation units were 12 COLORdash Par-Hex 12 fixtures, eight STRIKE 4 multi-formatted warm white lights and one Amhaze Whisper fog machine.
Positioned on overhead truss in front of the stage, the Ovation fixtures provide key lighting for speakers and the musicians that make up an important part of Hillsong’s services. “The color temperature and nice even light field we get with the Ovations creates very natural skin tones,” said Sutikno. “They also help people show up very well on camera, which is important given the musical performances hosted at the church.”
The COLORdash fixtures are flown over the stage on truss to provide down lighting and are positioned on poles stage left and right for side lighting, as well as on upstage risers for back lighting. Drawing on the LED wash’s RGBAW+UV engine, the church is able to bathe the stage in a range of colors, from soft pastels to vivid saturates. During musical performances, the color on stage will change dramatically to reflect the varying dynamics of a song.
Adding to the welcoming atmosphere in the church is the warm white glow from the STRIKE 4 fixtures that are positioned overhead throughout the building. The fixtures are used as house lights when worshippers enter the church, but then can assume strobe and effects functions during services or performances.
“Seeing this church and knowing its significance, we are very pleased with the way it turned out,” said Sutikno. “Lighting plays a very big part in creating the atmosphere here.”
This enthusiasm is shared by Stephen Pippett from Hillsong’s largest location in Sydney, Australia. “We are thrilled with the end result,” he said. “Whilst the project had its logistical challenges, ASIIS was responsive throughout the entire process and went above and beyond to fulfill the vision that we had for the campus.”
