Project Profile: Pioneer Central School District, located in Yorkshire, NY, includes one high school, one middle school, and two elementary schools. The district currently serves approximately 2,800 students and is located about 45 minutes from Buffalo, NY.
The school district recently renovated its 1,200-seat performing arts center. The space is utilized by both the school district and local community organizations for a variety of programs including dance, concerts, and other theatrical performances. The rural school district serves 12 separate towns and villages within a 250-square-mile radius. The residents might not have access to these types of enrichment programs without the investment into the renovation of the performing arts center.
Customer Challenge: The original performing arts center stage was built without “fly space”, which is the large opening above the stage where set pieces, lights, and microphones hang out of audience view. Without this space, technical crews found it difficult to use movable props, which limited their capabilities and ability to make certain sets. The district was left with two options: raising the roof of the auditorium or finding a more permanent backdrop solution such as a digital video board.
“From a cost perspective, the video board was more advantageous.”
Benjamin halsey, pioneer central school district superintendent
“From a cost perspective, the video board was more advantageous,” said Pioneer Central School District’s Superintendent Benjamin Halsey. “We also felt that this was the future of performing arts.”
Stark Solution: Stark Tech’s Professional Audio and Visual team worked with the mechanical and electrical contractor on the project to design, install, and integrate a 50ft. by 18ft. digital LED video wall onto the performing arts center stage. The new digital wall by Watchfire is a 2.4mm pixel pitch and is 4k resolution.
The school district prioritized the technology implemented to be the same technology students would encounter inside a studio environment after graduation. According to Halsey, the district’s music department plans to design a curriculum for students that teaches scene design using the new digital video board. This opens the door for new learning opportunities and allows students to learn new, state-of-the-art skills.
The video wall is fully funded through school capital reserves and state school construction funds. Additionally, the video board will pay for itself overtime by eliminating costs associated with building physical sets.
Other contractors involved in this project include M&E Engineering and Convergent Technologies Design Group.
The Technology:
- Watchfire
- Crestron
- NovaStar
- Disguise
- Shure
- QSC
- Lowell
The Stark Integration team, consisting of industry certified Professional Audio and Visual professionals, offers a full array of professional audio/visual solutions from networked A/V systems, public address, mass notification, and intercom systems, to digital clocks, assisted listening devices, and sound masking solutions. With access to a range of manufacturers and equipment, our Pro A/V team can provide full design and installation services for any type of facility
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