Mixing Synchronised and static displays

[JohnF]

Forgot to add, I am planning to run the shows from my laptop.

Thanks

John

[Santas Helper]

7 hours ago, George Simmons said:

I think that sometimes when people have both static and animated displays going at the same it loses a certain cohesion, for lack of a better term.  At least in the way it looks on video.  Jumbled, disjointed, halting, uneven - I'm not sure the right word.  Some are fine.  Others, my eyes can't always focus on, or snap to, or pick out the synchronized elements from the static ones quickly/efficiently enough to recognize and/or appreciate the synchronization.  It almost seems like a disservice to both styles.  IMO, turning off the static while running the synchronized (and vice-versa) maximizes the impact of both rather than detracting from one another.

For majority of the mixed displays I have seen...

I totally agree with George on this one. Having static mixed in with synced lights seems like not all things are working properly or should be there.

It's like a big moth sitting on the TV screen while your trying to watch the show. It's distracting to me.  

[Orville]

On 9/14/2016 at 11:13 PM, George Simmons said:

Sometimes?  Only sometimes?  You're being waaaay too modest, Orv ... 

I think that sometimes when people have both static and animated displays going at the same it loses a certain cohesion, for lack of a better term.  At least in the way it looks on video.  Jumbled, disjointed, halting, uneven - I'm not sure the right word.  Some are fine.  Others, my eyes can't always focus on, or snap to, or pick out the synchronized elements from the static ones quickly/efficiently enough to recognize and/or appreciate the synchronization.  It almost seems like a disservice to both styles.  IMO, turning off the static while running the synchronized (and vice-versa) maximizes the impact of both rather than detracting from one another.

I don't always have "static" lights on all the time, but sometimes I do, but when I do, I never run them at full intensity, I usually have them set at 40% intensity or lower, that way they aren't full on and don't attract attention away from the "dancing" lights.   And sometimes I do have them flash, but only if I am trying to have them sing {mimic} the words in a specific song or if an animal would be the talking/singing character in a song.  Other than that, they are either off or extremely dimly lit.   And I think being on very dimly works well in an animated, musical display.    But that's MY preference.   Others tastes and how they do it will differ, but then that's what makes our displays unique, otherwise, if we all did the exact same thing, our displays would look like a canned set up, like you'd get froma Mr. Christmas, and I don't think any of us want that, well maybe someone might.....

[k6ccc]

Maybe I'm thinking "static" different than you are.  I ALWAYS have some static stuff.  I sequence entirely in SuperStar, and have a group (thank you Brian for creating groups in 4.3.12) called "Semi-static".  That group consists of all the stuff that either does not change at all, or does so very little.  Normally in the semi-Static group has the following:  Front porch light (white), security light by the cars (white), the two column lights and address sign in one of the columns (RGB), the flag lights (white - the 7 lights illuminating the flags at the top of the flagpole), the Tune To signs (RGB), the yard perimeter string (RGB pixels), and usually the lower eves (RGB pixels).  The Tune To signs generally change color every 30 to 60 seconds in each song, and the column and address sign lights are normally the same color for each song, but different for different songs.  In most songs, the lower eves and yard perimeter lights ramp up, and stay static for each song (although for some, they change a lot).

In my opinion, leaving those dark, or in most cases, making them dance would look goofy.

 

[lightzilla]

I have static lights that stay on all the time during the show for the whole Christmas season. They stay on around the windows, and the house. They are in the back ground, all the ( dancing lights ) are if the foreground so the static lights are not an issue & do not take away from the ( dancing lights ).

Then of course you have static display items.

 

 

[Mega Arch]

18 hours ago, lightzilla said:

I have static lights that stay on all the time during the show for the whole Christmas season. They stay on around the windows, and the house. They are in the back ground, all the ( dancing lights ) are if the foreground so the static lights are not an issue & do not take away from the ( dancing lights ).

Then of course you have static display items.

 

 

And your Ferris-wheel, Merry-go-round and Train all look great too!!!

[lightzilla]

18 hours ago, Mega Arch said:

And your Ferris-wheel, Merry-go-round and Train all look great too!!!

Thank you friend.