LED matrix poles opinions and questions? (strings not pixels)

[bhunt240]

i am wanting to add a few light poles bunched together for animations and possibly a count down to start the show... i already have all the lights needed to make the poles if i do 8- 12' poles and 8 ch. per pole but now im thinking ill need more than  8 poles after going back and watching the downs family Christmas he has 16 poles and his distance from his display helps my poles would be less than 20' from the road..... i have a few questions though

 

is 20-25' too close to the road to do them and get the right effects? 

if thats okay what would the recommended spacing be between poles?

how many poles do you need to make a decent animation and not look super choppy or spread out?? 

and also is there any easier way to program arrows or rings moving or numbers etc ?? like an extension program maybe??

 

example \/ \/ \/ off to the left of his display infront of the mega tree

[Ron Boyd]

I believe George Simmons has done these type of poles, maybe others too. Might want to pick his brain about it.