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Halloween 2009


CLD Kevin

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Hi all...

First I wanted to apologize to all those who sent me the many, many private massages. I did visit this forum a few times, but never actually log in under my account so I never saw them. Same with my YouTube and Vimeo accounts although my son did sign in my YouTube account a few months ago...which I just discovered (that little sneaky kid). I never logged in so I didn't see any of the PM's (hundreds from YouTube). I feel bad because I'm usually good at replying to them. Most of the messages just wanted my sequences. A little late now. Again, I apologize if I didnt respond to yours.

This is my 2nd year. I went from 32 channels to 112. I actually planned on doing more and I had ideas and even did the sequencing for some of them, but I ran out of time...so next year for those.

It was really tough this year because my job work load really took off about a month before Halloween so time to set up was difficult. This year I planned on using a lift since a lot of the lights where on my second story. I borrowed a bucket truck from a friend for a weekend and it should have been no problem getting it done, but it broke down before I really got to do anything. That was 4 weeks before Halloween. So the following weekend I rented a 40' lift. I thought this was really going to be easy. The lift broke down after running for 30 seconds. They sent a mechanic, but it was toast. Something electronic and they didn’t have any available. Damn. I was going to give up but I worked on the sequencing and making the lights off and on for the past 6 months my wife talked me into it. So 2 weeks before Halloween, I got the bucket truck back. I used it for 1/2 day and a hydraulic line blow and sprayed fluid all over the truck, me and my driveway. Someone is telling me not to do this...all the signs are there. Only thing I was missing was a loud booming voice from the sky! So I really gave up this time. I was really disappointed and told all my neighbors. 3 days later the bucket truck was fixed and my friend told me if I wanted to use it...pick it up. I debated for a day, but I have a lot of vacation so I took off a week. The truck worked the whole time (putting up and taking down). I finish setting it all up the Wednesday before Halloween. I was going to do a test/trial for the neighborhood kids and work out any bugs. Well, let me tell you...there were bugs. 30 seconds into the first song, I blew 2 units. I didn’t have any fuses, so scratch 1st night.

Next day I bought several fuses, but the fuse would blow every time I started it. One of my Showtime units wouldn't come back online. I replaced the fuses, but still no power. I'll look at it later. Fortunately I had a spare unit. So after troubleshooting for hours and going through what seem like hundreds of extension cords, turns out it was a bad or reversed vamp plug. There was other issues, like sections of rope light going out, bulbs blow, mis-labeling, ect, ect. The rope light really got to me because I would have to replace sections which was frustrating. It was just working 1 minute then the whole section burned out which it very obvious. I could ramble on forever.

I did use an HD camera but you can’t tell at all because I did a quick video edit using Windows Move Maker. My PC is acting up so I don’t have anything good to use. I’ll make better videos later. Enjoy!

Comments please?



Take Care,

Kevin





This is Halloween





Monster Mash





Thriller





Boom Boom Pow (This one is my daughters fav song. She beg and how can I say no to those puppy dog eyes?? Actually, this was a hit with the teenagers...go figure)

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WOW, i'm 56 and i loved your Boom Boom Pow video its FANTASTIC great timing on the sequence, i haven't check the others yet but I'm sure they will be great also, can't wait to see you Christmas videos,

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Excellent, Excellent excellent job of sequencing. Sounds like all the forces of evil were ganging up against you to get the show running, but you prevailed and the results seem to be worth it.

Thank you for putting in all the extra effort and sharing it.

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Wow! :cool: Great work. With all your free time you should write a short tutorial on sequencing the mouth movements, your timing with the vocalizations and natural transitions are the best I have seen.

Thanks for sharing!

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Free time....and a tutorial on the mouth sequencing. Ummm. Let me run it down quickly. I only have 5 mins of free time. Obviously the mouth would be the hardest part because being off just a half second is very noticeable when it comes to mouth movement to the singing.

So first what I did is Google the lyrics and print them out. I marked all the 'O' words (to, you, boo, ect) and 'E' words (be, see, me, ect). Everything is is pretty much opening and closing of the mouth. The opening and closing of the mouth depends on how fast the words are being said. You also will combine the 'O', 'E' and opening of the mouth with some words. Example would be "FOREVER". The "FOR" I would use and 'O', the "EV" I use the 'E' and "ER" would be just full open mouth. So I you use the 'O, E, Open' in that order for just that word. I also set my timing at 0.05 seconds because the changing of the mouth is very quick. This is the easy part. The difficult part come next.

Timing the words...no easy way of do this. Just lots of patients and try not to do some much in one day or you'll burn out. The 1/2 speed is your friend. What I would do is find all the 'O' and 'E' parts of the song and mark those. Then just fill in between with the opening and closing of the mouth. Do this first with 1/2 speed and then replaying the song over and over at normal speed while watching the animation. This will help you see if things need to be changed. Last year, the first song took about 4-5 hrs for 1 min of just the mouth movement. I've gotten alot better and cut that in half....depending on the song. The Boom Boom song was actually not that hard. It was a lot faster, but the words and the beat of the song mostly match which made it easier. The mouths took about 2 days and the rest I did in 1 day. That easy to follow beat is what helped.

Because the mouths were the hardest part, I would sequence all the mouths first, then go back and do the rest. That way it got easier as I worked on it.

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Incredible job with the mouth movements.

Cracker, what are your plans for Christmas? I'd love to come and see your display. You obviously have a talent for synchronizing.

I grew up in Rancho Cucamonga and put up a 64 channel display at my dad's and linking his neighbor across the street with another 16 channels and a Mega Tree. Are you willing to PM (in case you don't want it public) your address so I can see your display when I come back with the kids for Christmas?

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I'm actually thinking about not doing much for Xmas. Maybe a a few trees and a couple of of things. I left the sockets on my eves, so I just need to install the bulbs. I think I put too much lately into the Halloween show that I'm really burned out on putting up lights, running ext cords and blowing fuses. I defiantly need to upgrade my power as Xmas would require more. I have ideas but haven't really worked on anything.

I may change my mind, but as of right now at this moment...nothing big.



Kevin

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People like you should not be able to post videos here!!! You make all of us others look bad!! Only kidding of course. You did a fantastic job, great work, and try to do something for Christmas please I want to see what you do!!

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Cracker wrote

I may change my mind, but as of right now at this moment...nothing big.

Kevin

I understand the burned out feeling. I think we all feel it right after setup and take down.

But all I have to say is that you have a talent and put a very clean and detailed display. You can really make a lot of people enjoy the season.

Thanks again for showing your work. Great job again.
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Yes, with rope light although its a pain when a bulb burns out because a whole 18 inch section will or will eventually go out which is very noticeable. It happen a few times and I had to climb back up to replace that section. I'm thinking about changing it to something like minis or C7's so if a bulb burns out...its just that 1 bulb. However, the rope light does make it easy to form.

Aww, the orange lights. Right when the stores started putting out Halloween stuff, I started buying. For the minis...K-Mart, Target, Walmart, Party Supply Stores all carries them. They are frosted orange and not the transparent type. I didn't like Target or Walmart lights. They only came in 70ct where K-Mart was 140ct and the Party Stores were 100ct.

I only found one place that carries orange icicles... "ACE is the place". Right now it doesn't show they have any now, but wait until a few months before Halloween. http://www.acehardware.com

As for the C9, Rope light.... http://www.actionlighting.com

Buy the frosted bulbs and not the Orange (aka Amber) transparent bulbs as they will not match to the minis...close, but not exactly. But it does match the orange rope light exactly...so it was a toss up. I had more mini's so I went with the frosted.



Here are a couple of daytime pictures...



8ft Main Face


Attached files 186371=10563-Face3.jpg

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Cracker Majorly impressed, This is my first year with LOR so I'm learning from every video I see. If you decide to do a big Christmas Display I'd love to come by and see it. I'm In Apple Valley.. But I work In Fontana so not far away.

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