shfr26 Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Last year, my first using LOR, I thought my show was pretty darn good! Had more traffic than I thought I would, and several of the same people came by almost every night. This year while redoing some of last years sequences to upgrade all the elements and channels, I thought, "These are pretty crappy looking sequences". Is it just me or is it that you notice what looked like little flubs last year now look like a terrible mess? Maybe I'm actually get the hang of this and know what it is really suppose to look like. Any thoughts?? Will it get worse next year and everything I did this year will look like crap to me again? Do you think the "normal people" even notice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonald307 Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Quite a funny topic and I whole heartily can say you are not alone!My first year I did a lot of "borrowing" from sequences other people shared. While trying to add new elements for the next year to old sequences, I finally decided there were very few I would use again. I don't know if I didn't feel they weren't good enough entirely, but my style, skills and the tools had much improved and I wouldn't have done some things that same way again in a sequence. The only one I reused and didn't touch was Holdman's Amazing Grace. The only other song I reused was TSO Wizards, but I ended up rewriting it from scratch.I'm trying to cut back the length of my show this year, and I only have a few new songs done with my yet expanded again set up this year. I know I'm going to get caught up in the the moment, and I know I will end up recycling some oldies, probably from year 1. But right now I'm afraid to even open them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 I think a lot depends on just how much there is to do in Spring Hill? If there's not much going on, I can see where crappy sequences could attract quite a bit of attention. Of course, no one would tell you they're crappy - that's somethng a person needs to see for themselves. Sounds like you finally did. And now you know what all the rest of us already knew - your sequences ARE crappy... and they're better this year only because they couldn't get much worse, could they?There, how's that? Feel better now?You asked about "the normal people"... Who exactly would they be? Certainly not the couch potatos who don't put out any lights at all while they hide in the dark beating their wives... what's "normal" about that? And certainly not the people who do static displays... again, what's "normal" about that - throwing a string of lights on a bush and then looking at it doing nothing but just laying there? So who does that leave left to be "Normal"? The rest of us who do synchronized to music displays, is that what you think? Are we the "normal" people? Look around you... you must be kidding...There ARE no normal people Pete. You might be the closest thing we have to 'normal". I'll bet that scares you, doesn't it... it should - it scares everyone else...Anything else I can do to help you feel good about yourself, just ask. As for me, I'm so embarrassed by some of my work from my newbie year in 2008 I wouldn't even sell those sequences to all the people who've asked - or at least not until I've gone back and improved them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shfr26 Posted October 7, 2010 Author Share Posted October 7, 2010 amcdonald307 wrote: . But right now I'm afraid to even open them!I live with fear everyday and have for 36 years, but she does like the lights!And thanks George, you always know just what to say to make someone feel good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 shfr26 wrote:These are pretty crappy looking sequences". Is it just me or is it that you notice what looked like little flubs last year now look like a terrible mess?**I totally agree...not that yours look like crap, but that I could vastly improve on my sequences as well** Do you think the "normal people" even notice?**I don't think they notice...because we KNOW where the "flubs are", our eyes go right to it. Both my brother and I have remodeled homes, and KNOWING where the "mistakes" are, our eyes will go right to it...but the "normal" person, is trying to take everything in, so they don't see it.** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 George Simmons wrote: I think a lot depends on just how much there is to do in Spring Hill? If there's not much going on, I can see where crappy sequences could attract quite a bit of attention. Of course, no one would tell you they're crappy - that's somethng a person needs to see for themselves. Sounds like you finally did. And now you know what all the rest of us already knew - your sequences ARE crappy... and they're better this year only because they couldn't get much worse, could they?There, how's that? Feel better now?You asked about "the normal people"... Who exactly would they be? Certainly not the couch potatos who don't put out any lights at all while they hide in the dark beating their wives... what's "normal" about that? And certainly not the people who do static displays... again, what's "normal" about that - throwing a string of lights on a bush and then looking at it doing nothing but just laying there? So who does that leave left to be "Normal"? The rest of us who do synchronized to music displays, is that what you think? Are we the "normal" people? Look around you... you must be kidding...There ARE no normal people Pete. You might be the closest thing we have to 'normal". I'll bet that scares you, doesn't it... it should - it scares everyone else...Anything else I can do to help you feel good about yourself, just ask. As for me, I'm so embarrassed by some of my work from my newbie year in 2008 I wouldn't even sell those sequences to all the people who've asked - or at least not until I've gone back and improved them...lol...this has got to be one of your best posts yet George...I'm crying I'm laughing so hard!!!EDIT:Wait...people BUY your crappy sequences??? Got their email address??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basis21b Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Great topic.I believe this effect is the combination two things:We have acquired experience.We are all our own worst critics.I used some of my sequences from the first year in my second year. After standing outside and watching them play I was horrified. I immediately went inside and removed two of them from the show. It was interesting, one year previous I had no problem letting the world see them and now I was ashamed to have my name associated with them. The reality was I had learned more about the process. Because of the uniqueness of the display I'm sure I could have re-used them and the people watching would have loved them but the critic in me would not allow it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 basis21b wrote: We have acquired experience. We are all our own worst critics.I think that pretty well sums it up. I did the same thing as you last year with a few sequences from the first year - I couldn't get into the house to pull the plug fast enough. Sharon thought they looked okay and I must have looked at her like she was an alien or something. Okay? Okay?? They don't look at all okay my dear - they look like something that came from Florida...Hey Pete - I didn't know you were looking for someone to cheer you up... next time buddy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shfr26 Posted October 7, 2010 Author Share Posted October 7, 2010 George Simmons wrote: basis21b wrote: We have acquired experience. We are all our own worst critics.I think that pretty well sums it up. I did the same thing as you last year with a few sequences from the first year - I couldn't get into the house to pull the plug fast enough. Sharon thought they looked okay and I must have looked at her like she was an alien or something. Okay? Okay?? They don't look at all okay my dear - they look like something that came from Florida...Hey Pete - I didn't know you were looking for someone to cheer you up... next time buddy.Thats Ok George, When I post my video from this year, with the new camera my wife bought me, of my sequences done on the new 24 inch monitor, my wife bought me, with my new channels that my wife bought me, maybe, just maybe, I can get you to say they don't look that bad. And no, she has no sisters that are available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Manzara Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Well, this is my first year with LOR and I am just starting to put my lights up for Christmas. I have been programming since March and the sequences I have just completed are far superior to the ones I worked on in March so I am now in the process of redoing the earlier sequences. What looked good in the beginning is now pretty pitiful. Also when I started I had planned on 32 channels then realized I needed more elements so I upgraded to 48 ehich of course has me redoing thesongs I programmed for 32 channels. But I have never been so satisfied with a hobby than I have been with the synchronized lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 George Simmons wrote: They don't look at all okay my dear - they look like something that came from Florida...Hey Pete - I didn't know you were looking for someone to cheer you up... next time buddy.So George...where do you do your stand-up routine?Going on the road after Christmas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 shfr26 wrote: And no, she has no sisters that are available.Sister???I'll take HER!!!Hey Baby...I got over 500 Channels!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulXmas Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 shfr26 wrote: Last year, my first using LOR, I thought my show was pretty darn good! Had more traffic than I thought I would, and several of the same people came by almost every night. This year while redoing some of last years sequences to upgrade all the elements and channels, I thought, "These are pretty crappy looking sequences". Is it just me or is it that you notice what looked like little flubs last year now look like a terrible mess? Maybe I'm actually get the hang of this and know what it is really suppose to look like. Any thoughts?? Will it get worse next year and everything I did this year will look like crap to me again? Do you think the "normal people" even notice?I know what you mean!I resequenced everything because I was changing the layout and have a few more controllers.There are things we see that "normal" people don't.I think we are our own worse critic.Yup next year "I" will look at this year's display and think it is "crap" and redo everything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 I think there are a lot of thing that the viewers won't notice. But each year you are likely to hold yourself to a higher standard. Immagine what some of us think about our first year material that we have not reworked. I cringe at some of my Halloween stuff. But I still have not taken the time to fix it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amcdonald307 Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Mike Manzara wrote: ... the sequences I have just completed are far superior to the ones I worked on in March so I am now in the process of redoing the earlier sequences.Don't mistakenly think you are off the hook once the show starts running.You will come home some night and dawdle in front of your display to just watch a song or two. You will notice for the first time that a chase you made would look a million times better if you went left to right instead of right to left. You can't believe how obvious it is or understand why you didn't catch that any of the 5,000 times you had watched that on the visualizer while sequencing it originally.So, you rush into the house and make the change. You might even have to watch the whole thing on the visualizer a couple times just to make sure there's nothing else so obvious. Then you have to slip the change on to the show computer without disrupting the show going on right now, but certainly before that sequence plays again.The whole process will only take a couple hours, and you'll be able to sleep tonight. And in the end it is a 100% certainty that you are the only one who will ever know you changed it.This will happen so don't try to fight it. Best advise is never watch your show once it starts (yeah, like anyone is going to do that!). Next best advise is don't watch it again immediately after you've made the change, or you will realize why you ran it left to right originally. Leave yourself something to do tomorrow night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 shfr26 wrote: And no, she has no sisters that are available.Does she have any sisters who are UN-available? I don't mind doing things the hard way...Having a nice monitor DOES make quite a difference, doesn't it? My 23 incher is one of my best pc-related buys ever! Now I'm eyeing the 36 inch jobbers, and Sharon just keeps shaking her head... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shfr26 Posted October 7, 2010 Author Share Posted October 7, 2010 George Simmons wrote: shfr26 wrote: And no, she has no sisters that are available.Does she have any sisters who are UN-available? I don't mind doing things the hard way...Having a nice monitor DOES make quite a difference, doesn't it? My 23 incher is one of my best pc-related buys ever! Now I'm eyeing the 36 inch jobbers, and Sharon just keeps shaking her head...Only 4 of them, all younger and wiser. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Hurrle Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 I am in the same boat. I have the roof lights and mega tree up. I connected a couple of my characters to see how it looked. I noticed most of the things looked good but the roof lights just didn't seem right on a few sequences so back to the drawing board I went. The only flaw on the roof that is real noticeable now is some of the strings seem to be a little crooked. Latter coming out again soon.Off the subject:I got a new internet provider this week and now over on PC I can't post since I updated my email and have not gotten a confirmation yet. Any help here? No problems on this forum.Mike Manzara wrote: Well, this is my first year with LOR and I am just starting to put my lights up for Christmas. I have been programming since March and the sequences I have just completed are far superior to the ones I worked on in March so I am now in the process of redoing the earlier sequences. What looked good in the beginning is now pretty pitiful. Also when I started I had planned on 32 channels then realized I needed more elements so I upgraded to 48 ehich of course has me redoing thesongs I programmed for 32 channels. But I have never been so satisfied with a hobby than I have been with the synchronized lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Jeff Millard wrote: That, and anticipating the construction of tri-color LED mini trees :cool:JeffYou've come so far Jeff!!...*sniff sniff*We are all so proud of you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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