Did anyone else have the same feeling their first year?

[Guest guest]

This is going to be my first year animated. I have ordered the LOR controller kits and got those all put together and ready to go. I have bought some dmx lights I want to use (will order the controller for those on the sale in May), got a video projector all ready to go and collecting video clips I want to use.

In short, everything except sequencing. It's like I have sequencophobia of some sort. I can't believe I am intimidated by this, I have owned 3 Internet companies and am very tech savvy.....just seem to keep walking around the hill choosing where to put my first foot step. Even thought about posting to see if anyone was interested in doing some sequencing for hire

I will dive in soon and get to work on it, just frustrated with myself at this point.

[Guest guest]

I'll post my offer to help.

2006 was our first year with LOR, using 80 channels. We had an incredible season. We almost made the CBS Early Show.

Back to the offer. I have written an 8 page "LOR Beginner's Guide" based on my starting out experiences. It is free for the asking to beginners and any interested parties. Just email me at ggregzim@yahoo.com

LOR is really great once you are off the ground. The guide is designed to give you a starting point with many tips.

[Guest guest]

There is also LORSequences.com where you can download sequences to analyze how the creator was able to put them together and see how segments of songs and time are broken down.

When that fails, you can always vent on the PC Board.

[Guest guest]

No problem at all my first year with 144 channels. Experiencing what amounts to writters block so far this year with 196..... I'm just giving it time...It'll come

Bill

[Guest guest]

Writer's block is a good way to describe it. This too shall pass, it has to!

[Guest guest]

bhays wrote:

In short, everything except sequencing. It's like I have sequencophobia of some sort. I can't believe I am intimidated by this, I have owned 3 Internet companies and am very tech savvy.....just seem to keep walking around the hill choosing where to put my first foot step. Even thought about posting to see if anyone was interested in doing some sequencing for hire

I will dive in soon and get to work on it, just frustrated with myself at this point.

To be honest, you cannot make complete sequences in my opinion in their complete form this time of year. I think your display is too unique for your special effects to depend on the sequences of others. Doing your own from scratch will use YOUR features which namely you came into this showing you have your own unique signature with your stick trees in the tricks we were all impressed with.

This is what I do, I get my timing hammered out, maybe place in one of two highly predictable patterns on a couple lights and then save for when the real lights go into the yard. You get about October 20th next year and get your lights up early. Get your lights functional about 10 days before Thanksgiving and then finish off your sequences with real lights to finish. By the time Thanksgiving arrives your show will be finished.

What you can do this time of year is get your videos prepared, do and find the timing for your new sequences coming and then rest. What you will do with it will come to you. Sometimes the best thing you can do is take several months OFF from the sequencing side, thats when you are fresh and the magic and talent will be charged up and flowing!

[Guest guest]

This will be my 1st year w/LOR
Very much "intimidated"
Plus I have way too much going on

It's going to be very interesting

[Guest guest]

I have been listening to Christmas music to try and find new songs this may help. Put your songs in a Walkman and listen until the light bulb comes on.:smile:

LOL sorry I had to:laughing::laughing: AI

[Guest guest]

I was intimidated too my first year. That is the biggest reason I didn't start until last season. Once you get going,it passes. Just jump on in and go for it. My first song took me what seemed like forever, but once I got going and started to see what I was doing and liking the look of my animation, excitement comes over you and you will be up till the wee hours sequencing.

Jump on in and wet those feet. Make sure you keep us posted on how it goes. Some people post their first music sequence to get people opinions as well.

[Guest guest]

I was intimidated too my first year. That is the biggest reason I didn't start until last season. Once you get going,it passes. Just jump on in and go for it. My first song took me what seemed like forever, but once I got going and started to see what I was doing and liking the look of my animation, excitement comes over you and you will be up till the wee hours sequencing.

Jump on in and wet those feet. Make sure you keep us posted on how it goes. Some people post their first music sequence to get people opinions as well.

[Guest guest]

This is my first year and I have to admit the sequencing process is intimidating. I'm just going to jump in though and see what comes out. I live in a small town where nobody else is doing this sort of thing so I figure whatever I manage to pull off will still be cooler than anything else around.

[Guest guest]

I think everyone will have the same answer on this. Just do it and start now. It will take several months to do it and don't hire somebody to do it. You will have a huge amount of satisfaction.

Luke

[Guest guest]

Last year was my first year with LOR. I did what most people I think do. Orderd my controllers, installed the sequencing program and then went, Uh Oh!

This is what I did (or should have done added). May or may not work for you. I will add that if you have a wife/husband, boyfriend/girlfriend, roommate, or just a person who loves you very much and desires some of your time, BUY THEM AN EARLY CHRISTMAS GIFT NOW!! I cannot tell you how many mornings that turn into most of the day were spent programming, surfing this chatroom or just in the garage doing something. Oh yeah, lots of coffee!!!! :shock:

First, lay out in your mind what your display will look like. Put it down on paper. Move it around.

Second, pick a song. Lots of choices. Fast or slow beat. Lots of advice as for which to start with. "Wizards of Winter" is a popular choice. Its old and been done, ALOT!! but people who watch it just love it. Now listen to the song til you can hear it in your sleep. Cuz you will. :laughing:

Third, now close your eyes and visualize what you want it to do. Look at some of videos others have done to get ideas. There is no right or wrong way to do it. If you like what you have done, keep it. if not, change it. Remember to constantly save your files. There is nothing more irritating than to work for hours and hours on a sequence then to have your computer lock up on you and your work disappear into the world of missing socks.

Fourth, and this one is the most important. Whatever your display looks like and however you got it to work, The most satifisfaction you will get from all the countless hours of programming and display set-up is the gleam in the childrens eyes who watch it. Within a few nights of turing the lights on, our street was packed full of cars and people. Hundreds of people turned up every night. It was my way of sharing a lil Christmas spirit.

Happy Programming!!!!!!!!! :tree::tree::waycool::waycool::tree::tree:

[Guest guest]

All so start easy and simple. If you jump in with a half million lights and 200 plus channels you will get overwhelmed. AI

[Guest guest]

CrazyRed wrote:

Remember to constantly save your files. There is nothing more irritating than to work for hours and hours on a sequence then to have your computer lock up on you and your work disappear into the world of missing socks.

i can NOT emphasize this part enough...i did all my songs (on 32 channel before i added another 16) and lost 2 songs somehow...no idea what happend...but now after i finished redoing everything to 48 channels i have EVERYTHING (including audio and show files) saved to CD so theres NO chance of losing anything

SAVE SAVE SAVE and BACKUP...nothing more heartbreaking than losing something you spent HOURS working on

[Guest guest]

CrazyRed wrote:

Second, pick a song. Lots of choices. Fast or slow beat. Lots of advice as for which to start with. "Wizards of Winter" is a popular choice. Its old and been done, ALOT!! but people who watch it just love it. Now listen to the song til you can hear it in your sleep. Cuz you will. :laughing:

Wizards of Winter is great. I know a lot of people dont care much for it, but I have been studying music styles and what makes them good or bad for various types of lighting effects. Wizards of Winter has a lot of things in common with for example Eqyptian music intended for use by a belly dancer. It speeds up and slows down, speeds up and slows down. Just like belly dance music allows the dancer to do rapid paced shimmys, then slow snake like gyrations, this same formula works extremely well for lighting shows. Actually aside from Wizards in Winter, you will be hard pressed to find other Christmas songs with these elements.

[Guest guest]

CrazyRed wrote:

Last year was my first year with LOR. I did what most people I think do. Orderd my controllers, installed the sequencing program and then went, Uh Oh!

:laughing:!!! Yes. I was in that boat too. I got the hardware. Soldered it all together - that was fun! Then I started going "crap crap crap - I still have to sequence". Fortunatly I had started on Wizards earlier in the year. I didn't know my exact display layout but I had started picking out the main beats I wanted to use (ie:drums, guitar, bells, etc). I had 2 or 3 strings of lights hooked up for this to ensure I had my timing correct.

Once I got my layout nailed down, I started using the beats I had picked out to animate my display. For creating the sequences I had over 50 strings of lights hooked up in my office. 32 in a circle for the megatree. 2 in the middle for the star. 12 in a row for the mini trees. Various colors to watch some fading effects. Somehow I managed not to pop a circuit breaker:].

I didn't like picking out the beats. That was the most tidious part, but atlesat that's the first part. Once that is out of the road you can get down to business and start making animations. It's fun watching your work in real time. That's the fun part you have to look forward to! Yes, I too experience sequencer's block - ugh. I didn't want to be too repetative throught my songs which made things even more difficult for myself. I invented some of my own effects through experimenting along the way. I also watched as many videos as I could for ideas.

[Guest guest]

The 2006 season was my first and like you, I was pretty intimidated (with sequencing). I had no issues with setting up the display or building the LOR kits. I've never owned an internet company, but, I'm pretty tech savvy, both hardware and software. I've been around electronics and computers most of my life, but, I was pretty nervous about getting the sequences to look good. I also had writers block, I just could not bring myself to start!

What I've found both here and in other situations, is, this is like speaking in front of a huge crowd. The hardest word is the first one. After the first word, the rest is easy. Just sit yourself down and go for it. The first event in the sequence editor is the hardest. Once you've done that, the rest will come. When you've got that first sequence coded and you play it back with animation on, you'll be thrilled and you'll be saying to yourself, this is darned cool. After you've got one done, it really gets fun. Your palms will no longer be sweaty when your clicking away.

Seeing one of your creations control your lights is really awesome. If you're like me, you'll have shivers running up and down your back the first time you play it for real.

When you see the looks in your family's and your friend's eyes when they see your display, it will truly all worth it.

Enjoy and take care.

[Guest guest]

CrazyRed wrote:

Now listen to the song til you can hear it in your sleep. Cuz you will. :laughing:

The biggest complaint I get in my house is that I listen to a segment of a song over and over and over again.



I use it to play a game on the spouse and child: I intentionally will hum a few bars of a song to plant the dreaded "ear-worm" and get it stuck in their heads (Insert evil laugh here!).

Anyway, it passes the time when you are listening to the same 3 second segment of song for weeks on end.

[Guest guest]

Yes, shortly after starting last year I was told to switch to headphones. lol