Still New But Just My 2 Cents Worth

[CrazyManInCincy]

I am still new to the LOR world but while watching videos from last year on youtube it seems like some people are just "Over Doing It A Little". I am from the school go big or go home! There is a lot beautiful and wonderful shows and work out there you all get my RESPECT! I am here not to put down any one or there hard work. It just seems there is tons of light and wire frame decoreations just kinda thrown in a yard and made to dance. I am just wondering if it be better to have less and have it all have a purose or tie in to the show.(Not sure on rite wording). Then to have a lot and just seem like the lights were dumpped in the yard. Or is it just me that have noticed it? Just looking for a good direction.



Mike

[Ponddude]

This will most likely turn into an argument...just as a heads up...but I will through in my 2 cents as well...

I will never mock a display. My feelings are..."Too each his own." I know when I do and plan my show everything is symmetrical, the lights are evenly spaced and I have some sort of semblence to it. I'm not saying that is the way everyone should do it, it is just the way I do mine. I love my display...building, creating it, listening to the people who love it....its all great. However, there are a zillion other shows and displays out there that I love and don't use the same principals as I do.

Frankly, you do your display the way you want to do it. You will be influenced some how by someone here, no matter how hard you try not too. This is a hobby that we all love and that is the best part about it.

[cenote]

Ponddude wrote:

Frankly, you do your display the way you want to do it. You will be influenced some how by someone here, no matter how hard you try not too. This is a hobby that we all love and that is the best part about it.

Think this says it the best. I know I enjoy seeing both "types" of shows. I have actually traveled up and down the east coast enjoying theses displays. I find the "over decorated" ones are as much enjoyable to me, because is always fun finding treats tucked in and threw out each display during songs.

The ones that are beautifully set up with minimum lights are also great. Allot of this hobby is not about how much bling and money you can throw out on your display, but about how you enjoy bring enjoyment to others...or something like that.:)

[tonyjmartin]

I will say that if you are just looking at You Tube, you will not be able to fully appreciate the depth to which this hobby has evolved. For example, if you were to look at the original

that exploded onto the internet in 2005 and measure it by today's standards of technical sophistication, it would seem somewhat simplistic. Even videos of the the most complex displays from just a couple years ago seem to become dated when they are compared to the newest displays.

But unfortunately, many of these newer displays have incredibly high channel/bulb counts that can be attributed to either deep pockets or sponsorship. Now I ask you, are these the sorts of displays that you should be comparing to your neighbors? Is it really fair to compare the display of a newbie that just scraped together enough money to buy their first controller and a Starter Package to the display of a

or one that has been sponsored by a

? Of course not.

There are many levels to this hobby. The "Go Big or Go Home" approach will attract one sort of user. The "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" approach will attract yet another. And there are an infinite number of variations in between. So this begs the question: "Are you building your display so that you can post a video on the internet, or are you building your display for the people who are going to actually see it in person?" I will tell you right now that I can envision a display that looks awesome on video, but would look rather awkward in person. And vice-versa. This is known as either designing for the camera, or designing for the audience. And it is very difficult to do both well.

Of course there are displays with the appearance that "Christmas puked in your yard" and ones that are continually electrocuting wireframe deer as they flash on and off through every song. But I fail to find the plus side to criticizing a simple display because it is not more like a larger one with 100K lights, hundreds of hours of sequencing, and a couple hundred channels of computer control. Everybody does the best they can with the time and money available to them.

How about we try to spend more time showing appreciation for the efforts of our fellow decorators and offer constructive criticism, rather than merely making comparisons to what is out of reach for most of us. This doesn't mean we can't go "WOW" when we see something big, but we shouldn't try to make this the standard by which everyone is measured.

The best advice that I can offer a newbie is this: Look at other displays for ideas. If you want to copy one, then go right ahead. If you want use a bunch of techniques from several displays, ditto. And more power to you if you want to just let "Christmas puke in your yard" and randomly start hooking up channels and making them go blinky-flashy. The latter approach has been used extensively for decades in many art forms, so you would be in good company. But most of all, for pete's sake, do try to have some fun while you're doing it.

[-klb-]

It's only Christmas lights!

Anyone doing something like this needs to figure out who they are trying to please. Anybody else who likes it beyond their target audience is just a bonus.

I do our house just to try and please my wife and I. If the neighbors like it, and it draws people by to watch, that is just a bonus.

My efforts for the city park show are to try and please a wide audience of residents, visitors, sponsors, and civic leaders. To be honest, it is such a broad target that it usually gets collapsed back to a what I like, with a few extra considerations thrown in, and a lot of listening to what people thought of the previous year's elements. But the true measure is how well the show gets sponsored, and how difficult is is (or is not) to get city funding.

As long as people putting together shows are pleasing who they set out to please, it doesn't really matter if I like it or not.

[CrazyManInCincy]

Thank You All For The Input!!!!! Like I said before I have great respect for everyone who enjoys this hobby!!!!! Heck I have a hard time just trying to get the beat down on a song....I am musically challenged.

As for the Carson Williams Video.....Well I saw the house in person before it hit big. He lives about 20min from me. So that said there are tons of Carson Williams Jr's running around in my neck of the woods. For that reason I know wizards of winter will not be in my show once I get one running. Nothing against the ones that use the song it is a wonderful song. Just in my neck of the woods it is way over done.

For the newbie funds.....Well last year I bought the software and been a very bumpy year and doesn't look like I will get any controllers this year again.

I am very impressed with the people on this site!!!! Every time I load the software I just stare at it and go how the heck do this people do this!!! lol I am looking forward to picking all your brains and greatly appreciate all and any help I get.

I am also sorry if I crossed a line or rubbed anyone in the wrong way with my post as that wasn't my intention.

[thebaronn]

I think that everyone has a little bit of every type of light enthusiast in them. And we all "over do it a little"

We all have a little Go big or Go Home to Jesus is the Reason for the Season. Whether we admit it or not. And we all love to be recognized for our efforts (my 2008 halloween show was featured on the Propmaster's 2008 DVD haunts{shameless plug} and I was on cloud nine for a while). No one can say they do not get a smile on their face when someone compliments their work and I guarantee they are defensive when someone disses it.

It is also somewhat of a sickness. My wife always jokes that if we win the lottery she can only imagine what I would do with the house (oh the possibilities!!! Why did you buy this house? So I can have a bigger light display!!!) At first it was only going to be 16 channels, something small. But by the time I actually bought a started package it was 64 channels (think I used 48 my first year and dont for get the FM transmitter). Then my wife fed my sickness and said "if you do this, I want a valentine's display!" BOOYAH!!! Music to my ears, now I have to buy more lights and add more channels and sequence my songs...... Then she said "how bout a pot o gold for st patricks day??" Man I love her!! And I bought more lights and added more channels and did a st patricks display!! Then by Halloween we worked on the layout together and added more channels (we were up to over 100 in less than a year, so much for only 16 channels....ever). Then Christmas she said "I have always missed the old school santa and reindeer" Awesome!!! Can blowmolds work with LOR and a sequence......only one way to find out. Jumped to Ebay and they were on their way. And then Easter of this year and now we are working on something new for halloween.........All the while my son asking "what are we doing next??"

Most important thing about this is that it is FUN!!!!! I'm lucky I do my sequencing at work so it doesnt take away from time with my family. My family helps me with the lights and gives lots of input. Like -klb- said, the most important audience is my family and everyone else who likes it is a bonus.

I stress the FUN part. If you are not having fun the forget about it.

New phrase "GO FUN OR GO HOME!"

How do you measure how sick you are? Friday at 11pm and you are on a LOR forum (i have planet christmas in another window).....................................................

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And its only JUNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[-klb-]

The key is to do it one step at a time. Don't let fear of failure prevent you from taking those steps that let you learn how to do this. The more you sequence, the better you will get. Most people will even learn from their "failures" along the way.

Probably one of my weaknesses is that after the first year, I haven't really watched that much video. You can learn a lot about what you like, and what you don't like in watching video, as well as picking up new to you ideas. Once you know what you like, you can experiment in how to create it, and what similar effects you are emulating.

So far, even with the crazy growth of the city park project, I think I am getting better at the sequencing faster than the show is growing. Practice really does help. I won't say that I am necessarily sequencing faster, but I am definitely working way faster on a per channel basis.

[GalenInTn]

There are SOOOOO many ways anyone can do their display. Maybe that's the beauty of this sickness we share around here! For me, if I'm the only one in front of my house giggling like a little school girl, I'm happy. I just want to do the best with what I got. This will be my first year and I'm only running 16 channels this year with a little over 3K lights. Small by some standards (shrug), but I know that at least I'm having more fun this year than I had in the years past. YEA!