finding time

[jnealand]

My display never looks totally the same from year to year.  I have enough elements that I can leave some in storage for a year and still be able to put plenty of stuff in the yard.  I also like to move stuff to different locations in the yard.  I am a terrible sequencer and have learned to adopt sequences (that others make available) to my own display.  That has helped me tremendously.  It pays to look for downloadable sequences that have similar elements or counts.  For instance, I have 4 windows, 6 porch columns, and 4 distinct roof line seqments.  If I can find a sequence that has elements with 4  6, or 8 elements I can modify the sequence to fit my own display.  Those modifications take time also, but it does not take me near as long as when I try to start a sequence from scratch and then end up not using it anyway because it looks so bad.  The last two years I even created a sequence I call color change and I just change the colors or chases, etc every 20 seconds without regard to the music.  People seem to like it just as much as my other ones.  I use it to show new RGB effects or just do something different that I have not figured out how to incorporate into a full animated sequence.

[sirloinofbeef001]

I've never had any luck using other ppls sequences. May I haven't looked hard enough.

[jnealand]

i doubt you could ever use someone elses sequence without a fair amount of modification.  The point I was trying to make is to pick one that has similar element counts not necessarily the same elements.  But I love it when I find someone with 4 windows and 4 arches.... gives me a head start on figuring out how to map their display to mine.

[zwiller]

If a song drags on, by all means shorten it.  Most of my songs are only 2-3 minutes.  My show is 15-20 minutes total.  Most of my viewers stop for the duration and leave once a song gets repeated.  My longest song is over 6 minutes and is mostly simple color fades.  Although I later added some transitions for the solo section, it took all of an hour or so to do, but it was the song that most people commented about.  Kinda boring to me but people liked it.  You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login 

My layout changes little year to year.  This year I hope to have same layout as last year but all rgb. (maybe a new ss mega)  Why?  Easier to sequence and setup.

[tbone321]

I find that if people like the song they will stay to listen to it, especially if the sequencing is also good.  In many cases, it's not the length of the song but the song itself.  I have seen many shows that play songs that while have a good beat for sequencing, kinda suck for Christmas songs.  I stopped by one show back when I was in NJ and the songs being played were in most cases not even Christmas songs.  I didn't even bother to stay to see all of the elements light up.  There was another house down the street that was a bit smaller but was actually playing Christmas music, some traditional and others more modern and I stayed for the entire show, along with many others.

I think that it is more the song than the length of the song and the person creating the show needs to determine who the show is for.  If it is for the creator of the show, then use the songs that you want and have fun with it.  If it is for the neighborhood, then I would put in a mix and see which songs peopel stay the longest for and move the show to that style of music the following years.  If you have 10 cars pull up, you are going to have 10 different tastes and opinions and there is little that you can do - short of a road block - to prevent drive-offs.  If at the end you enjoy it and are proud of your accomplishments, then you win.

[mms]

I could do a whole dissertation on song selection and capturing an audience... but I don't have enough time as it is!  LOL.

[taybrynn]

All valid points ... I just see a growing segment of our population with short attention spans.   I've had more drive off during slow Christmas songs than fast non Christmas songs but it depends on each person .  My 80 year old father asked for white Christmas but still loves wizards in winter .., lol.

[combustionmark]

I just see a growing segment of our population with short attention spans.

I have seen the same thing, but think it is lazy greed. They don't want to be standing, sitting there, with nothing being done for them.

[duane.mosley]

this will be my second year animated and i haven't even started on anything new. funny how i told myself i was going to put 20 hours a month feb-july and i haven't even put in 1 hour! boat upholstery and engine rebuild consumed feb and march(along with a fall that broke 2 ribs), concrete pad, deck and back yard took april and may, installing engine and upholstery into boat took june and july! i might get around to adding some new stuff here soon but if not, looks like same as last year with a new song or two. never enough time!