"Christmas Classics" Announced for the 2012 Academy

[Ryan Johnson]

We have had a few comments come up since our announcement last year concerning our inclusion of the DIY Light Animation team in this year’s Academy.  While we want to cover those DIY and RGB topics that people want to learn about we will NEVER forget that there are many, many facets of the holidays.  The Lone Star Holidays Academy is not about any one small subset of celebrating those festive times of year and those who have attended in the past know that for a fact!

That being said, we do recognize why some folks feel we’ve been a bit “DIY heavy” for 2012.  When the Academy was finished last year we were contacted by RJ and he wanted to be a part of the event in 2012.  It just made sense: Lone Star Holidays runs one of the only annual, multi-day, multi-room event in the United States.  We bring in folks from all over the state of Texas and beyond (To date our registrants for this year’s Academy are coming from 15 different states (from California to New York) and TWO countries!).  With the popularity of DIY we wanted to offer the best in education for that part of the Academy and with RJ wanting to be a part of things we felt that was a great opportunity for all of our attendees.  It also created a great opportunity for the DLA family to have the space, time, and logistics handled for classes that really pertained to their subset of the hobby.  But believe us when we tell you that the last thing we want is for people to think the 2012 Lone Star Holidays Academy is all about DIY, because nothing could be further from the truth!  We want EVERYONE to feel welcome, regardless of how they celebrate and decorate for the holidays!

While we know the DLA family here is loving the DIY aspects of the Academy, all of our classes (with the exception of the "S3 Experience") are open to anyone.  That means the hardcore DLA DIYers can attend any class they want, regardless of topic, and those who just want a taste of DIY, but maybe aren't there JUST for those sessions, can attend those classes as well.  There will be DLA members that may see something in one of the other areas that appeal to them and vice-versa with other tracks within the Academy.  We want to create a well-rounded event that EVERYONE can benefit from!

We don’t usually do this but because we’re so excited and people want to know what else there is beyond the DIY world we’re going to make three days worth of announcements this week.  Today (Wednesday) is the first of those and the announcement of SOME of the “Christmas Classic” classes (some, not all!):

Where to Start?  The Process of Designing Your Display:
Every year we have people tell us that they really want a course on where to start.  What should they do with their yard?  How can they make all of those fancy elements they see online and in person work in their space (and budget!)?  We can’t help you with the budget piece, but this class is designed to get you started in determining your own display on your own “canvas”.  If you’re new to the game (or bringing someone with you who is just getting into the hobby) this is a great jumping on point!  When you leave this session you should be able to select classes to attend for the rest of the Academy weekend that will help you realize your dream.

Interactive Displays:
How do you handle traffic?  The media?  A throng of people?  Kids running into the display?  What kind of skits and/or props can you use to make visitors feel like a part of things?  This course will be facilitated by none other than Clyde Dearing of “Invasion of the Christmas Lights 2” and a long-time decorator of LARGE (both in scope and visitors!) residential displays (he was also the first Lone Star Holidays President until the people finally spoke up!  ).  Clyde will bring his unique experiences and laid back teaching style to this class and help you figure some of those interactive aspects out. 

Working with Coro:
We ran this course for two years (and at two workgroups) but it’s back by popular demand in 2012.  Coro continues to be a fantastic way to incorporate an easy-to-work-with material into your display.  The versatility and cost of coro allow holiday fanatics to utilize it regardless of experience level.  From signs, to shapes to 10 foot tall Nutcrackers, the possibilities of working with coro are endless!

Working with Wood Cutouts:
Remember the good old days when you would pile into the car with your family and look at lights around the neighborhood?  The days before RGB, musical animation, voiceovers, bubbles and fake snow?  Remember the house that had the very best cutouts in the yard, illuminated by a bright spotlight that showed off the colors and craftsmanship of each piece?  Luckily those elements never go out of style!  This course will show you the basics of working with wood and how you can incorporate them into today’s higher tech displays.

Filming Your Display:
“I want good video of my house but I don’t have the fanciest camera and I don’t know how to make it look good!”  We’ve heard that time and time again and we’re going to do something about it.  Chris Sims of the Regional Development Committee will be on hand to guide you through the basics of videoing your display.  Types of equipment, settings, tips and tricks to help you get the best results possible will all be a part of this session.

The Polar Express (Bringing Trains into Your Display):
Mechanical movers continue to be a popular element in displays across the country but where do you start with such a technical project?   Jack Huitt, a long-time train builder, will be helping you understand the nuances of building and incorporating trains into your display.  There won’t be any trips to the North Pole or Tom Hanks portraying the conductor but you can be sure you’ll leave this session with a basic understanding of train building, resources to help you find your materials, and the inspiration to get to work on your own train!

Zara Radio 101 and 201 (two classes):
Heeee’s baaaack!  Chris Backus returns to the Academy to take you through the intricacies of one of the hottest software pieces available to enhance your display: Zara Radio.  In 2011 Chris taught one course on this to a standing-room only crowd so it was obvious we had to ask him back in 2012.  His only request was that we make sure he has twice as much time and a larger space to cover it all!  Want to make your display into a truly comprehensive home radio station?  This is the place to start.
Please note that you do not need to attend both sessions.  As with all Academy classes (except the S3 Experience), there are no pre-requisites or limitations on what you see.  You should attend those that you think will benefit you and your displays the most.

What Should I Buy?  The Rundown on Light-O-Rama Hardware:
Light-O-Rama continues to be the hardware option of choice for many, many decorators and we would be remiss to not cover the hardware aspects associated with it.  If you’re new to the game and considering Light-O-Rama, this is the place to start.  We will cover all of the available options from a hardware standpoint: Pros and cons, ideas for usage, and real-world stories of integration that will help you make an informed decision on your future purchases. 

Light-O-Rama BS (Before Sequencing!):
No, not that kind of BS!  We’re talking about the LOR suite Before Sequencing.  With all of the software options available for sequencing, Light-O-Rama is still one of the top selling and highly regarded options around.  This session will cover some of the basics of the S3 software suite and is a great pre-cursor to Sunday’s S3 Experience with Drew Hickman of Holiday Technologies (remember the S3 Experience is an add on to the Academy registrations so be sure to go to the LSH Shopzone and register for it if you plan to attend.  Deadline is coming up quickly!).

Making Your Own Music (The Basics of Audio Editing):
Back by popular demand, Joe Rogers will be on hand providing the knowledge he has acquired from years in the recording industry and residential display building.  Using Audacity, Joe will help you understand the program, learn the fundamentals of audio editing, and offer you some real-world best practices on making the music you choose unique to your display.

BOOM! (The Elements of a Fireworks Show):
This isn’t a “Christmas Classic” but we didn’t have another category for “Things That Can Blow Your Hands Off!” so we’re including it here.  We’ve done some Basic Firework classes before, from history to safety to legalities to types of fireworks.  We took a year off from this in 2011 but we’re back in time for the 2012 July 4th holiday to show you how to build your fireworks display, fuse it up, and some tips on how to keep things safe and exciting when show time arrives!

Make sure to check back tomorrow when we let the (black) cat out of the bag for our next set of classes!  It’s so good it’s scary!

[Ryan Johnson]

Hey there everyone.  Wanted to share something with you all after RJ and I had an email conversation.  We've heard some people perceived the posting above as a sense that we didn't want the DLA family involved in the 2012 Academy.  Let me tell you that nothing could be further from the truth!
 
There are a few keys points that everyone in the community need to understand a bit (not just DLA or LSH but overall):
 
 

• The Academy is a 4 (some say 5) year old event.  It's established in it's culture and in it's content.  For the first time in 5 years we are adding another group's specific element to the event.  No secrets- Chris Vyvial and myself spearhead this thing every year and while it's a daunting tasks with a lot of logistical nightmares it's a rewarding thing to see it all come together.  When RJ emailed me two days after last year's Academy to feel out the idea of moving the DIY Expo into the Academy as a piece of the education it created a new idea.  A movement for lack of a better term.  See, no one has done this before.  No one has taken an established event and added not one, not two, but three other unique entities to it to create an all-encompassing holiday event.  It's AWESOME and all of us at LSH, DLA, DFWFH, etc should be really proud of this.  There will be nothing EVER that will compare to what we're all going to offering to our attendees, especially at the price point we all do it at! 
• Because we had a new group (you guys and gals!) involved we made a conscious effort to talk about NOTHING except DIY related Academy info for five full months (since August) in the public's eye.  We have given all of our attention in marketing to the DIY side of things; this was by design and our hope was (and is) that we continue to create some buzz among the DIY community.  Based on the content being offered there certainly should be some excitment brewing!
• We have fielded some gripes and complaints that the flavor of the event has chanegd to a DIY-only focus and they don't like it (not so much from LSH members but from outside forums and people in the overall community).  However we've learned over the years to take that with a grain of salt.  People always share their opinions and we always listen to them.  But at the end of the day we're going to do the best event we can for the greatest number of people who can attend.  Will people love everything?  No.  Does that matter?  Not really to be perfectly honest.  People are going to perceive things as they will and we won't make everyone happy.  What we can do is respond by presenting the other aspects outside of DIY that we have to offer.  That's what we're doing right now.  RJ is still focusing on the DIY aspects exclusively, which is why this partnership happened in the first place.  He can build the content you all really want to see and the other pieces of the puzzle can do the same.  In the end the unified goal is the same: have a great event!

The initial post was made on DLA is because we shared it everywhere: Facebook, Twitter, Planet Christmas, Holiday University, ClausNET, Christmas Carolina,and of course LSH.  Some DIYers may be interested in other areas and we want everyone to know what's being offered and to get excited.   For the 1 or 2 PMs/emails/postings from people who don't like the idea of a partnership that I get each day I receive 5 more from people who love it.  We're doing something big here folks and that's bound to make a few people nervous.  But in the end, don't let it bug you- we're all in the boat together and paddling to the same shore.  And I think (and I know Chris and RJ feel the same way) that we're going to have a fantastic time when we land on that shore in June!
 
Now if you'll excuse me I have to go get the Scare Sessions postings made! 
 
Have a great day everyone-
Ryan

[RJ]

Exactly!!

  The great thing is people can come for non DIY and take a sip by hitting a class of DIY. Then a DIY person can run over and check out some Santa stuff or scare stuff. It is not taking away anything the event is not a fixed size and the others are displacing anything. Instead it is much bigger to keep what was there and adding so much more!

how many people will say "I am going to the fair instead of walt disney because disney world has too much more!"  They go and ride what they want and have a good time.

All I can say is if you don't go don't complain cause you will here some amazing stories this year from it and wished you did. I can tell you we have so much happing with this I am not sure I am going to survive it! 

How many get togethers do you know where you can go and see at least 4 DIY developers in one place talking about there stuff. where you can touch each and every piece of equipment you can think of and see how it all works together. Take classes on 4 different seqencing pieces of software. 

See how everyone else is doing stuff. Talk to people that are putting the largest shows on the planet on.

Last year I meet the guy who puts this together  You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

and we talked about how he thought he would need to move to the Conductor setup to handle his show and gave me some great info on issues when you get this large.