http://www.seymourlights.com/blog The Seymour Lights Multimedia Christmas Display en-us Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:07:50 GMT Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:45:42 GMT CF Blogger by DayDream Inc http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss bhays@fearfair.com bhays@fearfair.com http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=B837C86A-E0C4-E7E4-4919DDDCA491CE0B A couple of projects tonight; stands for the controllers and some snowflakes that will be on the house.First, I built some simple stands to keep the controllers up off the ground so the connections won't be on the wet ground. Just treated 2x6's... pretty simple..Then it was on to the snowflakes. After scouring the stores last year after Christmas I was still 8 snowflakes short to do the front of the house as I was planning. So, I had Gregg Jones weld some up for me. There were 4 36" flakes and four smaller ones.Got those all finished and ready to go.Ok, time to catch some shuteye. Seymour Lights Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:45:42 GMT http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=B837C86A-E0C4-E7E4-4919DDDCA491CE0B http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=B0964ED1-E0C4-E7E4-488CE5527A3D9648 Well, last evening we managed to get the star installed on the big tree. It was a little scary, but went fine.It doesn't look as huge on top of the 22 foot tree as it did sitting on the patio.I also got a good start on setting up the mini Bellagio fountain display. I still have to install the tee's on the tops of the circular portion and tie them together, then install the other leaping lights on the backside, then tons of wiring to do. Seymour Lights Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:11:59 GMT http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=B0964ED1-E0C4-E7E4-488CE5527A3D9648 http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=A6744FE3-E0C4-E7E4-41DC8CE4C849EFFF Getting started outside... just arrived with the stuff from off-site storage.Had a pretty good day, the Nativity scene is set up and we got the tree all together except for the star on top. We'll finish that up tomorrow night and get the fountain standing up as well.Here are some shots of putting the tree together. You can see the Nativity scene in the background.I had some really great help today, thanks so much to Shawn (on the tree) and Sam (on the ground).Gary Birch was there to help out too.. he did a Top Notch job :) Seymour Lights Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:58:39 GMT http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=A6744FE3-E0C4-E7E4-41DC8CE4C849EFFF http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=93E894F1-E0C4-E7E4-41A0ED2171348ADD Tonight, 89.9FM The Elf returned to the airwaves. If you live within a few miles of Seymour Lights, tune your radio to 89.9FM for commercial free Christmas music. The current song playing will displayed at the top of the page at SeymourLights.comThe Lights will turn on Thanksgiving Night, come see us again this year! Seymour Lights Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:32:52 GMT http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=93E894F1-E0C4-E7E4-41A0ED2171348ADD http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=8967F568-E0C4-E7E4-4AABC789A12B4E31 I took a quick picture and video of the new tree topper after dark this evening. I really think it's going to look cool! Seymour Lights Tue, 11 Nov 2008 02:36:10 GMT http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=8967F568-E0C4-E7E4-4AABC789A12B4E31 http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=875457F6-E0C4-E7E4-49BAE4A58B059ED0 Last year, a combination of cold weather and unusually stiff December winds caused the collapse of 20' my pvc z-tree. I had included more than twice the standard number of braces, etc. but the brittleness of the pvc and the wind proved to be way too much for it.I certainly don't want to go through that again, so this year's version is constructed of steel tubing. It's heavy, but I don't think it will be blowing down again. I also reconstructed my pvc video screen/wreath as it didn't fare much better.Last weekend was the test fitting to make sure all the bolt holes lined up, etc. It is made to fit around a fountain in my front yard and I will be anchoring some eye hooks into the concrete pad the fountain sits on and using ratched straps to hold the tree in place. I don't intend to use external anchor lines this season, as the weight of the tree should be enough along with the internal anchors.The tray is for the three snow machines that will live there during the season.There's the wreath. Still have to add a mounting system to hold it upright.All lined up, just needs garland and lights. Note the square section in the center of the bottom sections to clear the fountain. I am considering making some sort of 'panels' using chicken wire to hold the garland and lights so I can assemble the tree as just a frame then add that once it's up.. still thinking about that one.Oh well, got to hammer on getting the haunted house completed and open the next couple of weeks, then I can get back to this project. Seymour Lights Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:55:31 GMT http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=875457F6-E0C4-E7E4-49BAE4A58B059ED0 http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=84509103-E0C4-E7E4-4053C57756231271 Well, Fear Fair is closed and it's time to get Seymour Lights up and going. This weekend I finished up the star for the top of the 22' tree. I had to incorporate the SunRay into it somehow and I wanted to go to a three section star that I could animate to create a spinning effect. So, I gathered up some thin wall 3/4" tubing, some 1/4" cold roll in six foot lengths and this is how it came out. It looks massive with just the top section of the tree, but I think it won't be quite so cartoonishly large when it's 20+ feet in the air.Here it is painted and with ropelight installed on the three star segments.And finally, with the Sunray fixture installed... I will probably never turn the star segments and Sunray on at the same time, I just plugged everything in to check it out.Oh well, got to get my nose back to the grindstone, the days are ticking away until lights on. Seymour Lights Mon, 10 Nov 2008 02:52:31 GMT http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=84509103-E0C4-E7E4-4053C57756231271 http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=3EFDD232-E0C4-E7E4-485F0F15D6FBD8E6 Today I finished the dancing guy for this year's display. This fellow will come on during one of the more rock and roll portions of the show and dance to the music.It's just a wood frame with chicken wire, and rope light attached to that.He has six moves. The final two look a little weird, but I think when he's computer controlled and just doing each move for milliseconds, it should be just fine. Seymour Lights Sun, 20 Jul 2008 05:42:46 GMT http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=3EFDD232-E0C4-E7E4-485F0F15D6FBD8E6 http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=E17442E7-E0C4-E7E4-4EBF92209C91AACC The Ace Hardware store in nearby North Vernon, Indiana had a bankruptcy auction this past Friday and it was a Christmas decorations bonanza. Being the only decorating fanatic there in June, I was pretty much unopposed on the bidding.Most of the items still had the price tags attached. I spent right around $120 and when I added up just the items with the tags attached, I had $3470 in merchandise. Not sure what I will do with all of this stuff, but what a haul!A couple shots of the complete haul.Tons of garland to be used on the rebuilt z-tree this season!This huge wreath was one thing I really had my eye on. It breaks down into four pieces and is over six feet across. It had $289 on the price tag... I paid $15 :)Paid $4 for this treeI didn't bother fluffing any of the trees and such out for the inventory pics, but you get the idea..Got three of these palm trees for $5, they were labeled $112.99 each!Three of theseLots of lights, quite a few are LED!Set on wrapping paper for the next 100 years Handy light reelslots of miscellaneous stockings and santa hats39 of these bows labeled $1.99 each.. .gave two dollars!Cinammon scented pine cones.. who knows, they were mixed in on a whole section of shelf that I boughtMore Garland, some 25' lengths and some 9' in boxes...Couple of 24" wreaths Seymour Lights Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:47:50 GMT http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=E17442E7-E0C4-E7E4-4EBF92209C91AACC http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=AEBB3496-E0C4-E7E4-4200E49C74F4734E This weekend I have finally gotten all of the dmx fixtures addressed and hooked up. Now, I will start programming some sequences.Here are some pictures from the garage tonight showing the lights all on. No particular scene here, just all of the lights on with various gobos/colors/etc. selected. The RGB laser projector is the only fixture missing at this point, should be here this coming week. Seymour Lights Sun, 22 Jun 2008 05:24:41 GMT http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=AEBB3496-E0C4-E7E4-4200E49C74F4734E http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=9451B5C6-E0C4-E7E4-45329B438C78921F I am working this week on finalizing the song list for this year's show. I am bringing back some favorites from last season and adding some new songs. Here's what it's looking like as of right now:Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas is YouBrian Setzer Orchestra - Sleigh RideBond - Explosive (Bellagio Fountain Display)Christina Aguilera - Christmas TimeTrans Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Jam or Siberian Sleigh Ride (dmx lighting show)Crispy T - DJ Santa (dmx lighting show)Crazy Frog - Last ChristmasVince Gauraldi - Linus and LucyTrans Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24John Mellencamp - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa ClausTrans Siberian Orchestra - Appalachian Snowfall (Laser Show)Ozzy Osbourne & Jessica Simpson - Winter Wonderland Seymour Lights Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:19:20 GMT http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=9451B5C6-E0C4-E7E4-45329B438C78921F http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=6138CD21-E0C4-E7E4-4BB6D3F06D9738A8 I mounted the truss to the ceiling in the garage and hung all of the lights so I can do some programming. I promised myself I would start much earlier on programming this year, so I am doing just that. Since the side sections of truss and corners are over ten feet tall, and I don't have that kind of ceiling room in the garage, I hung it on a beam in the garage for now. One lighting fixture is not yet mounted to the truss, it's a 1.5W RGB laser that will be right in the center.For anyone keeping score at home, that's four Elation Focus Spot 250 moving heads, four Martin Roboscan 812 scanners and two 200mw green ILDA laser projectors on the truss. I also have some other dmx fixtures I'm using, but they are for wash lighting on the house and won't be mounted on the truss.Also have to figure out a weatherproofing strategy...hmmm.. Seymour Lights Sat, 07 Jun 2008 04:11:29 GMT http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=6138CD21-E0C4-E7E4-4BB6D3F06D9738A8 http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=68C6F886-E0C4-E7E4-44AC5E6B7A35E5A5 I have been needing to find a way to get the moving heads and lasers elevated this season. I have been considering all sorts of bizarre mounting schemes on the roof, etc. However, I ran across a local fellow who had some aluminum stage trussing for sale, so I picked up four sections. This stuff is incredibly strong and lightweight as well. I need to get two corner pieces and two base plates to complete the system. In addition to providing a secure place to mount the intelligent lighting, this truss will add that 'professional rock concert' feel to the show. I am really excited.Each section is 10 feet, so this will be 10 feet high and roughly 20 feet across.Check out the wall thickness. This is some serious tubing. Seymour Lights Sat, 19 Apr 2008 22:21:20 GMT http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=68C6F886-E0C4-E7E4-44AC5E6B7A35E5A5 http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=3162BDF9-E0C4-E7E4-4A051F8854D15E58 I was playing with them out in the garage tonight to try to get a handle on the dmx traits... Seymour Lights Wed, 09 Apr 2008 04:12:44 GMT http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=3162BDF9-E0C4-E7E4-4A051F8854D15E58 http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=216E7040-E0C4-E7E4-4C0117E4635B2628 Well, 60 odd hours of wrapping and 336 sets of lights later, the 24 leaping light posts for the Mini-Bellagio display are finished. Just three more of the leaping light arches around the perimeter and I can move on to programming and other projects. Seymour Lights Sun, 06 Apr 2008 01:51:36 GMT http://www.seymourlights.com/blogdisplay_blog.cfm?bid=216E7040-E0C4-E7E4-4C0117E4635B2628