Design - Developing a story & scenes

In this section, we'll discuss how to develop your selected theme into a story and then into sequences. I can only offer suggestions to help you develop these important design outcomes. There are plenty of ideas on Google (TM) and an attachment.

The design progression:

• your theme gives a story which is told through a number of sequences or scenes;
• work out what the content for each scene - keep it simple because complexity means more labour;
• work out what the changes are between scenes;
• work out how to reuse characters or objects or parts thereof. This is the tricky bit and the example below clearly explains this step;
• work out what type of LED lights you will use to make each object, eg strip or discrete LEDs. Take particular care where objects overlap because the LEDs must overlap clearly and cleanly.

NOTE: temporary problem with editor prevents picture inclusion.

So what story would you like to tell? If you're not sure ask your family for suggestions but keep it simple. Each part of the story gives you a sequence of scenes.

Now work out what is being done in each scene and the required parts of each light display. Obviously this must be balanced against the budget and what light displays are available or what you can make. It's easiest to give 3 examples of themes and stories:

Story 

It could be as simple as Santa climbing onto a sleigh in 4 actions or scenes. (In latter years you can expand the story or add fun actions to stimulate more interest, eg reindeer's red nose turns on.)

Scene 1: Santa standing by himself

Scene 2: Santa standing with 1 reindeer

Scene 3: Santa standing beside sleigh with 1 reindeer

Scene 4: Santa inside sleigh with 1 reindeer and presents

Here's mySanta story which has 14 scenes and many light objects which were selected for each scene (marked X). This info is presented so you can see that a long story is broken into scenes and light objects were made and reused for each scene. It is this simple!

Music

The type of music gives the theme and the song gives the story. What you need to do is get music with a wide dynamic range of loudness to suit your sound transponder which will make discrete electrical signals to control the light displays, ie this determines the number of light displays to come on. We'll discuss this complex task in its design stage.

Natural Resources

The theme is natural surroundings and the story is a journey from left side to right side of you property (looking from street) seeing the individual/ collective features. The left to right is a natural progression for people.

It's best to walk around your house/ land and write down the features which can be used, eg long roof line, gables, columns, stairs, fences, tall trees, small bushes, garage doors, chimney, silhouette lighting, windows, etc.

Then visualise how you can move from left side to right side of property using these features and the type of light displays, eg spot light, light strings, light strips, reflected light, window reflections or internal attractions, etc. You can create depth by lighting foregrounds and backgrounds and having a smaller bushes in front; taller at back, etc.  If you're on the side of a hill, the opportunities are endless!

This is enough reading - go and start creating a story and scenes!

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