Chuck Smith

2009
Sequencing >1000 channels
I’ve been running around the world the last few months so I didn’t get to write this column in the last edition. Luckily I was able to tell the story about the video of my home Christmas display going viral on the Internet at re-PLUS thanks to Chuck Smith and his generosity, passion and willingness to bring together the serious Christmas decorators. This month I want to go over some of my ideas and issues with starting to program and sequence a 1,000+ channel show required for professional installations. I have been working on several large shows for the 2009…
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2009
Backstage Pass
It’s time to tell a story about life on the road as viewed by a professional in the world of event production. That would be me. “Woke up, got out of bed Dragged a comb across my head” During the last four years, I have spent a few days of my life during the first week of May on the beautiful campus of the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma. Actually, I do not spend much time on the campus which I hear is beautiful, but rather I spent hours and hours of that week inside the outdoor football stadium…
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2009
Thinking about going pro?
Even with the current economic struggles, there are still entities that want to attract attention and excitement to make their facility noteworthy in the community. A computerized light display (we call them animated lighting shows) is a novel and proven effective way to do this. Attention means visitors, and visitors mean business. Animated Lighting, Inc. has been involved with hundreds of commercial projects over the past decade. Each one is exciting and many times challenging based on a variety of factors. If you’re thinking about tackling a commercial project, I’ve pulled together some hints that should make things easier to…
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2009
People like to be respected
The other day I went out to my car and found the glove box open and the owner’s manual lying open on the driver’s seat. As I have never opened the glove box since I bought the vehicle, I cleverly deduced that someone had been rummaging around in my car. Fortunately, they didn’t take anything but when I went to check the video surveillance system I found that there was a blind spot on the passenger side of the car. I purchased a few more cameras and was up on the ladder mounting one to the side of the house…
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2009
Host a mini-PLUS
Back in 2002 several PlanetChristmas enthusiasts started talking about having some sort a gathering where really serious decorators could come together, share experiences and learn from each other. From that mere glimmer of an idea sprang what we now call PLUS (PlanetChristmas Lights Up Symposium) and it is our official worldwide expo where we come together and talk all things Christmas. There’s nothing better than being around others with the same interests as you. The first PLUS was held in late July, 2003 just south of Nashville where 125 people came together and had a great time. With each succeeding…
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2009
JUMP: Jack Up Mega Pole
For six years I had pondered an easy and safe way to lift a heavy duty, stand alone telescoping pole. Jackie (my wife) and I had demonstrated telescoping poles along with the Portable Hole at the PlanetChristmas Lights Up Symposium 2003 in Nashville. Our method of lifting a telescoping pole was to grip the heavy pole and pick it up about a foot while another person put a pin in an existing hole. This was a strenuous and somewhat hazardous task. Doing all of this while standing on a ladder certainly didn’t help. As the years went by we kept…
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2009
LOR’s CTB16PC light controller
It’s the Light-O-Rama PlanetChristmas Light Controller Board. aka: CTB16PC You’re ready to take the big step into computerizing your lights. There are almost too many options out there to choose from today. Typically you call a vendor, tell them what you want, pay a wad of hard earned money and soon everything is delivered to your door. Hook up some extension cords, plug the controllers into your computer and you’re good to go. For a 16 channel light controller board, the list pricing ranges from to $270 to $320. Quick math shows it breaks down to about $17-$20 per channel.…
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2009
Over The Top decorating contest winner
My wife Heather and I recently got married in July of 2007. We purchased our house and last year was the first year we decorated our home. In years past I installed lights for others and had a pretty good size display at my parent’s house. Once I had my own house, I was free to go “wild” with the Christmas Lights. We are located in Hobbs, New Mexico. This is my first year with a computerized display. This year we have 155,000 lights on 224 Light-O-Rama channels. We have voice-overs in between each song. Many of the voice-overs remind…
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2009
Decorating inside the house
So you’ve thought about it and have decided you want to turn the INSIDE of your home into a fantasyland for Christmas. That’s wonderful! Where do I start, what can I do, do I have the right materials, and how much will it cost? All these questions and many more will come to mind once you decide to take the leap into the indoor decorating world. Be careful, decorating your home on the inside can become as addicting as creating that awe-inspiring show that you have outside. Envision your dream. What areas or rooms do you want to decorate? Some…
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2009
Performance Art
I have been fairly busy since writing the last article for PlanetChristmas. Soon after the first article I was involved with the installation of the multi media show that runs for the summer at Cedar Point Park in Sandusky, Ohio. Next I was involved with lighting the George Strait concert for the grand opening of the new Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas and on July 4th I provided part of the production for The Jonas Brothers, SheDaisy and host Glen Beck for America’s Freedom Festival in Provo, Utah. In the middle of all that I had the pleasure of spending…
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