Sequencing Tips

The following tips are provided and authored by Sally Simpson, a.k.a. sasmuse and posted with her express permission. She compiled this list for a sequencing lesson at the Philly Area Mini in NJ. I attended and was taken back by the way she explained these principles. I found that I had been using a few of then without actually knowing it. Now that I know about them I want to use them more and pay more attention to how I synch the lights. The following will help everyone from a their first year display to an experienced synch'er. Read below and I assure you your show will be better than ever.

Now that we got’em what do we do with’em?

Sequencing Strategies for Music and Lights

General Principles ( 4 L’s)

1. Layout

   -design your layout in conjunction with, or prior to, selecting music

2. Listen, Listen, Listen

   -I listen to a song well over 100 times before ever entering a sequence
   -Have your layout in mind as you listen
   -identify sections/themes/recurring passages
   -keep listening

3. Less is more

   -Don’t use everything all at once all the time
   -Reel them in slowly

4. Leave’em wanting more…

   -Don’t use everything in every song
   -Average adult attention span is 20 minutes
   -Child’s attention span is roughly equivalent to 1 minute per year of age

Now that we got’em what do we do with’em?

In-Song Strategies (ISS)

1. Divide and Conquer

   -Divide your display into sections and assign to instrument/theme

2. Reverse Psychology

   -Start with lights on and then turn them off

3. Light Choirs

   -For choral numbers or songs with vocals
   -Assign particular voice to a group of lights
   -Everytime that voice sounds the same lights are used

4. Call and Response

   -Have sections mimic each other

5. Catch me if you can

   -Start a sequence and “chase” it around the display

6. High and Low

   -Variation of #1 except that it uses height for the contrast
   -icicle lights on peaks vs. net lights on bushes

7. Ring around the rosey

   -Variation of #5 except confined to a small section of display
   -think “mini-trees” or mega-tree

8. Step in Time or (levels)

   -Use the levels to create diversity
   -Usually takes about a 20% change in intensity to be observable
   -Can be used as a step-up or a step-down

9. Point Me in the Right Direction

   -Guide the observers eye through the display in a logical manner

10. Scatter

   -Opposite of #9
   -use lights in various parts of display with no apparent pattern