You build the display a few feet from the props. Your audience may watch it from across the street. Take a break from the ladder, workbench and computer, and look at the show from the places people will actually stand or park.
Look at the whole scene
Choose a safe, permitted viewing spot outside the roadway. Check the view in daylight for placement, then after dark with a short representative sequence. Use the brightness settings and surrounding lights you expect during the show.
- Check whether shrubs, vehicles, fences or another prop block an important part of the display.
- Look for shapes that blend together. A little space between props may make them easier to read.
- Follow an effect that moves across several props. Does the motion travel where you intended from the audience's angle?
- Check the main viewing area and a reasonable side view. A layout that looks balanced from one spot may feel crowded from another.
Make one useful adjustment
You do not need to rebuild the yard after every viewing. Pick the change with the clearest benefit: move a small prop, simplify a busy background, adjust the effect direction or reduce the brightness of an element that dominates everything around it.
A short phone video can help you remember what you saw, but judge the display with your own eyes too. Camera exposure can make lights look different from the live view. Write down the location and song section that need attention, then check the same view after your change.
If placement changes, update the software layout as well. Keeping the preview close to the installed arrangement makes the next sequencing decision easier.
Mattos tip: Build for the view your audience gets, and check that view before opening night.
Keep learning
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Adapted from the Mattos Designs lighting-tip series. Need help with your setup? Email Support@Mattosdesigns.com with your equipment details.
