Keller Parks and Recreation was not able to put on their normal Christmas Tree Lighting in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic warnings against large gatherings of people in close proximity. We explored with them the possibility of having a series of short laser shows every half hour over several nights, and that would allow families and people to come at a time of their own choosing and give plenty of room for everyone to have a good time and still stay safe and apart from one another (social distancing). The shows were scheduled for December 9-13, running from 6 PM for three and a half hours per night with the last shows coming at 9:30 PM.
The package ordered by the City of Keller was our “Dazzling Drama” package, with a special laser mapping showpiece for the first song, “Winter Wonderland”. After spending hours working on this show in the studio, it was great to arrive in Keller a few days before the show was to begin in order to set up and see my ideas take shape on the real building. We were staying at the brand new Hampton Inn ridge across the street from the Town Hall, which was perfect. I set up a small laser studio in my hotel room and was able to work on the show as ideas came during the setup phase.
It was important for this show for the equipment to be as unobtrusive as possible, and to be weather-tight so as to pull off each performance with as little hassle as possible. We set up two laser graphics projectors on a small scaffolding tucked in between two trees a little off to the side. I would prefer to be directly perpendicular to the center of the building, but Keller has a traffic circle in that location so this was not possible. We mounted each projector inside of a special weatherproof enclosure so that in case of inclement weather, it would be easy to keep the show up and running.
This show had a laser beam aspect – we set up four beam projectors in front of the building. My assistant James constructed a simple and sturdy platform on top of a couple of perfectly located planters that are built into the building, and they worked perfectly. We placed these projectors inside weatherproof housings as well. And the control computers – Lasergraph DSP Compacts – were all inside of their own weatherproof housing also.
The shape of the Keller Town Hall lent itself to some great memory-inducing imagery! I was able to create a giant Christmas Tree (two types), a giant snowman, and all sorts of holly and wreaths and decorations using the Town Hall as a structure for the light images. All in all, this was a wonderful experience and the audiences were happy, everyone had a great time!