We’ve made it through Black Friday, and now the countdown to Christmas really begins. Outside of buying gifts there’s also the task of decorating, which for some is a major event.Where does technology fit into decorating you ask? Well, let’s start with computerised light displays!You may recall the movie Deck the Halls, where Danny DeVito played a man that was determined to have his Christmas light display seen in outer space.The lengths to which his character went were laughable, but after doing some research on computerised light displays I can see how developing an interest in this form of decorating can spawn obsessive behaviour. Every year the display gets a wee bit little larger and so does your confidence level, the result being willingness to experiment with new configurations and now you use four musical selections instead of the two used last year.Not everyone has the talent or inclination to create displays from the ground up and fortunately there are options available that will take lots of the leg work out of the process. Don’t be misled, however, you will need to do a bit of planning and critical thinking in order to produce the results you desire.Software tools such as animation director (www.animatedlighting.com) provide you with the framework that you will need to translate your newly acquired vision into an actionable template taking into account all features you’d like to incorporate.The overall concept of computerised displays is relatively straightforward, each extension cord requires a channel and the controllers are generally sold in sets of four, eight and 16 channels. Each cord is associated with a specific set/ area of lights and this is where the planning and mapping begins.You will need to decide if you want your lights sequenced with music, what patterns you elect to use in which sections, frequency and then put all of those requirements into your master lighting plan.Sites such as Planet Christmas (www.planetchristmas.com) contain overall guidance and information on anything and everything Christmas and will provide you to links to vendors that can best help you achieve your project goals.Let’s not forget the ever impactful Virtual Santa, which can make even the biggest sceptic think Santa is walking around in your house delivering gifts. A DVD is projected on double matted Mylar from the inside of your house which can be attached to any window that is 36” or less.If you already own a projector, the investment in this solution will be minimal and the impact well worth the investment.The visual for this effect can even be sourced on sites such as www.christmaslightshow.com and www.holidayprojectors.com and be sure to make notes on recommended installation techniques for the projection film.We’d love to know what topics you’d be interested in learning more about, so e-mail us at TechBuzz@btc.bm