David Werner has been decorating for the holidays for awhile – his Orlando, Florida, home has been wowing neighborhood audiences year-after-year. "Our house is already one of the most popular for Halloween and Christmas displays," he says. "And this year I took it up several notches."
Several notches? We'd like to see that! He's already well known throughout his neighborhood for his outdoor displays. Moreover, David also earned an AtmosFAN of the Week honor back in 2016, when he crafted a clever miniature Christmas Village using the "Festive Fireplace" scene from the Santa's Visit digital decoration.
What, then, would take it up several notches? A whole-house projection mapping display.
As you can see, David hit a home run, first time at bat. And here is one of our favorite things about this: David started working on the idea after reading an AtmosFAN of the Week article featuring Dan Phillips' experience with projection mapping. Why not, David thought, give it a try?
David bought a short-throw projector (A 3000-lumen Optoma GT1080) and started to learn about projection-mapping software. He settled on the HeavyM (Live version), largely because of its accessible users manual. With about a week of trial-and-error, he was able to figure out the basics and map his house. Once he had the mapping, David was able to add images such as Santa’s Workshop and the just-released Santa’s Sleigh Ride.
"The neighbors are super impressed, and I have cars and golf carts filled with kids stopping in front of our house every night to check it out," David tells us.
David encourages anyone who is even a little bit tech savvy to experiment with projection mapping. "It certainly opens up a lot of possibilities in regards to how you can decorate for the holidays," he says.
And here's the best part. Now that he's done it once, he's got some time to perfect his next display.
"Now that I know how to use the software and create the digital projection mapping, I’m really excited about the possibilities for next Halloween and Christmas," David says. "I already have a lot of ideas, and with over nine months to prepare, I should be able to make them happen!"
We can't wait to see it! Great stuff, David!
No matter what you are celebrating, inspire others by showing us how you use AtmosFX Digital Decorations. You might just be our next featured decorator! Send your photos or YouTube links to community@atmosfx.com, making sure to put "AtmosFAN of the Week" in the subject line.
