An teenager dedicates hours to create a stunning Christmas lights show – across five houses – to raise vital funds for local air ambulances.
Ben Charles, 18, from Brentwood, Essex has been devising these complicated, computer-controlled festive displays since he was 13.
Each display consists of hundreds of individually controllable ‘smart’ pixels, all sequenced to a variety of music, from pop hits to Christmas classics.
‘I have always loved Christmas lights – since I was a toddler, according to my mum,’ Ben tells Metro.co.uk.
The teen was inspired to create the synchronised show after watching impressive videos on YouTube – he decided to ask for all the gear he needed to put the show together for Christmas.
‘I’ve always loved music, so setting the lights to a soundtrack of Christmas and non-Christmas music seemed obvious,’ he says.
Ben spent 2015 researching and learning how the different equipment worked. He discovered intelligent lights and Ethernet controllers which enable him to control each RGB bulb independently of the next.
Every light that in the display has a low-energy red, green and blue LED inside of it, and by adjusting the brightness of these, millions of colours can be created.
Ben said: ‘In 2015, my display was one of the first five domestic synchronised displays in the country, so getting pre-made parts has always been difficult.
‘So, I design and assemble all the props in the display myself – including the arches, icicles and pixel matrix. It has certainly been a learning curve.’
Ben says the most time-consuming part of the whole process is, by far, the programming.
He added: ‘I sequence the lights to the music throughout the year, sometimes spending a couple of hours per minute of music. This year’s playlist is nearly 20 minutes long and features a huge mix of songs.
‘I can control the brightness and colour of every light bulb individually, allowing for millions of possibilities.
‘As well as the programming side of things, which I can do from the warm comfort of my laptop, I also spend hours putting the lights up.’
This year, Ben’s lights are spread across five houses, using several thousand RGB pixels connected by the best part of a kilometre of assorted types of wire. So it’s quite the job.
While the main display is for Christmas, Ben also does a reduced display for Halloween, which gives him an excuse to start getting the lights out in October.
Ben started using his display to raise money for charity in 2016.
‘I selected the Essex Air Ambulance, a lifesaving service that receives minimal funding from the government,’ says Ben. ‘I wanted to select a charity that anyone can benefit from.
‘The neighbours and their children have always loved the display, and surprisingly, we have never had a complaint about the music every day.
‘Families come year after year, sometimes from quite far away, each time bringing more people with them. It is such a nice atmosphere when there are crowds outside. This year we even plan on selling hot chocolate.
‘One very dedicated family even came to every single showing (twice per night) of the Halloween light show in October.’
Ben says that seeing the enjoyment in the crowd makes the hours of preparation and hard work in the cold feel completely worth it. And raising money for the Essex and Hertz Air Ambulance Trust makes it even better.
‘This year I am hoping to raise more than in previous years combined,’ says Ben. ‘As word of mouth spreads, more come each year, and I have put significantly more effort into the display this season, so I hope that it is recognised.’
The show lasts around 20 minutes, and is played twice each night at 6pm and 7pm.
To donate something to help Ben’s cause, visit his a Just Giving page – or pop down to Alpha Road in Brentwood to catch a live show.
If you have a festive story that you would like to share – please get in touch: metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk
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source https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/05/18-year-old-creates-stunning-christmas-lights-show-across-five-houses-raise-money-charity-11270847/
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