What happens when someone has a passion for holiday lighting, automation control systems an is a major nerd?
Whisperwood Lights; the brainchild of Paul Bench.
Where it started
Whisperwood Lights started long before I built my home in Oakfield in 2018. My entire life has been working (and playing) around technology – specifically production, audio-visual, lighting and control systems. From a young age I had a passion for working behind the scenes, and have dedicated my life to working ‘behind the curtain.’
Growing up, shows like Trans Siberian Orchestra and Rammstein pushed me in the direction of Entertainment Production. I started out my career as a young elementary school student, running sound and lights for school events. That didn’t stop – throughout my education career I was always involved in production, theatre and audio/visual technology; in High School I was an assistant technical director for a mega church – of course including their extreme holiday performances and shows.
With my path defined, I attended Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas (Unfortunately, a victim of the pandemic) and graduated with three major areas of focus: Lighting Technology, Automation, and Technical Production Management.
After graduating, I spent a lot of my early career working at various resorts, convention centers and industries in the Audio/Visual and theatre fields before working as a Director of Event Technology for Encore for five years. (Also a victim of the pandemic) In my role, I spent a lot of time creating one of a kind shows, environments and solutions using emerging technology – and old technology – in interesting ways. I now work as the Senior Audio Visual Engineer for MUSC, taking my skills full circle back to the classroom to create the best learning environments possible for the next generation of medical professionals.
So how does this fit into Whisperwood Lights?
Well, WWL is my creative outing. I can literally hear a song and visualize how I would want a light show to look for it – so I did just that. WWL Is the culmination of years of design, programming, installation and maintenance to create a unique holiday experience, welcoming to all. I was always in awe of Trans Siberian Orchestras decades of using their platform to raise money for charitable causes, and I have translated that to WWL; selecting a charitable cause annually and raising money through creating exposure.
FAQ / About The Show
How much is my electricity bill?
Less than you would probably think. The entire show uses about the equivalent of less than 5 incandescent light bulbs. (Like the ones you used to have that got really hot) It costs roughly 30 cents per hour to run at full brightness. The expensive part is not the electricity 🙂 A single “pixel” can cost from 3 cents up to several dollars per unit.
How many lights are in the show?
Roughly 75,000 individual LEDs. The ‘mega tree’ alone has roughly 20,000 LEDs in it. Each LED is made up of three actual diodes. (One for Red, One for Green, One For Blue; some even have a Warm White LED module)
How long does this take?
I place my orders in February-April, start building new props and doing maintenance July-August, and program new songs September-November. I spend roughly 300 hours preparing the show every year. A Single new song can take anywhere from 10-40 hours to program. A single element of the show can take up to several weeks to build and test. Putting the show up takes about 20 hours, and taking it down takes about 6.
Is it complicated?
Yes & No. Its a labor of love, so I enjoy the challenges that come with a niche hobby.
Can *I* just buy a show like yours?
There are companies that sell similar things, but you would likely spend more than a Tesla to get a nice show. This hobby is primarily technically oriented individuals who do all the work themselves. Nothing I use, except maybe the power cables, can be purchased “off the shelf.” Everything is imagined in my mind, drafted in CAD, built, assembled and tested!