Tech or treat: Tallahassee home known for Christmas lights goes spooky with Halloween show

To get his home festive for Halloween, Carl Fuqua decided to give projection mapping a try. Inspired by the technological technique popular at Disney World, Fuqua has set up a ghostly display at his home in Southwood to project a show every night through Oct. 30.

The display features videos designed with Stranger Things, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion.

The six-minute show stuns as ghoulish images are projected on the 50-foot front exterior of Fuqua’s house. The images move rapidly, giving viewers a dose of dazzling spooky displays.

Though Fuqua is best known for displaying 8,000 lights at his home for the Christmas holiday – which has earned him a listing on the Democrat’s annual Tour of Lights guide – neighbors are now equally attracted to the fun projection show.

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Some motorists drive by to get a quick peek, while others park across the street to sit and watch.

“When he does the lights for Christmas there is a line down the street to see them, but this is super cool too, so we come out to see it when it’s on,” Elizabeth Sellard said. The friendly neighbor rode out in a golf cart with her husband and young children to catch a glimpse of the show at Fuqua’s residence, 3246 Endicott Drive.

Fuqua is new at projection mapping and said it took him about 10 hours to learn how to construct displays, map his home and set up the projector to create the spectacular light show. While Adobe After Effects is a software that people can use to create a display, Fuqua uses a Luxedo projection system, which includes access to their software and a 4,200-lumen projection system rather than an old-school bulb that wouldn’t create images as bright.

“With projectors it’s all about lumens for the brightness,” Fuqua said. “The days of bulbs are gone.”

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Projection mapping: A cinema technology on the rise

Tra Bouscaren, an assistant professor of art at Florida State University, said software has helped projection mapping become easier to manage and execute.

“It used to be a pain in the neck but there are a lot of tools to make it easier,” Bouscaren said. “YouTube is full of tutorials for that stuff and a lot of software is available.”

Bouscaren uses projection mapping in his artwork to express the artistic value of the projection technique. He said projection mapping, which is also referred to as “expanded cinema”, has been used since the 1960s for artistic context and is now gaining popularity in the entertainment, residential and commercial industries.

“You see it manifesting in many different ways,” Bouscaren said. In his work, Bouscaren projects video onto his exhibits that are composed of salvaged items like computers, scrap metal, musical instruments, and even Spanish moss.

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Making people happy with creativity

Fuqua decided to try projection mapping for the first time this year because he doesn’t normally do much for his home display during Halloween. This year, he wanted the display to be fun and engaging for neighbors.

“I really like helping people and I love to make people happy,” Fuqua said. A native of Madison, Florida, the Valdosta State University alumnus moved to Tallahassee and opened Fuqua Insurance Agency, which he still operates 45 years later. He spends his free time making novelty items with his 3D printers and he enjoys flying drones.

Fuqua has dabbled in technology his entire life and calls himself a “self-proclaimed nerd” based on the love he has for it. The office inside his home is decorated with a full body Iron Man suit, a Mandalorian suit and shelves lined with 3D printed objects.

“I’ve always loved technology, it allows you to be creative,” Fuqua said.

Contact Democrat writer Alaijah Brown at ABrown1@gannett.com and on Twitter at @BrownAlaijah.

How to visit:

What:  Halloween house show

Address: 3246 Endicott Drive

Times: 8-10 p.m. daily through Oct. 30. Audio is available at 88.7 FM.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Southwood resident goes all out with Halloween horror house display