The lighted displays are on hand-sculpted wire frames with mini LED lights spaced one inch apart from each other. The animation effects are the result of these lights turning on and off in a precise time code, which is set to music. The music uses the standard MP3 digital audio encoding format.

"We have lots of relays and dimmer racks, but really the brains of the show are the little computers we use with digital playback features," Ferrell says.

Ferrell uses computerized show controllers from , a Burbank, Calif., company that is the lead provider of modular audio and animation "bricks" used by theme parks, parades and museums.

Callaway Gardens uses a Gilderfluke controller for each scene, which is housed in a 4-by-4-foot shed that includes amplifier racks, relays and dimmers. The Gilderfluke controllers use a specialized network protocol called DMX512, which is the standard in . 

"DMX512 is a control protocol similar to Ethernet that is typically used in theatrical entertainment," Ferrell said. "If you're seeing a rock concert, and the lights change in color and pattern, all that is distributed through DMX512."