Remote live scene control system, methods, and techniques

A method for controlling special effects, comprising:

• under control of a plurality of special effects software or hardware controllers, each communicatively connected to a special effects device, communicating wirelessly to receive one or more data packets and sending a corresponding signal compatible with the connected special effects device to facilitate causing a special effect to occur;
• and
• under control of special effects enabled code logic,
• discovering and registering two or more of the plurality of special effects controllers at a plurality of network addresses to create an ad-hoc special effects synchronization zone;
• receiving an indication of a special effect type and timing;
• and
• causing a stream of data packets to be distributed wirelessly to one or more of the discovered and registered plurality of special effect controllers according to the indicated special effect type and timing, such that a special effect is caused to be performed on each of the special effects devices that is communicatively connected to a corresponding one or more of the discovered and registered plurality of special effect controllers.

A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for controlling a computer processor, when executed, to cause special effects to occur on a plurality of special effects devices, by performing a method comprising:

• discovering and registering two or more of a plurality of special effects controllers at a plurality of network addresses to create an ad-hoc special effects synchronization zone, each of the plurality of special effects controllers communicatively connected to one or more of the plurality of special effects devices to facilitate causing a special effect to occur;
• receiving an indication of a special effect type and timing;
• and
• causing a stream of data packets to be distributed wirelessly to one or more of the discovered and registered plurality of special effect controllers according to the indicated special effect type and timing, such that a special effect is caused to be performed on each of the special effects devices that is communicatively connected to a corresponding one or more of the discovered and registered plurality of special effect controllers.