Pyrotechnic Magazine issue #6 - December 2015 by Pyrotechnic Magazine

pyrotechnic Issue 6 December 2015

MAGAZINE

FO R F I R E WO R K C O M PA N I E S & E N T H U S I A S T S AC R O SS T H E WO R L D

Hellfest 2015

Music Festival on Fire by Julien Batard In reality, the only thing really “hellish” about Hellfest are the names of some of the bands that perform there and their apparent dedication to “extreme” music. This annual festival, held in Clisson, France every mid-June, turns the Val de Moine Sports Complex into a kind of Heavy Metal cathedral of sorts.

Tour of Italy

2015

by Tobias Brevé

Tobias Brevé photographic diary of pyrotechnic events across Italy.

much more

This issue is sponsored by

fireTEK

firing made easy

15th ISF Bordeaux, France 2015 the ISF is the world's leading platform of pyrotechnic industry professionals, just being able to meet the professional leaders in our field was truly an honor.

Hannover 2015 Internationaler Feuerwerks wettbewerb For five evenings—spread over four months—a huge crowd is thoroughly entertained by experiencing some of the best fireworks productions and displays ever produced anywhere.

Pirotecnica San Pio Established in 1983, Pyrotecnica San Pio itself resides in the beautiful Italian city of San Severo. It is only a 30-minute drive away from some of the most beautiful coastline the Adriatic Sea has to offer.

 FEATURE | Editor

Welcome For the 2nd time now this year, someone has sent me a link to a fireworks display they thought I really should see that has turned out to be a computer generated display by Finale Fireworks. I’m not kidding. On the one hand it is funny that people can’t tell the difference onscreen, on the other hand it is incredible that the software has gotten so good that it is hard for some people to tell what’s real from what’s been fabricated. I remember meeting Will Harvey (The CEO of Finale) back at a PGI convention around 2008. The software was in its infancy then, and he was talking to just about every pyrotechnician he could find there about the intricacies of fireworks displays and what he could do to improve his software. Well, it is safe to say that his umpteenth version appears to be pretty damn good. I mean if so many people are fooled by it, it has to be sterling stuff. I guess that Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford has come in handy for Will after all.

In this issue (mainly because he was in China) I emailed back and forth to John Werner about a hundred times. If you don’t know him, he is kind of an amazing guy, really. And to prove it’s a small world after all (if you know him you’ll understand the joke) while I was busy emailing him about the article, he was having dinner with John Sagaria and talking to Phil Grucci. These are my two of my very favorite fireworks guys (whereas my favorite fireworks woman is Mira LaCous). Anyway, I’ve painstakingly put together an article and brief interview with John Werner in this issue. Just the fact that he was one of the creative minds behind some of Disney’s theme park mgaic— responsible for creating and developing optical and mechanical special effects—should interest all of you. Not only has he had some dream jobs, but he’s also been involved in and won some dream competitions as well. So, get to know John Werner a little by reading about him in this issue. Julien Batard has written an

Hellfest

This issue is sponsored by

fireTEK www.ftek.eu

interesting article about the “Hellfest” he attended this year in Clisson, France. I have to admit I watched all of the videos I could find regarding Hellfest 2015, and there seemed to be much more “fest” to it than hell. Outside of the hellish band names and the cacophony of heavy metal music, Hellfest just seemed like a wonderful concert weekend with exceptionally good fireworks. And even though the crowd looked rather Hells Angleslike, they sang along with Queen during the fireworks display like it was their own personal anthem. Read about it, and see Hellfest in all of its glory in this issue as well. As if that weren’t enough (we’re just getting started), Koen Laureij and Patrick Oey have written about their experience at SAIL Amsterdam 2015. This is one of those festivals that ALL of us should get to sometime in our lifetime. Really, over 40 tall sailing ships, a harbor full of smaller boats, great food, great people and 3 days of incredible

pyrotechnic MAGAZINE

fireworks reflected on the waterfront! If that’s not paradise, then what is? In addition to our regular mindboggling phenomenal photography and adrenaline-inducing video footage, we’ve also included technical information in this issue that most of you should find informative. We have a complete rundown of this year’s 15th International Symposium on Fireworks that took place in Bordeaux, France this year. Tobias Brevé wrote about and photographed much of the symposium, and our own Tony Gemmink took some great cinematic footage. If you are serious about fireworks, then this was the place to be. It was well-worth attending just to see the 50 companies involved in the ISF trade show! Also informative, is an introductory article about a relative newbie to the world of firing systems: fireTEK. This company has put their creative minds together with just one intention: designing and building a uniquely capable firing system from scratch. And they have! Check out their fireTEK FTH-48 Firing Module and their fireTEK FTM99 Handheld controller in the included article. Personally, what I found most impressive about fireTEK was the number of automatic tests their system runs and the software they have included along with it. Learn about FireSURE and AudioBOX and fireTEK’s easy (and pretty much complete) synchronization package. In addition, we have an article by

fireTEK

Berthold Schwarz that should help most of us better understand the differences between glitter and strobes. Although it is a little heavy on the technical side, there are enough informational links included to help even the most chemistryimpaired of us understand words like “dross” and “spritzel” by the time we’re through. From the technical to the beautiful with two articles: one, by Robin Harteveld and Tobias Brevé about the Internationaler Feuerwerkswettbewerb in Hannover. Honestly, I doubt there is any more beautiful location on earth to hold a fireworks competition than in the Herrenhauser Garden in Hannover (and we’ve got the pictures to prove it!). And runner up in the most beautiful category is an article by Christophe Blanc about La fête du rédempteur à Venise (“The Feast of the Redeemer in Venice”) that he got to witness firsthand, photograph and write about. I want you to know, if we were going to give out any awards this year, our first award would be to Christophe’s lovely spouse as “wife of the year”. She actually GAVE Christophe this dream vacation to Venice as his 47th

John Werner

birthday present! Wow! Is that a wife or what? Also, there is an interview of Marcel Hanse and Leendert van Buren of Pirotecnica San Pio conducted by Elio Cicala. Elio also photographed the company and included links to video footage of Padre Pio Batteria Bolognese in San Severo that you have to see to believe! If you’ve ever wondered what a fireworks war zone might look like—this is it! And finally, we have “Living the Dream” by Howard Pryda. Howard has been lucky enough to get to do close proximity fireworks for a number of professional teams in Pennsylvania. He tells us all about the equipment he uses and exactly what the job itself entails. He also tells us how much fun he’s having so we can all be jealous of him, too. So, there you have it. Issue #6. One more glimpse into the amazing field of pyrotechnics and the people who create the magic that we all enjoy so much.

Michael Richards Editor, Pyrotechnic Magazine

Issue 6 December 2015

pyrotechnic 6 ISF 2015

MAGAZINE

by Tobias Breve & Tony Gemmink This year we were fortunate enough to be invited to participate in this wonderfully inspiring event. Since the ISF is the world's leading platform of pyrotechnic industry professionals, just being able to meet the professional leaders in our field was truly an honor. Fivefull days of interesting presentations, fascinating demonstrations and riveting conversations not only excited us, but totally revitalized us as well...

14 SAIL Amsterdam 2015

by Koen Laureij and Patrick Oey The first performance of “SAIL Amsterdam” was held back in 1975 to help celebrate the 700th anniversary of the founding of Amsterdam (The Netherlands). Big tall ships sailed to the Port of Amsterdam from all over the world to be part of this very special event...

30 Imagineering with John Werner by Michael Richards An imagineer is “a person who devises and implements a new or highly imaginative concept or technology.” OK, that about sums up the crux of John Werner’s career in just one sentence. And although he may shy away from garish awards and has managed to stay out of the public limelight, John Werner has truly been an integral part of the fireworks foundation in a way that defines our industry...

80 38 Living the Dream

by Howard Pryda I can’t offer much insight into the world of indoor and close proximity pyro since I barely have a year’s worth of experience. By the end of this year, however, I will have worked on 21 close proximity shows for professional sports teams, so although I’m a relative newbie, I have learned a few things during the past several years that should interest you...

62 44 fireTEK - firing made easy by Laurian Antoci The minds behind fireTEK firing systems are engineering and fireworks professionals who have come together

the bands that perform there and their apparent dedication to “extreme” music. This annual festival, held in Clisson, France every mid-June, turns the Val de Moine Sports Complex into a kind of Heavy Metal cathedral of sorts.

62 Pirotecnica San Pio

by Marcel Hanse and Leendert van Buren with the help of Elio Cicala Photos by Elio Cicala If you are familiar with the controlled insanity of “Padre Pio Batteria Bolognese,” then you are familiar with Pyrotecnica San Pio. Not that that kind of massive detonation actually defines this modern fireworks company. In fact, passion and experience predominantly guide Pirotecnica’s production and design...

pyrotechnic Issue 6 December 2015

MAGAZINE

FO R F I R E WO R K C O M PA N I E S & E N T H U S I A S T S AC R O SS T H E WO R L D

Hellfest 2015

Tour of Italy

2015

by Tobias Brevé

Tobias Brevé photographic diary of pyrotechnic events across Italy.

72 Hannover 2015

by Robin Harteveld and Tobias Brevé This year one of the most popular—and most beautiful—pyromusical fireworks festivals in all of Germany celebrated its 25th anniversary: The Internationaler Feuerwerks wettbewerb in Hannover. For five evenings—spread over four months— a huge crowd is thoroughly entertained by experiencing some of the best fireworks productions and displays ever produced anywhere...

80 La fête du rédempteur à Venise with one intention: to design and build a uniquely capable firing system from scratch. Established in 2009, fireTEK has dedicated itself to changing the way amateur and professional pyrotechnicians interact with their firing systems.

52 Hellfest 2015: Music Festival on Fire by Julien Batard In reality, the only thing really “hellish” about Hellfest are the names of some of

by Christophe Blanc As a gift to me on my 47th birthday, my wonderful wife arranged a phenomenal vacation weekend for us in Venice, Italy. Venessia Viva!...

86 Glitter versus Strobe by Bertholt Schwarz What triggered me to write this short explanatory article was that I noticed quite a few people around me had a hard time distinguishing glitter effects from strobe effects...

much more

This issue is sponsored by

fireTEK www.ftek.eu 15th ISF Bordeaux, France 2015

Hannover 2015 Internationaler Feuerwerks wettbewerb

the ISF is the world's leading platform of pyrotechnic industry professionals, just being able to meet the professional leaders in our field was truly an honor.

EDITOR: ART DIRECTOR: ADVERTISING: PUBLISHER: EDITORIAL:

For five evenings—spread over four months—a huge crowd is thoroughly entertained by experiencing some of the best fireworks productions and displays ever produced anywhere.

Michael Richards Jason Mayes Tony Gemmink Stichting Pyrofan Tony Gemmink

If you have an ideas for an article, have any interesting fireworks photograph or have written an article that you would like to see in an upcoming issue of our magazine, please e-mail tony@pyrotechnicmagazine.com REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Nick van der Veen, Marcel Hanse, Leendert van Buren, Christophe Blanc, Michael Richards, Tony Gemmink, Berthold Schwarz ,Tobias Brevé, Robin Harteveld. ISSUE 6 CONTRIBUTORS: Laurian Antoci, Julian Batard, Howard Pryda, Koen Laureij and Patrick Oey CONTACT PYROTECHNIC MAGAZINE: tony@pyrotechnicmagazine.com www.pyrotechnicmagazine.com MAILING ADDRESS: Pyrotechnic Magazine Torenmolen 93 2992DH, Barendrecht The Netherlands

PLEASE BE AWARE that any information you may find in this publication may be dangerous and is some countries depending on their law illegal. Some information within Pyrotechnic Magazine may create a risk for readers who choose to apply or use the information in their own activities. None of the authors, contributors, administrators or anyone else connected with Pyrotechnic Magazine, in any way whatsoever, can be responsible for your use of the information contained in or linked from this publication.

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ď Ž FEATURE | The 15th International Symposium on Fireworks

pyrotechnic MAGAZINE

THE

15 INTERNATIONAL th

SYMPOSIUM ON FIREWORKS BORDEAUX, FRANCE 2015

Written and photographed by Tobias Breve Videography by Tony Gemmink This year the 15th edition of the International Symposium on Fireworks (ISF) was held in the beautiful town of Bordeaux, France. Bordeaux is located in southwestern France and is a port city that sits right on the Garonne River. As its famous name implies, Bordeaux is essentially the epicenter of French wine country. The original ISF symposiums were actually created by the Canadian Explosives Research Laboratory (CERL) in Montreal. After five Symposia, however, CERL turned over its administration to the International Symposium on Fireworks. Since that original symposium, when participants from 20 different countries gathered to discuss fireworks-related issues, the ISF has steadily grown and prospered and held forums every one or two years in a wide variety of beautiful locations worldwide. >

 FEATURE | The 15th International Symposium on Fireworks

This year we were fortunate enough to be invited to participate in this wonderfully inspiring event. Since the ISF is the world's leading platform of pyrotechnic industry professionals, just being able to meet the professional leaders in our field was truly an honor. Fivefull days of interesting presentations, fascinating demonstrations and riveting conversations not only excited us, but totally revitalized us as well. On its more serious roster of responsibilities, the ISF also discusses safety issues, scientific research and analysis, engineering changes and innovations, and the artistic and regulatory aspects of the pyrotechnic industry. This year more than 50 companies were present at the ISF tradeshow. World-renown names like Grupo Luso Pirotecnia, Galaxis, FireOne, Plasticos Gamón and Finale Fireworks were represented there. Besides the tradeshow, several phenomenal fireworks displays were fired (you have to see them to believe them—and we have the video!) by highly respected companies such as: Jacques Couturier Organisation (JCO) who we also highlighted in this issue as part of the ”Hellfest” article, Pirotecnia Ricasa, Gallaxis-FFP, Jinshen and Parente Fireworks Group Srl. Since Tony and I were present representing Pyrotechnic Magazine, we felt it was apropos to create exclusive videos of several of the demonstrations put on there

at the symposium by fourof the exciting/ innovative companies present. First, there was Enges–Pyrolab, who specializes in production equipment for fireworks and firework displays. Next, was a demonstration from“Nitroparis”, a massive European chemical company/producer known to many by its slogan, “Your chemical partner.” The third demonstration introduced a relative newcomer to the business, Firetek. Firetek has developed a new state-of-the-art firing system designed and developed especially for professional firing control of fireworks and pyrotechnic effects displays. The fourth demonstration, designed by Evolved Pyrotechnics, showed off an extremely easy to use single shot racksystem able to create stunningly precise letters and numbers in the air.

Enges - Pyrolab

Pyrolab is located in Valencia, Spain, and as I mentioned earlier specializes in equipment specifically designed for the production of fireworks. As prime examples of their technological prowess, Pyrolab offers several hydraulic presses in conjunction with several matrixes that can be used in the production of rocket engines, as well as in the production of “vulcano's,” “farfalles,” “serpentinas” and numerous other pyrotechnics. In addition, Pyrolab offers a specially designed press for the production of roman candles that can produce candles upto 65mm in diameter. Besides their quality hardware, Pyrolab also offers a specialized

management software program called “Pyrosoft” that helps pyrotechnic importers stay currently compliant with European directives and requirements. The following video will explain E Directive Compliance in greater detail, and some of what Pyrolab’s equipment is capable of doing.

Nitroparis

The true foundation of fireworks can be found in its chemistry, and one of the most important substances relating to firework’s chemistry is potassium nitrate (KNO3). Nitroparis specializes in potassium nitrate production, and it also provides a host of other chemical products to companies like aluminum, carbonates, magnesium, titanium and iron grits, gums and resins, chlorates and perchlorates, charcoal powder, solvent dyes, etc. It is KNO3 that is most critical to the fireworks industry, however, > because it is used as an oxidizer (the main

pyrotechnic MAGAZINE

 FEATURE | The 15th International Symposium on Fireworks

following demonstration video, Firetek’s Frank Galea explains how the firing system can be used and its most important features.

oxygen supply). Nitroparis offers this chemical in a very pure form based on their proprietary technology. It is so pure in fact, that it even qualifies for use in the food industry. Quality and safety are the real benchmarks of Nitroparis, though, and not just its quality products. Nitroparis manager, Jose Maria París Corma explains this idea very well in the following video:

Firetek

Firetek, out of Romania, is a relatively new player in the field of pyrotechnic firing systems, and their initial product was launched only a short time ago in 2009. Their newest firing system (introduced in 2014) is the result of what could be called “in-progress engineering,” and is a testament to the skills of the resident pyrotechnicians who work there. Their objective during the development of the Firetek firing system was to create firing technology that is easy to use but also robust and secure. Firetek is essentially designed to work with every imaginable pyrotechnic set-up. Our opinion, having seen in action and having personally tried the firing system out ourselves, is that it is well-designed, well-made and stylish. In the

Evolved Pyrotechnics

At sometime during some pyrotechnic performance you may have seeneither letters or numbers appear magically across the evening sky and thought to yourself: “I want to do that, too!” Well, there is no real magic involved all need to accomplish this feat comes from Evolved Pyrotechnics. This innovative company has designed an easyto-use single-shot racksystem that assembles very quickly and allows almost any of us to create original set-ups that can form letters and/or numbers with ease. The system itself contains only two parts: the ABS single shot plug and the single shot base. The plug is inserted into the bottom of a single shot tube. This plug is the connection between the single-shot racksystem and the singleshottube itself. The ABS single-shot plugs have three main advantages: 1) they provide structural strength, 2) the design creates a very efficient method of focusing the energy on the intended trajectory, and 3) the lift charge can be reduced by 50% which results in significant smoke reduction. The base to which the single-shots are connected is made of high quality ABS plastic, and the base contains several rails with 4 connectors. Each individual rail can be positioned at several different angles.

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ISF Event Displays

Galaxis Showtechnik

Jacques Couturier Organisation

Not to be facetious, but what would an International Symposium on Fireworksbe without great fireworks? And how do you get great fireworks displays without inviting some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best pyrotechnic choreographers to produce them? With that in mind, the ISF invited some of the best fireworks show masters on the planet to show everyone just how good fireworks can look. Starting with Jacques Courturier Organization (JCO, France), a company with an international reputation for originality and highly artistic fireworks displays. Next, there was Parente Fireworks Group from Italy, who filled the sky with outstanding Italian quality products like farfalle cylinders (on the following video, you can watch them launch at 6:02).Then finally, there is Pirotecnia Riscasa of Spain, who has come to epitomize pyrotechnic perfection, as their tight knit interplay of well-chosen music together and quality Spanish product always provides us with anunforgettable experience. ď Ž

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 FEATURE | Sail Amsterdam 2015

Sail AMSTERDAM

2015

Written & Photographed by Koen Laureij and Patrick Oey The first performance of “SAIL Amsterdam” was held back in 1975 to help celebrate the 700th anniversary of the founding of Amsterdam (The Netherlands). Big tall ships sailed to the Port of Amsterdam from all over the world to be part of this very special event. Because of its majestic splendor, the event has since become the largest water event in all of Europe, and every five years in excess of 600 ships sail across the North Sea Channel to moor in the IJ harbor of Amsterdam—much to the delight of the more than 2 million people who attend the event. >

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This article is sponsored by

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ď Ž FEATURE | Sail Amsterdam 2015

Sail AMSTERDAM

2015

This year 43 tall ships (including 13 first-timers) sailed into Amsterdam to be included in this nautical gathering and to be part of the 7.5-mile-long Sail-In parade.

In addition, hundreds of other historic ships joined in, as well as four Dutch Marine vessels and marine training vessels from 11 other countries. Fireworks have also been a major part of this splendiferous occasion since its inception. Every evening closes with an amazing fireworks display over the water. Can the fireworks be considered a SAIL Amsterdam tradition, however? Yes, as Fred de Groot tells it (and Mr. de Groot oversees all of the firework events on behalf of the SAIL Amsterdam organization): â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since 1975 we have been closing the event with >

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 FEATURE | Sail Amsterdam 2015

Sail AMSTERDAM

2015

fireworks, so trust me, we can call it a tradition. Over the years, you see, we felt changes were necessary to keep things fresh. People always want to see something new when they attend, something special. That's why we alter things every 5 years. We give these shows to different companies to

heighten competition and to keep things innovative and new.” For this year’s edition, three Dutch companies— Pyrofoor, Xena and Wagenvoort—were chosen to shoot the four SAIL Amsterdam fireworks shows. That is a tall order, really, but these companies were certainly up to the challenge. Pyrofoor was scheduled to “kick off” the opening

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night, and Xena shot two displays on two different nights (Thursday and Saturday). Wagenvoort was given their shoot to do on Friday evening. The real difficulty came from trying to impress the huge audience gathered there (on both the shoreline and in boats) using only an allowable maximum shell caliber of 150mm (6-inch shells). Larger shells are

яБо FEATURE | Sail Amsterdam 2015

Sail AMSTERDAM

2015

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always much more impressive, but the advantage this show had was the wonderfully reflective harbor. In addition, the shells had to be shot from a relatively small shooting location smack dab in the middle of the IJ waters. With the fireworks situated on floating pontoons, the safety zone (which strictly followed Dutch laws and rules) had to leave a minimum of 200 meters free. That’s not an easy task when you consider how many boats are in the water during those days. The police did an excellent job of keeping the main shoot Peter Verhoef area clear, though.

Pyrofoor The Pyrofoor fireworks company of Amsterdam had the honor of providing the fireworks on the kickoff for the four nightly shows held during SAIL Amsterdam. With the help of several very impressive Spanish fireworks products, Pyrofoor showed everyone in attendance just what quality product really looks like. Of course, their company has had a wealth of experience shooting large shows, so after shooting impressive shows all around the world, www.pyro4.nl it was no wonder they could effectively wow the Amsterdam crowd on the opening night.

The show itself came across—and we mean this as a very positive compliment—as an almost cathartic experience. They made great use of excellent product throughout the show that was both rich in color and intensity. Their use of smaller caliber shells, too, that gradually enlarged in the sky up to 100 and then 150mm shells was also a very effective technique. Incidentally, their use of single shots (they used a great many singleshots) appeared to be of superior quality— at least from a distance. Unfortunately, we were much too far away (about 600 meters) to judge them accurately. >

ď Ž FEATURE | Sail Amsterdam 2015

Sail AMSTERDAM

2015

Xena Vuurwerk B.V. Xena got chance to show off their pyrotechnic expertise on both Thursday and Saturday nights. Although we could not fully experience their show on Thursday (because our view from the apartment building where we were situated was not optimal), we could easily observe the colorful shells they were firing and the quality of their shell choices (even from our poor location). Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the sharp blue Peonies and the time-rain shells they fired that appeared to magically hang in the air in suspension, almost reaching the water below them still fully lit.

We had a much better view of Xenaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s complete display on Saturday night, and got to enjoy their show in all its requisite splendor. They had upgraded their show a bit by then using larger professional cakes, roman candles, and mines. Again, the quality of the product was exceptionally good, and we thoroughly enjoyed the brilliance of the stars, coupled with their unique color combinations and perfectly timed explosions.

Wagenvoort Vuurwerk Wagenvoort Fireworks is a family owned business that has earned an excellent reputation in and around the Netherlands. Their home office is located in Wapenveld in Gelderland, about 1 hour traveling time from Amsterdam.. On Friday night they eagerly sent up an acceptable variety of shells in the hope of entertaining the large crowd assembled there in the harbor, but personally, we felt they fell comparatively short in their execution (especially, when contrasting their display with the other two companies involved). Although the beginning of their display showed genuine promise, after the initial shots were fired, We felt the rest of the show seemed rather lackluster, using only average quality shells and a rather uninspiring format. Their decision to trigger part of their fireworks >

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 FEATURE | Sail Amsterdam 2015

Sail AMSTERDAM

2015

display by hand, didn’t help them either. Overall, it was a passable display, but not what one would expect to see on this huge event.

In Conclusion We felt both Pyrofoor and Xena definitely proved themselves to be top-notch Dutch fireworks display companies. In our opinion, they distinguished themselves admirably throughout SAIL Amsterdam. They exemplified professionalism and creativity via their unique shooting styles and their exemplary products choices. By the time you read this, Pyrofoor will have already completed another big show at the TomorrowWorld event in Atlanta, Georgia (USA), and Xena will have completed the "Wereldhavendagen" in Rotterdam (The Netherlands). 

Pyrofoor 19/08/2015

Xena Vuurwerk 20/08/2015

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Wagenvoort Vuurwerk 21/08/2015

Xena Vuurwerk 22/08/2015

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 FEATURE | ITALY 2015

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ď Ž FEATURE | Imagineering with John Werner

Montreal display - Photo by Carl Desjardins

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Imagineering with John Werner

Written by Michael Richards An imagineer is “a person who devises and implements a new or highly imaginative concept or technology.” OK, that about sums up the crux of John Werner’s career in just one sentence. And although he may shy away from garish awards and has managed to stay out of the public limelight, John Werner has truly been an integral part of the fireworks foundation in a way that defines our industry. He is one of the “old veteran fireworks guys” who has indelibly left their mark on the field and continues to literally define what we do. If you’ve never heard of John Werner, then you’ve probably never attended an international symposium or any other major pyrotechnic convention or conference in the United States, because John generally goes to all of them. He is also a member of the Pyrotechnic Guild International (PGI), on the Board of the National Council on Fireworks Safety, and is a member and former president of the National Fireworks Association (NFA). He sports an incredible résumé that is certainly worth studying (and envying) that includes an immensely varied career that humbly began as an art and design major at the Rochester Institute of Technology and then moved on to basic electronics at Monroe Community College.

From that unassuming start he secured his first position as “head technician” at the Eisenhart Auditorium (part of the Rochester Museum and Science Center in New York) where he was responsible for stage lighting. From Eisenhart he moved on to become a “Special Effects Consultant” at Seabreeze Amusement Park in New York, and then after that, a “Laserist and Optical Designer” for Laser Images (Laserium) in Van Nuys, California. Next, after a brief stint as a “Technical Specialist” for the Strasenburgh Planetarium in Rochester, he finally entered the world of pyrotechnics by becoming Kelly’s Fireworks “Designer of Commercial Fireworks Displays” in Buffalo, New York. For most of us, the list of jobs I’ve already

mentioned would probably define our lifetime of work, but for John Werner he was just getting started. It was his next job, working as the “Special Effects Designer For Theme Parks” for Disneyland, Walt Disney World and EPCOT Center that set the stage for phase two of his career. As Disney’s special effects designer, John was responsible for creating and developing optical and mechanical special effects that included creating park mockups, as well as supervising their eventual construction, manufacture and installation. After 4 years of doing that, he moved on to become a “Pyrotechnic Specialist” at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, where he designed and implemented experimental >

 FEATURE | Imagineering with John Werner

Montreal equipmet

Imagineering with John Werner

pyrotechnic training devices. Eventually, he moved on yet again to become “Technical Director” for WETLABS, the research and fabrication division of WET DESIGN. After two years there (proving it IS a small world after all), John went back to working for Disney as the “Special Effects Designer for Walt Disney Imagineering” in Glendale, California. As part of the Imagineering team, he was responsible once again for designing optical and mechanical effects for the Disney theme parks. He was also involved in developing what became known as the “blue sky” design concept for rides and enhancements at EPCOT, Disneyland and Euro Disney. You see, any time that the designers all met together for general “brainstorming” sessions at Disney, new ideas were referred to as “blue sky” concepts. This wasn’t anything technical, but simply meant that the “sky was the limit” when it came to ideas—regardless of how crazy or impossible (or expensive) the idea might seem. The “blue sky” methodology became an integral part of the creative process at Disney when generating highly inventive, innovative ideas that required unfettered imagination. After three years in Glendale, it was off to Elkton, Maryland where he finally settled down for almost a

decade as the plant manager for Patriotic Fireworks. Patriotic Fireworks is a major east coast manufacturer and supplier of consumer fireworks, and John was responsible for the company’s day-to-day operations while he was there. It was 2001 when he left Patriotic Fireworks—after a total of 31 years of extraordinarily fascinating work already—to become the “Technical Director” for Vulcan Fireworks in Montreal display - Photo by Carl Desjardins

"I have worked with John Werner for many years now. We’ve created massive fireworks displays together in locations the world over, from the farms of Virginia to the beautiful Herrenhausen Gardens in Hannover, Germany. The truth is, not many people understand, respect or can envision pyrotechnics the way he does. When I compete, I always want him on my team. He’s not the kind of person you want working against you in any competition.” John Sagaria Hong Kong. When the rest of us would probably be thinking about retiring, John began yet another new job. Ewan Cheung established Vulcan fireworks back in in 1974 (Mr. Cheung is an exceptionally nice man, by the way, and a wonderful photographer). If you’re not familiar with their company, Vulcan is considered one of the oldest companies in Hong Kong that exports Chinese fireworks directly to the United States and Europe. Their company actually offers two brands of fireworks: Shogun and Vulcan. The Vulcan brand was launched first to manufacture high quality hydraulic machine pressed rockets and European style display shells. The Shogun brand came next and was introduced in the U.S. around 1998. It began as a popular generic Chinese fireworks brand and eventually evolved into a product >

 FEATURE | Imagineering with John Werner

Twist-Lock connecter

line with better-designed packaging and improved overall performance. Shogun now boasts a full range of over 1000 different products primarily marketed in the United States as a consumer fireworks brand, while Vulcan is their premium display fireworks brand. As Vulcan’s technical Director, John has a myriad of jobs. First and foremost, John is supposed to develop and design new products. He is also supposed to developa better, faster ways to expedite work at the factories. This can mean anything from dreaming up new names for consumer products to designing innovative ways of make shooting display fireworks easier and/or safer. Since the company is involved more and more frequently in professionally choreographed shows and competitions, John has been heavily involved in developing new products that allow greater freedom to shoot displays in a variety of ways. Obviously, innovative development is John’s forte. Besides his Disney work, John’s biggest claim to fame is that he is the inventor and designer of the electric match connectors supplied on all Vulcan display products. These igniters make it possible to more easily and safely attach or detach the leaders on shells, fountains, mines, and candles, etc. He designed these igniters back in 2003, and it quickly became the standard on almost every display product manufactured worldwide. The photo below shows the T-

Shape design (in PVC plastic) he came up with that still is used by a variety of companies that copied his idea. The white plastic one is the design Vulcan and Shogun used for several years before they switched over to the more versatile black design that allows components to be connected together with a "Twist-Lock" feature (see picture left). This not only allows faster connections with electric matches, but also allows finale chains to be daisy-chained together and time delays to be inserted between the igniter and the shell that it fires. They now make the connector in clear plastic for safety reasons. Another contribution John has made to display fireworks that has essentially redefined the way professional displays are set up and are choreographed (another idea brazenly “copied” by everyone) is his invention and design of the “Modular Cake.” The modular cake is sometimes referred to as "slices,” and basically is a single row of multiple tubes that are always ignited by an electric match and form disposable prearranged straight or fan arrays of comets, mines, and bombards. Regardless, Vulcan supplies the widest

The ‘lollipop’

number of effects by far, firing sequences or patterns and tube calibers for the show designers to take advantage of when putting together a choreographed show. In the last two years, John and Vulcan have introduced what they call "Lollipops." These are incredibly cool 360-degree versions of the modular cake section, that again has prearranged disposable arrays of comets, mines, and candles that are

The ‘daffodil’ intended to be shot from elevated positions off cranes and bridges to make spectacular effects possible and an easy set up. There is an interesting story I heard about John Werner as a teenage pyro that I think offers some genuine insight into the kind of creativity that has been John’s most salient characteristic throughout his life. Having read George Weingart’s book, Pyrotechnics (an anachronistic pyrotechnic cookbook of sorts John still considers one of his most prized possessions) the teenaged John Werner learned some basics, then purchased enough chemicals with his friends to make display rockets, small shells, wheels and lancework. You have to realize that chemicals were much easier to get ahold of

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Montreal display - Photo by Carl Desjardins

back then than fireworks. Anyway, after they were finished they set it all up one night at a local playground down the street from John’s house. At the end of his first makeshift “show” he was both surprised and unnerved when a state trooper came walking out of the shadows and said, “Who’s the scientist here?” Everyone there (including the parents who had attended his show) all pointed their fingers at John. And the trooper walked over to him and said, “You know son, fireworks are illegal and we’ve had a complaint from a neighbor, but I was enjoying the show so much that I waited until you were finished. So, please don’t shoot anymore tonight. Good job.” Then the trooper left. It was probably a defining moment for John tantamount to Steve Jobs being allowed to use the garage to build computers. Don’t you wish you could let that trooper know somehow that the boy he encouraged that night and let off the hook eventually became a creative designer for Disney? In addition to the other jobs I’ve mentioned that John does for Vulcan, he also works with Shogun and Vulcan customers to develop custom-made products and fields questions concerning

Imagineering with John Werner

“I am still always curious and never tire of the thrill of seeing, shooting, or designing fireworks, and I’m still eager to learn new techniques wherever that may be and to help promote the art and craft of pyrotechnics.” John Werner

product performance and quality issues. Now when he attends U.S. fireworks conventions, he’s part of the Vulcan design team and has taken on trade show responsibilities as well. It is important to note here that John works very closely with Cindy Cheung (Ewan Cheung’s daughter and the current manager of U.S. operations and de facto CEO of Vulcan and Shogun). They work together as part of a team designing and choreographing most of Vulcan’s firework shows and competitions. Quite often these wonderfully choreographed shows introduce devices and effects that have never been seen before as part of any firework display. When it comes to competitions, John has certainly traveled the world to compete. Working jointly with his colleague Cindy Cheung, he has performed displays in Oman, Calgary, Manila, Berlin, and most recently put on the display opening night for the International Symposium on Fireworks in Bordeaux, France. John and Cindy competed twice in Hannover, Germany, where they placed 2nd one year and another year placed 1st. It is probably wrong, however, to give the impression that it was just the two of them involved in something as elaborate as Vulcan’s 1st place

medal at the 19th International Fireworks Competition held in Herrenhauser Garden in Hannover (2009). The following is a more accurate rundown of the number of people and companies involved in just this one competition: First, Vulcan (with an real knack for assembling a great team) put together an incredible multi-lingual, multinational Vulcan crew to work on the show: Joe Wan, Erik Vermeulen, Ricky Tan, Steven Wong, Giles Keyser, Danny van Leeuwen, and Mark Boeken (along with Cindy and John). And they had Vulcan owned Vulcan Golden Dragon and Vulcan Tong Tai Fireworks manufacture 100% of the fireworks used in their competition. John Werner specifically made all the wheels, set pieces and gerb rack designs. Vulcan’s most recent competition was in Montreal (Canada’s biggest firework event) at the 2015 L'International des Feux LotoQuebec representing Hong Kong. https://vimeo.com/134361040 The custom holding racks that John designed and built for the show allowed very precise setup of the single shots and modular sections. As fate would have it, there was no wind that night and the second half of the display was somewhat smoked out. Even so, they still managed to take Bronze in the competition >

 FEATURE | Imagineering with John Werner

and received another award for best soundtrack. One more note: John’s daughter Kelsey designed the artwork for the poster that Vulcan used for their show in Montreal.

A Conversation with John Werner PM: You go to a great many fireworks conferences and symposiums worldwide. As you are well aware, the industry quite often comes under fire in several different countries. If you were given the opportunity to talk to the people who want to see the industry more heavily regulated, and/or wish to see consumer fireworks made completely illegal everywhere, what would you say to them? JW: I would try to carefully explain to them that fireworks are in fact extremely safe to use and have a very low accident rate compared to many activities that we all take

for granted, and that over regulating them or banning them completely serves no purpose except to encourage people to misuse them or experiment with dangerous alternatives. This is quite easy to prove with facts and data. Unfortunately the fireworks industry, as a whole, does a relatively poor job of responding to the hype and misleading impressions that the antifireworks people constantly present in the media and on the Internet.

PM: You've often been at the forefront of innovation when it comes to fireworks production and displays. Name a couple of innovations you've been privy to lately that have impressed you. JW: Many of the innovations now are behind the scenes at the factories in China, and by necessity they have had to come up with production solutions because of a dwindling work force in the Industry. More and more I see quite clever machines being developed to try to replace some of the handwork formally being done by human laborers such as tube rolling, shell pasting, and firecracker braiding. On the down side however with less and less people willing to make the very labor intensive items we saw even 10 years ago, there has been a very noticeable simplification of product lines and I'm sorry to say that things I used to love such as “Happy Lamps” and novelties are fast becoming a thing of the past. In Display fireworks I do see companies now looking for more unique products to add to their repertoire of effects available for large choreographed shows. This is where I have largely focused my design ideas now with Vulcan, and in the near future you will see much more use of patterned single shot runs and letters or writing projected into the sky for instance.

Vulcan Montreal team including John Werner PM: If you could look ahead some 50 years into the future, what would you prophesize modern fireworks displays will look like in the year 2065? JW: That is a tough question I'm afraid, especially since most people turn out to be very wrong when it comes to predicting the future. Fortunately I think fireworks and people's enjoyment of them is timeless and the basic products of this Industry, such as shells, rockets, fountains, and wheels are still basically the same as they were hundreds of years ago. I expect they will still be that way 50 years from now and that it is extremely unlikely anyone will have come up with a substitute even remotely as exciting and dynamic or as simple and beautiful as a well done firework display. Less smoke though would be nice I suppose, but this seems to be an industry that continues to delight and entertain with the simplest of traditional materials and methods.

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Imagineering with John Werner

“I honestly believe that the majority of people will always love fireworks and still retain that childlike wonder that holds countless crowds spellbound year after year whenever fireworks are displayed.” John Werner

PM: What kinds of recommendations would you make to the fireworks industry to better alleviate environmentalist concerns regarding potentially harmful chemicals used in current fireworks production? JW: Here again, as with the public perception of accident rates, I have honestly seen very little in the way of actual facts that prove fireworks to be anything but a minor environmental concern. The Industry itself has done a pretty good job of limiting dangerous chemicals and procedures used in manufacturing as a way of preventing explosions and harm to it's workers. This has translated into public and professional display companies limiting harmful byproducts to any significant degree that might enter the environment from the use of fireworks. I have not seen any studies that show lasting effects at display sites, even when the site is repeatedly used night after night by like at Disney's Theme Parks.

Unfortunately, the media and the Internet continue to spew out misleading and downright incorrect information concerning certain toxic chemicals they they think we use. My only recommendations to the industry would be to stay open and honest about what we do, and also to be very concerned about the proper disposal of spent devices and to thoroughly clean up display sites after a show—especially around water sites. It's always in the best interest of everyone involved to limit the amount of plastic used and prevent trash and debris from creating an ugly mess after a show. PM: In looking back over your incredibly interesting career, what do you feel was your favorite job, and what do you feel was the most important contribution you made while you were there? JW: This is an easy question. Basically all my jobs have been related and what I do is generally the same—try and innovate

unique ideas and elegant solutions to the job at hand, whether it be water fountains, theme parks, or firework shows. However, I particularly enjoy the fireworks industry since for me it is a perfect blend of art, technique, and traditional values that I love. I have never been that intrigued with computers or the latest cell phones, but the magic of black powder—especially its versatility—continues to hold my fascination. I believe I have made rather small, albeir important contributions to the fireworks industry with some of the developments I have designed and promoted while working with Vulcan Fireworks. I think the electric match connector and our Modular Cake sections were important. For me it is extremely gratifying to see almost every display device worldwide now equipped with the small plastic igniter connection that I believe has made a big difference in safety and reliability, and I have appreciated the opportunity that Vulcan has given me that allowed that to happen. 

 FEATURE | Living the Dream

Living the Dream Written by Howard Pryda I can’t offer much insight into the world of indoor and close proximity pyro since I barely have a year’s worth of experience. By the end of this year, however, I will have worked on 21 close proximity shows for professional sports teams, so although I’m a relative newbie, I have learned a few things during the past several years that should interest you. For those of you who don’t know, close proximity fireworks are the pyrotechnics most often used at sporting events or concerts. They are generally set off closer to the audience than higher level or medium level aerial displays, and because they produce little to no fallout or burning debris, they are well suited for places where there is not enough room to use traditional fireworks. I have been fascinated with close proximity fireworks ever since I saw the following incredible video of Martin Hildeberg’s show at the Speedway Grand Prix 2010 back in 2010 (performed at Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales):

Hopefully, this article will inspire other professionals in the close proximity field—with far more experience than I have—to write additional articles for Pyrotechnic Magazine about this amazing segment of the industry. In June of 2012 I got to work my first outdoor professional display for Celebration Fireworks of Slatington, Pennsylvania. Just being part of a fireworks crew preparing a 4th of July show had been a dream of mine since I was 10 years old. It might have taken

40 years, but I was finally achieving my dream. And like I said, until I saw Martin Hildeberg’s work on video, I had never given much thought to indoor close proximity or special effects pyrotechnics. This would soon to change. Unexpectedly, I received an email asking me if I was interested in doing the flame effects for the Philadelphia 76ers. That happened a little over a year ago and it’s been an exciting ride ever since. During the 2014-2015 season alone, myself and two other operators took turns working 41 home games. Actually, only one operator is required to do each home game production, but the company we work for allows a helper to also attend each game. For each 76er game we operate 2 custom-made flame towers provided to us by Sigma Systems and Image Engineering. Each tower is approximately 12 feet high and has two Sigma firefly flame units mounted at a 45-degree angle in each tower. About 3 hours before game time we meet with the crew from “Full Production Services” to unload the flame towers from the truck. With the help of a hot water bath, we can normally fill the accumulators with gas

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in less than 20 minutes. After they are filled up, we hand them off to the union stagehands to be placed out on the floor behind each basket. Once the towers are in place and the cables are run, I conduct a pilot light test and (assuming the pilot light works correctly) we are ready for the show. Before the show, though, the 76ers organization provide us all with a great meal that affords us the time to discuss details about the our game plan. One of the first things I noticed was different about doing indoor or “close prox pyro” for professional sporting events was that, unlike working a 4th of July show, we were not the main event. Indoor fireworks are basically just a small part of a much bigger show. Obviously, no one goes to a 76ers game to see the flame towers, but just the same, it is part of the overall entertainment and helps get the audience energized. Of course I may be prejudiced, but I think by using 8 projectors, 4 sets of cryo jets, 2 flame towers, coupled with lighting and a soundtrack, that the Philadelphia 76ers provide one of the best player introductions in the whole NBA.

center court next to a small version of the Liberty Bell. As he strikes the bell, 8 overhead projectors create a 3D floor projection. Each chime of the bell appears to break the floor apart until it seemingly falls away. The show officially begins as the 3D floor projection runs an animated sequence for the next 1:40. During the colorful projections and pounding rhythm, I anxiously await my first cue which comes at the end of the projection video as the head coach is introduced. Boom! I fire my first hit and take my next cues from the PA announcer and cryo jets. The cryo operator and the tunnel where the players enter are on the other side of the arena from my location. I normally have to look around and peer through the visiting team players standing directly in front of me. Then the lights come back up and the focus turns to the tunnel where the 5 starting players are entering. One by one they are introduced as 4 sets of cryo jets proceed each one of them onto the floor. The flames follow the last cryo hit. Once the last flame hit is complete, I have to quickly unhook the cables from the controller and the union stagehands quickly remove the towers to the loading dock. I’m responsible to take the towers outside and purge any remaining gas before they are loaded back on the truck.

As a flame operator I don’t think I will ever grow tired of doing my 6 flame hits during my 2 - 3 minute show. For me, it’s a sight and sound experience that always gets my adrenaline pumping. Here is a little shaky POV video footage to should help you understand:

The rundown of the show goes something like this: first, the lights are dimmed so the audience focus can be on the soldier in

I can’t say enough complimentary things about the Philadelphia 76ers organization and the wonderful crews from Full Production Services and Image Engineering. As an added bonus for me last season my wife got to work with me as my assistant for one game so she could experience it all firsthand. It’s been a great experience so far, and I’m certainly looking forward to the start of the new season in a few weeks. On September 30, 2015, we were given the opportunity to provide rooftop and on-field pyro (as well as flame towers) for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at PPL Park in Chester, Pennsylvania. This was a professional soccer game between the Philadelphia Union and Sporting Kansas City. We were asked to provide pyro for the national anthem, flames for the player introductions, and flames and pyro for the precession as well as flames and pyro for each home team goal. Unlike the 76ers games, the soccer game at PPL >

 FEATURE | Living the Dream

Living the Dream Park involved a lot of heavy lifting and work at some dizzying heights. We also had to deal with a little rain that day, which is another thing you don’t have to deal with indoors. One thing that made this experience particularly memorable was that Philadelphia Union is a very fan-friendly organization. Where else are fans allowed to pull the string so their team’s blue and yellow smoke bombs can be released when each goal is scored? These same fans also beat a large drum to support their team throughout the entire game. As the flame tower operator for one of the goal nets, I found it difficult at times to hear the lead over the headset because the fans were often so loud. But you have to love the enthusiasm of the fans. This particular game went into double overtime and was decided by penalty kicks. Talk about exciting! Also, the Next FX mines and comets were outstanding during the game. This little intro provides an excellent glimpse into the setup for the game:

It was mid August before I found out we would get to do the player introductions for the Philadelphia Eagles. Wow, what a year! For this game Image Engineering constructed two towers, two sleds and two Eagle wings outfitted with a total of 20 cryo jets and 8 pyro positions. This was combined with foggers and lasers that started as a player’s introduction began at the locker room door, then culminated with cryo and pyro on the field when the players ran out as a team. For this production, the DMX operator took his cue from the Eagles organization, and the pyro operator took her cue from the lead. Both the pyro and cryo sequences were automated and only needed the operator to start the sequence. We had about

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1:30 or less to get the sleds, towers and wings off the field before the national anthem started. At present I have only worked during two Eagles games, and I hope I get to do more because it is always fun being part of the show on game day. Like the 76ers and Union, the Eagles are a very professional organization that make it easy to do our jobs. Image Engineeringâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to both excellence and safety gives the operators the sense of confidence we all need to do our jobs safely and effectively. Oh, and a special thank you to my fellow crewmembers Don and Karen. They are always supportive and professional and fun to work with.

Living the Dream

Above is one of the shows that Howard Pryda worked on. ď Ž

 FEATURE | ITALY 2015

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ď Ž FEATURE | The revolutionary firing system from fireTEK

fireTEK

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fireTEK

Firing made easy

fireTEK

Written by Laurian Antoci The minds behind fireTEK firing systems are engineering and fireworks professionals who have come together with one intention: to design and build a uniquely capable firing system from scratch. Established in 2009, fireTEK has dedicated itself to changing the way amateur and professional pyrotechnicians interact with their firing systems. >

 FEATURE | The revolutionary firing system from fireTEK

In this article, we will discuss the reasons we feel we have achieved our goals of creating an easy-to-use firing system that not only meets a multitude of diverse requirements in the field, but has been manufactured to be robust and steadfastly reliable.

Fewer Modules, More Possibilities

Our original idea was quite simple: to lower the unit’s overall cost and increase product interchangeability. To achieve this goal we limited our new firing system to just two components: a controller and a firing module. Prior to fireTEK, this was not the case. Prior to fireTEK Before fireTEK was introduced, an average firing system typically required a different module for each specialized operating mode. For example, some systems had different controllers for different modes like manual or automatic firing, and others needed entirely separate devices to enable the device to synchronize music. Some system modules had external components such as wireless modules, battery packs, etc., and still other products available in the marketplace did not offer these features at all. For us, the question became a challenge: could we make a self-contained controller that could manage a variety of firing modes and modules all in one unit? The answer, of course, was yes. And the following products represent this achievement. fireTEK FTH-48 Firing Module The FTH-48 firing module has 48 independent channels located on four external 12-channel rails. The standard version is enclosed in a sturdy PELI case, fully waterproof (even with the lid open and without caps on the connectors). It has an internal 26V lithium battery capable of delivering up to 50 amps impulse firing power—even after the module has been on

for 48 hours. An external battery can also be connected if the internal battery is low. Communication to other field modules can be achieved wireless, wired or both concurrently. It can also be equipped with an internal GPS receiver, Bluetooth, small 2-button wireless remote, and/or SMPTE Timecode options. (All of which will be further explained in this article).

fireTEK FTM-99 Handheld controller The FTM-99 is a handheld controller capable of controlling up to 99 firing modules synchronized, with or without music, either wirelessly, wired or both concurrently.

It has an internal lithium battery providing up to 24 hours of operation, and can be equipped with an internal GPS module, SMPTE Timecode and/or internal audio player.

Worry-free firing

Well-designed hardware, coupled with exceptionally perceptive software design, makes fully automated diagnosis and real time error detection a standard. This ensures firing reliability and prevents unintentional firing from occurring. Prior to fireTEK As we all know, human error is generally the primary reason that fireworks displays fail, or worse, human lives are lost. With a typical firing system you have to navigate through a variety of menus to initiate any testing, and by the time you begin a particular test or start to interpret the results, you aren’t always sure which fault has occurred. Because of this uncertainty, testing is frequently (and often unnecessarily) repeated.

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Benefit to the end-user By automating almost all of the processes involved in firing, fireTEK has made it possible to reduce and/or eliminate most potential human errors. During the processes involved—from setup to field-testing to firing—you no longer have to worry about the firing system itself. Advanced tests and settings are automatically made to prevent unintentional firing and to ensure firing when it is supposed to occur. How we accomplish all of this: 1 When the power is turned on, the module safely conducts an advanced self-test to ensure the safe operation of all critical components. 2 In the background, the firing system automatically tests and alerts the user when any of the following are or are not compliant: if there are critical component problems, or when all igniters used in the script are connected, or if all firing modules are still online. In addition, tests also show if the communication is stable and what the battery levels are, etc. No other system we know of runs as many automatic conclusive tests as fireTEK. 3 Our safe and fully automated real time tests require no user intervention. Any errors found are displayed on one screen in an easy to understand, intuitive manner as soon as they occur. Alarms are categorized in one of two ways: “Faults” and “Warnings”. Faults are errors that will most assuredly affect the overall show and require immediate intervention from the firing crew to rectify. Warnings, on the other hand, are specific messages to the operator about small problems that are present, but not critical. Here are two examples: a Warning message telling the user an igniter is connected

but not part of the programmed script (something the user may want to fire manually), or a Fault message regarding an unconnected igniter that is part of the script. 4 FireSURE literally ensures firing capability and we do that by monitoring in real time the firing current that passes through the igniters. No other firing system has this capability. 5 We have a comprehensive methodology that clearly states system progress in a natural order when pressing either <Back> or <Next> buttons. For additional protection, firing states are passcode protected. Everything that is required when a particular state is changed is done so automatically. (That is because we seriously doubted you preferred a complicated workflow with nested menus and steps that could be erroneously skipped and result in a display fail). 6 We include a resistance check of the connected igniters. 7 We also have an entire set of software safety features and hardware interlocks (6 per cue) to prevent unintentional or unauthorized firing. 8 You can easily lock out any channel to keep it from firing at any time you want to during the firing sequence without prior need to set them on safety zones. 9 Our firing modules built in PELI cases that are fully waterproof—even with the lid open and with no dust caps on the connectors. In addition, we use with military grade connectors so they have a longer life span. 10 We also use high quality (but very affordable) rails connected to the firing modules via a UTP cable so you don’t have to worry about a rail or cable being damaged during a show or when dismantling the system for transportation. Cheaper rails and cables allow you the possibility of having a

backup that can be easily replaced in the field. It is a matter of preference and expense.

Maximum flexibility

Use our handheld controller to control your display, or use the firing modules independently in a wireless/wired network without depending on an expensive master controller or other device. No other system provides this level of flexibility and control. Prior to fireTEK The vast majority of display companies put on only a small number of BIG shows each year. Most of their projects are generally small to medium-sized displays, taking place at similar times, but in different locations. With that in mind, most firing systems on the market do not give the user the capability of controlling the firing modules without a master controller. This means a very expensive split that requires the display company to invest in several master controllers. (Something we find illogical and unnecessary). Benefit to the end-user With fireTEK we wanted to give our customers the possibility to split the system in whatever way they might require to manage different displays, without the need of a special controller or computer at each firing site. To improve the overall value to our customer’s, we designed a system using only two different main components to cover all displays types — no matter how big or how small the display might be. For simultaneous multiple displays, the user can configure all firing modules either as Independent, Master or Slave. This way you no longer need an expensive system for your larger displays and less expensive systems for smaller productions. >

ď Ž FEATURE | The revolutionary firing system from fireTEK

3) The FTM-99 handheld controller can be configured as: a) Master to control with or without music up to 99 firing modules wired and/or wireless b) Slave used as an AudioBOX controlled by another FTM-99 controller or by an FTH-48 firing module

Here is how this feat is accomplished: 1) The FTH-48 firing module can be configured in the following ways: a) Master controlling with or without music up to 99 firing modules wired and/or wireless b) Slave connected wired and/or wireless to an FTM-99 controller c) Slave connected wired and/or wireless to another FTH-48 d) Independent (Automatic, Stepper)

4) The operator has the flexibility to easily fire in the following modes: a) Manual b) Sequences c) Automatic d) all concurrently, with or without music

Here are some examples:

5) The 12-channel FT-12 rails give you the capability to prepare the racks off-site and can be easily split for fronts using normal RJ45 splitters. With quality equipment and software like fireTEK available, why would anyone want to invest in a more expensive system that only provides one controller with no backup if it goes faulty?

Perfect Synchronization fireTEK has Built-in GPS in all its firing modules, and a handheld controller to correct communication latency and crystal errors. And it can do all of this while firing impressive pyro musicals using an internal audio player from the handheld controller or TimeCode input that is available on all modules. No other firing system has this capability. 2) The FTH-48 firing module can be operated via: a) Wired and/or wireless, controlled by another firing module or via controller b) Time code input (SMPTE) c) Time trigger (GPS UTC time) d) Front panel buttons e) Compact 2-button wireless remote f) Computer (USB) g) Smartphone (Bluetooth) h) External trigger i) Combination of any of above

Prior to fireTEK Before fireTEK, firing systems had to depend on transmitted Timecodes or messages sent to and from the master controller to synchronize all the field modules. Wired connection offered slightly better accuracy, but wireless communications in the field often resulted in problems due to communication latency or interference from nearby equipment.

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At fireTEK, when it comes to our firing system, synchronization is one of our main priorities. Benefit to the end-user In today’s signal-filled world, it is increasingly important to achieve the highest degree of accuracy when it comes to synchronized channels—either with or without music. By using PerfectSYNC and fireTEK’s internal GPS, you can achieve better results with both your wired and/or wireless communication. Here is how this feat is accomplished: 1) With GPS receivers in each field module, the firing module and handheld controller can see the exact time when commands are exchanged between the networking modules. In this way, they correct for any delay that might occur in either the wireless and/or wired communication signal. No other firing system has this capability. 2) GPS UTC time can also be used to synchronize an unlimited number of firing modules and handheld controllers located in separate locations even with no communication between them. The start time will be set and the GPS clock will do the rest.

3) The handheld controller can be configured with an internal audio player for autonomous and/or easy-to-fire pyromusicals. The soundtrack can be played directly from the controller’s

internal memory or from an external USB memory stick attached to the handheld controller. 4) Synchronization to music can also be achieved via SMPTE Timecode to allow an external media device to control the pyromusical. Timecode can be fed to the handheld controller or to a firing module set as a Master. In any case, the pyrotechnician will have the capability to stop the display if a problem occurs. 5) The handheld controller can be set as a “slave” and act as an AudioBOX. The AudioBOX controller can be placed near the PA sound system for Timecode input or for audio output, while the master controller can be moved around to give the operator a better view of the display. In Conclusion Our fireTEK firing system as a continual work in progress. From firmware updates to hardware additions, we are constantly and

continually striving to improve the capabilities of our firing system. Our underlying goal is always to keep fireTEK state-of-the-art in this everchanging, rapidly evolving market. Currently, fireTEK is being used worldwide by a host of firework enthusiasts and professionals. It has received accolades not only for being safe, but also for being intelligent and easy to operate. Packed full of innovative features, fireTEK is certain to bring peace of mind to anyone using it regardless of the pyrotechnic project being prepared. 

Be sure to read more about fireTEK on our www.ftek.eu website and keep up with new developments and upgrades on our Facebook page: facebook.com/firetekfiringsystem

 FEATURE | ITALY 2015

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Most of the fireworks display companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s projects are small to medium sized, mostly taking place at the same time but in different locations. To improve the overall value to our customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, we designed a system with only two different main components to cover all displays types - no matter how big or how small the display might be. For simultaneous multiple displays, the user can configure all firing modules either as Independent, Master or Slave and control them in different modes.

It is nowadays becoming more and more important to achieve the highest accuracy for an increasing number of channels synchronized, with or without music. Built-in GPS in all firing modules and handheld controller will correct communication latency and crystal errors and give you possibility to perfectly synchronize unlimited number of modules even with no communication among them. With TimeCode input available on all modules you can have a display perfectly synchronized with the music.

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яБо FEATURE | Hellfest 2015

HEL MUSIC

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2015

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Written by Julien Batard In reality, the only thing really “hellish” about Hellfest are the names of some of the bands that perform there and their apparent dedication to “extreme” music. This annual festival, held in Clisson, France every mid-June, turns the Val de Moine Sports Complex into a kind of Heavy Metal cathedral of sorts. Clisson is approximately 22 miles (35 km) southeast of Nantes, France and 248 miles (400 km) southwest of Paris. The festival lasts a full three days (this year: Friday, June 19th until Sunday, June 21st) and hosts an astounding 120 bands! Some bands you may have heard of like headliners Marilyn Manson and Judas Priest and the Scorpions, but others are much more obscure and “hellish” with names like “Dying Fetus,” “Necrowretch” and “Cradle of Filth.” >

 FEATURE | Hellfest 2015

The Scorpions playing sand accompanied by even more fireworks shot from behind the stage.

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F E S T I VA L

This year marked the 10th anniversary of what many are now calling one of the biggest music festivals in all of Europe. And as a 10th anniversary surprise, the organizers decided to plan something to really knock the socks off of their concert attendees: they hired the Jacques Couturier Organization (JCO) to create a celebratory pyromusical. The overall plan was to think BIG. To that affect, JCO created and planned a massive pyrotechnic spectacular stretching over 2,624 feet across (800-meters, just shy of ½ mile) that would literally light up the entire Clisson sky for at least 12 minutes. This feat

FIRE

was accomplished using 13 platforms (all installed onsite) with 3 extremely large shell zones (maximum caliber: 150mm with a 100mm center) and a 33-foot diameter (10-meter) wheel raised 115 feet (35-meters) into the air. Even without music, the show would have been deemed awesome, but awesome wasn’t good enough, so they added loud, pulsing heavy metal to the fray, coupled with Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody for good measure, and created a pyrotechnic “mastershow” that would wow the crowd and make festival history. > Finally, after enormous planning and

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яБо FEATURE | Hellfest 2015

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The Scorpions playing sand accompanied by even more fireworks shot from behind the stage.

preparation, Saturday’s show time had arrived, and after hours of adrenaline pumping musicians performed at decibel levels not meant for the squeamish, an anniversary video began surreptitiously on the giant screens positioned above the different stages. Just as suddenly, AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” began pounding the eardrums of the surprised crowd and the darkness became illuminated by the giant wheel in the symbol of Hellfest. At each rhythmic pulse, Pirotecnia Zaragonza (from Spain) sent comets in to the air, continually increasing their numbers from 5 to 7 to 9 until they stretched the entire ½ mile (800-meters). As if that weren’t enough, giant white bouquets were also fired to announce the completion of the first song—all to the roaring cheers of the delighted crowd. Then another surprise—the crowd began to spontaneously sing along to Bohemian Rhapsody, even clapping in time to the fireworks and eventually swaying and singing along with Queen’s solemn rhapsodic finale! As if by magic, the 40,000 attendees had become joyful participants Peter Verhoef and the pleasure and exhilaration was easily

evident on all of their faces. The fireworks continued, perfectly synchronized along its 800-meter field, superbly matching mythical titles, music and color. The giant wheel continued to spin throughout the show, using bombettes and single-shots to powerfully punctuate the ever-present beat of the music. The finale easily equaled the intensity felt by everyone during the show, and the cacophony kept rising as the number of shells in the air increased exponentially. Shells, screams and colors seemed to fill every molecule of French sky as a plethora of bouquets ended the phenomenal production. Overall, this was an amazing accomplishment for the pyrotechnic choreographers as well as for the Hellfest organization. Immediately following the fireworks, the Scorpions could be heard playing several of their most beloved songs, including “Still Loving You.” And they were accompanied by even more fireworks shot from behind the stage. Hard to believe a festival this wonderful almost didn’t happen. Hellfest, you see, was once called “Fury Fest” and several religious groups (not happy with the

festival’s language or content) put pressure on the sponsors to pull out and not support the event. In 2010, the Prime Minister even joined in—along with several other political leaders—who considered Fury Fest/Hellfest to be a “Satanic” festival. Fortunately, French politician Patrick Roy (aided by Frédéric Mitterrand, the French Minister of Culture and Communication) convinced the festival detractors to simply calm down their rhetoric somewhat and allow the festival to continue. It is important to note here that Assembly Member Patrick Roy died of pancreatic cancer in 2011, and many people feel he was the driving force that kept the festival alive. Although the festival continues to be somewhat controversial, it still goes on annually as planned, with very few problems and an eagerly receptive crowd. Many thanks to Joseph Couturier and his entire team, as well as to the Hellfest organization for giving me the opportunity to take these photographs and to enjoy such a wonderful experience.  WEBlink > www.lumieres-ephemeres.fr

 FEATURE | ITALY 2015

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 FEATURE | Pirotecnica San Pio

PIROTECNIC INTERVIEW BY MARCEL HANSE & LEENDERT

PHOTOS BY E

If you are familiar with the control Bolognese,” then you are familiar w listed below). Not that that kind of ma modern fireworks company. In fact, p guide Pirotecnica’s production and des be “maniacal care” as they test each intensity and light duration for all th company proudly offers a large ra constantly evolving and

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CA SAN PIO VAN BUREN WITH THE HELP OF ELIO CICALA

ELIO CICALA

lled insanity of “Padre Pio Batteria with Pyrotecnica San Pio (see the link assive detonation actually defines this assion and experience predominantly sign. They take what they consider to product’s combustion, smoke, colorheir pyrotechnic merchandise. Their ange of quality products that are being improved upon. >

 FEATURE | Pirotecnica San Pio

their way (not that it helps). With explosions occurring just over their heads, the crowd is simultaneously panicked and excited. The nearness of both the explosions and the sound causes almost everyone to fear for their safety. Imagine fireworks laid out over an entire city plaza like a formidable explosive tent roof covering an apprehensive, terrified crowd underneath. This is what San Severo’s Piazza Allegato is all about. Daytime battery:

Video LINK >

Established in 1983, Pyrotecnica San Pio itself resides in the beautiful Italian city of San Severo. Not only is San Severo wonderfully picturesque, it is only a 30-minute drive away from some of the most beautiful coastline the Adriatic Sea has to offer. Two generations of pyrotechnicians work seamlessly together in their factory there to create innovative designs that have earned them an international reputation. Working closely with Pyroemotions (See some excellent photographs of Pyroemotion’s recent display work in Hannover in this issue’s article: “Hannover 2015”) has made it possible to directly improve on creative design work because they can immediately watch their products being used in professional competitions. Padre Pio Batteria Bolognese 16 Maggio Action cam FDS 2015 San Severo: Reminiscent of a war zone, with fireworks

firing all around the crowd like machinegun fire, and people running and covering themselves up for fear of getting burned, Padre Pio Batteria Bolognese is an adrenaline-filled fireworks event that you have to experience to believe. In fact, the people are so close to the explosive action during this festival, that they become blinded by bright flashes, lost in the smoke, and sometimes stunned by the concussive explosions occurring all around them. Nighttime battery:

Video LINK > Piazza Allegato - Action cam FDS 2015 San Severo The pyrotechnics set off during the daylight hours seem to be much more sane than the fireworks set off at night. This is only because people can now see what is coming

EC: Exactly how old is your company now? PSP: Pirotecnica San Pio is a relatively young factory since we’ve only been around since the early 1980s. But we’re an experienced company because of people like Michele Presutto, the company’s owner, who began working in his uncle’s fireworks factory when he was only 12 years old. Actually, 32 years isn’t that young, I guess, but if you have experienced people working for you— and we do—especially people who are passionate about their work and are willing to experiment and regularly improve on their products, then the date our company actually began becomes less meaningful. EC: How many people do you have working at your factory in San Severo? PSP: “Working” doesn’t really describe what we do at our factory. It’s a team effort and our employees more or less work as one big team there. Therefore, our 10 employees each know every production discipline, all batteries, all fireworks displays, and all

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 FEATURE | Pirotecnica San Pio

single-shot and pyromusical productions. By training them this way and making a staff a well-rounded team, we are able to manage our work there more efficiently—especially when we’re extremely busy. EC: How many shows do you estimate you shoot per year? And are they mainly “Batteria” types of shows? PSP: On average, our factory produces around 200 shows per year. Out of that 200, we typically do a 50/50 balance of sorts. In other words, 50% of what we do is batteria—which is in big demand, by the way, not only in our city, but neighboring Italian cities as well—and the other 50% are pyrotechnic displays and pyromusicals. EC: Do you shoot mainly in and around San Severo? PSP: Predominantly, we shoot all around our scenic little province. It’s a beautiful place, what can we say? For example, we shot a show recently in Gargano, just north of San Giovanni Rotondo about an hour’s drive from here. We have also done work in locations like Putignano, Trani, Lecce, Adelfia, and Vitulazio, but we’re beginning to branch out and do shows abroad, too. We’re definitely growing as a company. EC: As I understand it, there are different 3 types of La Batteria: La Batteria Sanseverese, La Batteria Napoletana, and La Batteria Bolognese. Can you clarify the differences between these 3? PSP: Yes, there are several subtle but very important differences between these three types of batteries. First of all, the “Batterie

Sanseverese” and “Bolognese” are somewhat similar because both are placed on wires and than set up on rods. The “Batteria San Severese,” though, is shot mainly during the daytime hours within a city, without much color and at less intensity than other batteries. “La Batteria Bolognese” is really a mix between a Batteria and a fireworks display. To highlight its color, it is shot mainly in the evening and requires a very spacious location because of the tremendous firepower of the fireworks used. The way we fire the shows now, however, has been changing. Current electronics give us much greater control over the shows as well as the overall quality of the production. Lastly, “La Batteria Bolognese,” is somewhat different even though it is placed on long wires on poles like other Batteria, the explosions happen more at ground level. The sound is different, too, because there is a continual cadence that doesn’t change much throughout. During the final portion of La Batteria Bolognese there is a series of explosions and color at ground level that is really quite spectacular in its power and intensity.

EC: Do you think “La Batteria Napoletana” is the Italian equivalent to Spanish “La Mascletà”? PSP: Sure, La Batteria Napoletana and the La Mascletà are quite similar, especially since the explosive charges are all fairly close to the ground and fall before they explode and both have a powerful cadence to them. The only real significant difference is that the Batteria Napoletana is laid at ground level, whereas the Spanish Mascletà is positioned a little higher up and farther away from the crowd. The bangers go off first and explode that way because they are fused in that order. The important thing is to make sure that there is no break or interruption during the explosions because that would ruin the experience. EC: Is the “Batteria Napoletana” still produced anywhere in Italy? PSP: Yes, of course. In the Campania, Naples region is still set off quite often. In fact, it is used to commemorate almost every Saint and is often part of religious celebrations there. It is considered a “traditional battery”

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pyrotechnician. The final section of the Batteria is the most powerful, and is shaped in order of power entirely by the Rëspòstë, Quindë and Pannèggë. Essentially the fireworks are the “notes” the pyrotechnician uses to create a kind of rolling cadence, just like a musician uses notes to write a song. EC: In your opinion, who has the best fireworks company in Italy at this moment? PSP: That’s really difficult to say because we have so many wonderful fireworks companies here. There is Di Candia, Di Matteo, Romano, and Vaccaluzzo Events. From our perspective (and others may disagree) “La Pirotecnica San Severo di Giacomo del Vicario” is perhaps the best company, especially when it comes to the production of shells and bombe da tiro. and many want to see these types of pyrotechnic traditions continue. That’s actually the case in most of southern Italy, so we get many requests from that part of the country. In addition, we sometimes produce the batteries like this for weddings, first communions, Baptisms and other small celebrations. EC: Can you explain the different types of bangers used in “La Batteria” and how each of them are used? The ones I’m talking about are: Bbuttëcèllë, Rëspòstë, Quindë, Pannèggë, Përàmëdë and Ndrèccë. PSP: In order to understand these items, you first need a better understanding of how a Batteria is shaped and created. If you understand that, then the rest will make more sense. The standard Batteria are shaped by bundles of fireworks that are hung from poles spaced evenly about 15 meters apart, and bangers that are spaced 33 centimeters apart. Generally a Batteria begins with a “Bbuttëcèllë”, which is banger without much power. This is repeated 14 consecutive times. The 15th Banger is “Rëspòstë”—a

EC: What was the best show you think your company ever fired? PSP: The best show we ever fired was probably the display we did in Vieste. There are many reasons I feel this way, but primarily it was the location and the fact that we got to shoot our fireworks right over the Adriatic Sea. It’s just a fantastic Location! The city of Vieste is the true pearl of Gargano!

banger slightly more powerful than the previous banger that breaks the cadence of the Batteria but continues the sequence. This sequence is repeated 3 times consecutively. The 4th sequence begins with a “Rëspòstë” that inserts a “Quindë”—a banger more powerful than the last one to change the cadence and the pulse of the Batteria. When the “Quindë" is fired, the bundle is usually finished. The “Përàmëdë” is the 3-meter tall wooden framework that holds Rëspòstë to create a different sound and effect. “La Ndrèccë” is a large grouping of bangers together. The kind of items and number is at the discretion of

EC: OK, what are some of the best shows you’ve ever seen? PSP: That’s easy. I would say there are three. Rotello’s Fireworks display back in 2010 during the Di Candia evening; then there was Pyroemotions’ pyromusical in Montreal in 2013; and thirdly, there was Paolelli’s daylight fireworks display in Adelfia in 2013. All of these shows were masterful. EC: What is your favorite bomba da tiro? PSP: Actually, the Maltese bamba da tiro are probably my favorites because they are hand-made and require a lot of technical skill to make. Maltese pyrotechnians spend a great deal of of time on each of their shells, >

 FEATURE | Pirotecnica San Pio

but they are definitely worth it. When they light up the sky, the colors and trails are extremely well ordered and defined. Among Italian bomba da tiro makers, I think “21 riprese Di Candia” is probably the best. The opening, the height, the timing of the shot—everything is just perfect! EC: Which does your company prefer to do most, a traditional evening show, a traditional daylight show, a Batteria or a pyromusical? PSP: Actually we don’t have a preference. We love all kinds of shows. Whether it is a festive fireworks display or Batteria or pyromusical, it really doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that the client is happy, we’ve met their requirements and that our work 1st rate. EC: Are you planning to develop kinds of new shells in the future, or are you just going to stick with what you have? PSP: The pyrotechinc possibilities are infinite! Every company I know of experiments regularly and is always trying to invent new shells or come up with some new, innovative new techniques. We believe that new technologies are always possible, and that new shell—especially if new laws become more restrictive—are inevitable. EC: So, does the future of the Italian fireworks industry look bright or gloomy? PSP: Overall, I think the market looks pretty good. Everyone knows that the “bomba da tiro” has been and a strong seller in the Italian pyrotechnic market, but they are very dangerous to manufacture. I believe in the

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we feel single shots and the Roman candle will command the market and will play increasingly larger roles in big show— especially pyromusicals. EC: Out of all of your wins, do you have a favorite company victory you can share with us? PSP: My favorite victory was probably our 2013 win during “La festa del soccorso” with

future we will use more single shots than any other shells, and we’ll be doing that simply to limit risk. We may miss some of the other shells we currently produce, but I think single shots and Roman candles can make great shows, too. This is why our company is moving toward greater single shot production. This new road our company is following is tangible, and we’re making changes due to the requests we receive from France, Austria, and the USA. For example, we collaborate closely with Pyroemotion and every years we produce at least 60000 single shots for them to use, and we also make single shots for other big companies to use in shows like the celebration of the 5th Title of Paris SaintGermain. So, when planning for the future,

the “Rione Via Fortore” here in the city of San Severo, but I also enjoyed our victory of the “Palio delle Batterie in 2012. Now our festivals here are known worldwide and every year thousands more visitors come to San Severo to experience our festival to honor “Maria S.S. del Soccorso”. This means that every show we produce is watched by thousands of people, and that we must continually challenge ourselves to come up with something truly spectacular. Because of our deep devotion to “Maria S.S. del Soccorso” we spent 2 days setting up the show this year. La batteria was meticulously created, planned and designed down to the smallest details so that nothing would be left to chance. Again our team gave their all and worked closely with the festival

organizers and San Severo neighbors to get everything put together on time. Unforeseen things do happen, however. Like the night before the show we had to work in total darkness due to a power failure. That didn’t stop us from completing what we had to get finished, though. And as the applause verified, people enjoyed our hard work. We received many compliments from the city officials, tourists, an on the

online social networks. After all, enjoyment is what all of this is about. EC: Do you have a favorite place you like to shoot? PSP: My favorite locations to shoot are always docks, ports or areas around the sea in general. Anywhere there is great view, and the fireworks can be reflected in the water. 

Factory visit:

Video LINK > WEBSITELINK 69

 FEATURE | ITALY 2015

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ď Ž FEATURE | HANNOVER 2015 - Internationaler Feuerwerks wettbewerb

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Internationaler Feuerwerks wettbewerb Written by Robin Harteveld and Tobias Brevé - All Photos by by Tobias Brevé This year one of the most popular—and most beautiful—pyromusical fireworks festivals in all of Germany celebrated its 25th anniversary: The Internationaler Feuerwerks wettbewerb in Hannover. For five evenings— spread over four months—a huge crowd is thoroughly entertained by experiencing some of the best fireworks productions and displays ever produced anywhere. What made this particular production of displays so spectacular? Call it the “Clash of the Titans,” if you will, because this 25th anniversary celebration pitted four previous event winners against one another all vying for this year’s first place medal. Out of all of the backdrops for fireworks the world over, Herrenhauser Garden in Hannover may just be the most beautiful. The festival is held in the “Der Große Garten” (the big garden), perhaps the most meticulously maintained baroque garden in

Europe. The immaculately trimmed garden itself is an elegant stage for the fireworks festival, replete with white marble baroque statues, exquisite fountains, superbly maintained flowers and perfectly trimmed boxwood hedges. >

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 FEATURE | HANNOVER 2015 - Internationaler Feuerwerks wettbewerb

In order to match the splendor of the surrounding garden, the jury created a set of rules for each participant to follow. First, the fireworks had to be elegant (which wasn’t a difficult standard for returning champions to meet). In addition, (as assigned during every competition at the Garden) an obligatory musical piece was selected by the jury that had to be used first by participants at the beginning of each of

their productions. (This made objective comparison much easier for the judges), This year's obligatory piece was Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the new world”–IV. Allegro con fuoco. Lastly, there were additional obligatory fireworks pieces required to be used, such as front pieces, fountains, Bengals and flames. The Italian company PyroEmotions shot the first display of this competition on May 16th. This well-known company has a worldwide, well-earned reputation for precisely timed single-shots. When we arrived at the garden we observed a field

literally full of well-prepared single-shots, and two large cranes filled with even more single shots. As their name somewhat implies, PyroEmotions chose music that was overtly dramatic and emotional. Songs from the Los Angeles-based production company “Two Steps From Hell” are generally quite imposing—especially for single-shot sequences—and their use of this dramatic style of music, and other cinematic music they chose, certainly heightened their use of chosen effects. In our opinion, although the show was very entertaining, it didn’t contain the “wow” factor we were hoping to see.

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PyroEmotions

Ricasa of Spain shot the second show of the competition on June 6th. Fortunately for us, during the day of the shoot, we were given the opportunity to take some photographs of the hugely immense set-up. >

ď Ž FEATURE | HANNOVER 2015 - Internationaler Feuerwerks wettbewerb

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One thing that really stood out to us almost immediately was Ricasa’s extremely precise way of working. Unfortunately for Ricasa, because the loudness factor is not considered to be “elegant” within the garden, reports (the loud “bangs” that Ricasa is famous for and so often uses in Valencia) cannot be used. Without a doubt, that was an obstacle, but their choice of high quality product made up for it tenfold. Overall, we felt that Ricasa shot a wonderful show complete with precisely timed beautiful pieces that we thoroughly enjoyed. Their second song, the incredibly beautiful “Time To Say Goodbye,” sung by Andrea Bocelli, gave us all goose bumps. And it was fun to watch the theme for Game of Thrones come to life so beautifully as well.

single-shots and 1,100 shells! We were eager to see if this was true, and found the anticipation extremely exciting. When we arrived at the field, five cranes (5!) were already set up ready to go. This turned out to be an excellent example of “too much of a good thing isn’t always good.” Although their show was original and well executed, some shells were covered up with a veil of single-shots. In other words, the single shots were often somewhat overwhelming and their number did nothing to enhance the quality of the display. What we found most impressive came during the 4th song when a large number of sparkling girandolas took to the air. Combined with their accompaniment of gentle piano music, it was sheer pyrotechnic poetry. The finale impressed us, too, using an immense number of white shells, mines and candles, and it was so bright, it could probably have been seen from space.

Ricasa

Unfortunately we had to miss Finland’s Suomen Ilotulitus show on August 22nd because we were taking our annual fireworks trip through Italy. From what we heard, they used fire in an innovative way, however, and also had unusual hand-held sections in their show as well.

Dragon Fireworks

Suomen Ilotulitus

Dragon Fireworks from the Philippines shot the 4th show on September 5th. Rumor had it that Dragon had decided to use 6,500

The last show of this competition was shot on September 19th by Göteborgs Fyrverkeri Fabrik of Sweden. This company is already widely known in Hannover and is sincerely loved by the audiences here. Göteborg had already previously won this competition four times, as well as taking second place at the Pyronale in Berlin (2012) and first place at the Knokke-Heist festival in >

 FEATURE | HANNOVER 2015 - Internationaler Feuerwerks wettbewerb

Belgium (2007). As incredible as it sounds, they also won the Swedish National Championships from 2002-2011 consecutively. Needless to say, we expected a great show from this company, and all of our expectations were easily met. Martin Hildeberg (their choreographer) proved once again that he is a true master of creativity and innovation. His choice of “Let It Go” from the movie Frozen was an immediate hit with the audience, and sliding right into Dirty Dancing’s “Time of My Life” was the perfect transition. Throughout all of the music the timing was precise, and the product used was of the highest quality. Unfortunately the weather was not cooperative, so the moisture on our lenses and the smoke and humidity caused us problems. Overall, it was a wonderful show, however.

Göteborgs Fyrverkeri Fabrik

After the last show was complete, the jury immediately announced their decision as to the winner. The results of the 25th anniversary Internationaler Feuerwerks wettbewerb competition of 2015 were as follows: 1. GöteborgsFyrverkeriFabrik 2. Dragon Fireworks 3. Ricasa

In our minds, we completely agreed with the judge’s choices and placement for this special 25th anniversary competition. And as usual, we had an absolutely amazing time in Hannover. Hannover is a wonderful city, the Garden is a spectacularly beautiful backdrop for this competition, and the fireworks were simply astonishing. The line-up of 2016 has already been announced and promises to be an excellent competition next year. The following companies will be competing: Compagnie POK sous les étoiles (France), IP Innovative Pyrotechnik GmbH (Germany), Dance of Fire (Ukrain), HC Pyrotechnics (Belgium) and Firemaster Productions (Canada). We are already looking forward to being there in 2016! 

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 FEATURE | La fête du rédempteur à Venise

La fête du rédempteur à Venise (The Feast of the Redeemer in Venice)

Written and Photographed by Christophe Blanc As a gift to me on my 47th birthday, my wonderful wife arranged a phenomenal vacation weekend for us in Venice, Italy. Venessia Viva! Even more thoughtful was that she managed to arrange the trip to start on the third Saturday of July, just one day before the exquisite early morning fireworks begin during Festa del Redentore! For years I had admired this particular fireworks festival, watching it on television and viewing videos of its splendor on the Internet. Now, I would actually BE there in front of the beautiful island of Giudecca, watching the fireworks heavenly reflections in the waters of the Laguna Veneta. The Festa del Redentore is a feast held on the third Sunday of every July to honor the dead and give thanks for the end of a >

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 FEATURE | La fête du rédempteur à Venise

La fête du rédempteur à Venise terrible plague that took place there in 1576 that killed approximately 50,000 people. On Saturday, the eve of the festival, people prepare for the event by decorating their boats and wooden terraces on their rooftops. By sunset, Saint Mark’s basin is literally filled with boats of all kinds, heavily festooned with garlands of flowers and balloons. Thousands of Venetians (and tourists like me) enthusiastically await the fireworks spectacle while wining and drining aboard the makeshift fleet we are moored in. You can certainly feel the excitement in the air as you look around the channel and see the myriad of decorated boats everywhere lined up side-by-side. Good food, excellent wine and laughter are the preparatory mainstay of the evening. It's a total party atmosphere. And in my entire life, I have never seen so many people-filled boats tethered together in one place. By around 11:30 PM, after waiting for more than 7 hours (which went by very quickly on the water, by the way) I wanted to make certain I had an excellent location to watch and photograph the fireworks. After all, this was the festival I had dreamed of photographing and I just had 45 minutes left to find the best spot. The location I chose was close enough to the fireworks themselves that I’d feel completely immersed in their color and resplendence, and situated directly behind dozens of other boats full of people to help emphasize the number of people watching. >

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 FEATURE | La fête du rédempteur à Venise

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La fête du rédempteur à Venise

What can I say? World-class Parente Fireworks www.parente.it completely outdid themselves that night. I’m still somewhat awestruck by the event. On their website they discuss the intertwining of fireworks and emotion: “Each show is a one-time experience, a single moment in human existence in which you can abandon the weight of your own thoughts so you can give yourself over to poetry and wonder.” How prophetic and how true. Parente’s interplay of color on the water was certainly a poetic triumph. And their use of large shells, and their wonderful choice of product definitely thrilled the crowd throughout the entire display. What an amazing background! What an opportunity! These are the pictures I dreamed of taking! Thank you Parente. Thank you Venice. As is the tradition, the nearest spectators (and that included me this year), are covered by small debris by the end of the show that rains down from the sky. There is also a thick cloud of smoke to contend with that covers the channel at the firework’s conclusion. The fact that it was 95º F out (35º C) and there was no wind made the conclusion feel somewhat surreal. Again, thanks to my lovely wife for this wonderful gift! I already have some dream-filled ideas for several upcoming birthdays! What about a trip to London, England or Sydney, Australia to photograph New Year’s Eve? Come on, honey, it is not that far or fly!  www.photopyro.fr

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ď Ž FEATURE | Glitter versus Strobe

MAGAZINE

Glitter versus Strobe Written by Bertholt Schwarz Photos by Patrick Oey What triggered me to write this short explanatory article was that I noticed quite a few people around me had a hard time distinguishing glitter effects from strobe effects. This was especially true of people not involved in the manufacturing side of fireworks or enthusiasts who lacked important chemical knowledge of fireworks composition. Honestly, it can be hard to tell the difference between the two. I hope this article makes it easier. What exactly is glitter? Glitter is an effect that produces a tail with a trail of flittering flashes. Glitter usually exists in two different colors of flashes: golden or white. White glitter is comprised of black powder (potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur), along with aluminum or magnalium (magnalium is a common name within the fireworks community to describe a 50/50 percent alloy of aluminum and magnesium), antimony sulphide and a binder. Of course, many other ingredients can be used as well. Gold glitter is also comprised of black powder (potassium nitrate, charcoal, sulfur) mixed with aluminum or magnalium and antimony sulphide as a binder, plus an added source of sodium. It is the sodium that causes the glitter flashes and the yellowish tint. How does glitter work? Glitter is an afterburning effect. It is caused when reactive â&#x20AC;&#x153;drossâ&#x20AC;? is created in the form > of small droplets. Think of dross as lava in

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 FEATURE | Glitter versus Strobe

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Glitter versus Strobe

Note: many glitter compositions should not induce too much water during the mixing process or they won’t work properly. It is not entirely clear as to why. It may be that water becomes trapped inside the stars, or that the metal powder may somehow become attacked. Another possible problem during the mixing step (dependent on the chemicals used) are that the reactions may start spontaneously when they become wet. There is even the possibility that a wet mixture might begin to heat itself up.

miniature. It is also sometimes referred to as slag. The oxygen in the atmosphere plays an important role coaxing dross or slag to form glitters. As these droplets fly through the air, the oxygen partly reacts with it after a short delay (this can be a fraction of a second to a second or more). A big glitter star can create a fine spray of many small glittering sparks, but it can also create a trail of fewer bigger droplets. This depends on the chemicals in the composition and the ratio of ingredients. Lloyd Scott Oglesby introduced the term “spritzel” for reactive dross droplets. It's important to understand and recognize that within the world of glitters there are some glitter compositions that produce a fine spray of small spritzels. And there are others that yield a spray of bigger spritzels or droplets. As a result, the glitter tail of the latter will produce a glitter tail with fewer, albeit bigger flashes. Sometimes certain glitters make sizzling sounds. I believe this happens with glitters using magnalium alloy. Other glitters, however, are silent. Popping sounds may also occur—these often sound like miniature explosions—when reactive glitter dross hits the water.

How can you tell the difference between glitter and twinkle and strobe? If a strobe star falls to the ground, it will continue to strobe because strobes DO NOT require oxygen in the air to combust (not that strobes don’t require atmospheric oxygen in order to function properly). If glitter falls to the ground, it will stop producing its glitter effect because glitter DOES requires atmospheric oxygen to produce this effect. Additionally, if glitter hits the water, several small explosions might be noticeable because of the reactive “dross” that occurs on contact. For the strobe, a critical mass of reactive ash needs to build up. This reactive ash flashes off as it auto-ignites into a bright flash. While colored strobes are quite prevalent and many recipes exist to make them, some yellow strobe star effects do appear quite similar to gold strobes. For both glitters and strobes the metal powder plays a key role as an ingredient in the composition for obtaining the desired effect. Some recipes are very sensitive to relatively small changes in the particle size. But keep in mind that effect changes occur when there is a change in the distribution curve of the particle size. Is there a difference between Glitter and Flitter? According to Mike Swisher there is no > difference. It is the same thing.

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 FEATURE | Glitter versus Strobe

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If you are interested in learning more about this subject or would like more information about the chemistry of glitter and strobes, I would recommend the following resources: • Dr. Bob Winokur, "The Pyrotechnic Phenomenon of Glitter", Pyrotechnica II, 1978 • Lloyd Scott Oglesby, "Glitter, Chemistry & Techniques", published by the American Fireworks News, Revised Edition 1989 • Pyrotechnic Chemistry book: LINK • Encyclopedic Dictionary of Pyrotechnics: LINK • If you're particularly interested in pyrotechnic chemistry, I wholeheartedly recommend taking coursework like the pyroworkshops offered by Dr. Tom Smith in the UK.

This article is not intended to encourage readers to experiment with any of these mixtures mentioned, and is certainly outside the scope of this article. Just keep in mind that experimenting with chemical mixtures can be very dangerous, and there are significant risks associated with reactive chemicals like these unless you are well versed in their efficacy. So, be safe, and if you are sincerely interested in creating your own glitter or strobes, take a course and learn how to do it properly. If you are interested, readers can contact me by addressing questions to me through Tony Gemmink at Pyrotechnic Magazine: tony@PyrotechnicMagazine.com. 

Glitter versus Strobe

Is Senko Hanabi a form of Glitter? Senko Hanabi is NOT the same as Glitter. However, it appears that there may be some similarities in the way both mixtures burn. In any case, Senko Hanabi serves as a good example of a chemical combustion reaction that takes place and displays a gradual change. The following illustrations demonstrate what happens with glitter chemistry:

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