Help a total newb out

[nelag1]

So I've been doing fireworks for a long time but it's always been a mix of cakes, artillery shells, saturn missiles, etc. But I've seen some really cool videos on youtube of these enthusiasts doing really cools things so I bought a cobra 18M and 18R remote and module system. Great, now I can wirelessly launch these fireworks. But I've noticed the people putting on the cool shows use totally different fireworks. I don't see many cakes or 'artillery shells' but instead I see racks and racks of tubes, different diameters. It seems to me that they use "single shots" out of these tubes (probably for better control of the show, because a cake just does its thing). They're essentially "artillery shells" except they do different things. These enthusiasts will buy each shot by itself to plan out their show. My problem is, is there a good step by step tutorial somewhere that shows how I can get to that level? I feel totally lost trying to go from what I do to what they're doing. And by the way, it seems these people are still using consumer grade fireworks, just different. I think they order them from Spirit of 76 maybe? Anyway, any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[joed2323]

Baby steps. Crawl before you walk.

If you have 18 cues to work with that's a good start. Stay away from single shots with only 18 cues. You can do some but your going to need to be extremely creative with your cues and fusing cakes from other cakes that way you can maximize your available cues..

Alot of the single shot effects you are referring to are pro line items. Comets/mines ,Slices and sweeps etc are very nice. Your going to have to built some understanding to how this stuff works and to show your safe doing so before anyone just starts selling you proline items without some knowledge first. If you can attend "pgi" they normally hold a class that teaches you how to be safe shooting fireworks. They will give you a certificate and you can use this for documentation to purchase proline product from 76 fireworks or fireworks forever for example. Basically you just have to show that you are not a moron and have common sense prepping and setting up proline product

You can do alot with cakes. It's pretty easy to take apart 9 shot cakes for example and match each individual tube.

My advice just use cakes this year and get your feet wet first. Next year you can build knowledge by watching videos and attending club shoots. Possibly joining a club will be best for you to gain more experience. Join a club if you want to advance your knowledge as fast as possible.


Btw, you made a good choice with going cobra.

If you want to advance yourself you will need to get a r2 remote instead if you want to shoot fully scripted shows in the future.

[nelag1]

Thanks for the reply (btw how I do turn on email notifications?). I understand that I only have 18 shots (last time we were doubling, tripling and even quadrupling the cues haha) and that's why I will need to buy more modules in the future. My end goal probably 5+ years into the future is to do a show synchronized to music but I know I have lots to learn and lots of money to spend before I get there. You mentioned that the single shot effects are pro line items. I thought I saw some on Spirit of 76 that they sell to anybody? Is that not right? I will look into PGI groups in my area, thanks.

As for taking apart cakes, I don't really want to do that haha. I don't have lots of free time as it is. Thanks for that though

My biggest thing I'd like to get from you are videos I can watch to teach me how to get from where I'm at now to where I'm trying to get. Seems like most of the videos on youtube are people just showing you their show which doesn't really help someone like me. I'm looking for someone to do a step by step breakdown of how to setup the show, what to buy, where to buy, how to buy, etc etc etc. So many questions! I'm guessing by going to local PGI shows I will get answers to most of these questions but it's always nice to have videos I can watch too.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

If you can attend "pgi" they normally hold a class that teaches you how to be safe shooting fireworks. They will give you a certificate and you can use this for documentation to purchase proline product from 76 fireworks or fireworks forever for example.

Actually.... PGI doesn't give you a certificate for completing their Display Operator Course. At least they didn't when I took it a few years ago. I know some local pyro clubs teach a course and call it a "PGI Safety Course" and they give certificates, but if you travel to a PGI convention and take their course, you don't get diddly-squat.

Just wanted to clarify that point.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

I'm looking for someone to do a step by step breakdown of how to setup the show, what to buy, where to buy, how to buy, etc etc etc.

Dude... Sounds like you're REALLY looking to hire someone to put on a show for you! That would be the easiest thing to do.

Some of the guys in here have forgotten more about pyro than I'll ever know. But I don't consider myself a noob either. I've been working on my show since August of last year. You have to watch videos of techniques. You have to have an idea in your head of what you want to see in your show. What does your shoot site look like? Where will the crowd be? How many stages are you going to have? You have to watch videos of ALL the different effects a distributor sells. What effects go with other effects. How are you going to combine them so there's no black sky? How are you (or are you?!) going to layer the effects so you have high, medium, and low effects? Do you want to add music to your show? Guess what? Your workload just tripled!!

My point is, this isn't a hobby for someone with "not a lot of free time." As the expression goes, garbage in, garbage out.

Please don't misunderstand me... I'm not trying to be a DB. I'm just letting you know that to do it right, you're going to have to make a huge investment in not only money, but time too.

[MontanaMike]

Our show is all cakes, ecept for the finale which is all mortars combined with a couple of impressive cakes.

I literally start working on the next year's show as soon as the current show ends -- writing down ideas, making lists of things to do better, jotting down good soundtrack songs. Looking at the new fireworks on the website, reviewing our previous show video, and generally coming up with show improvement ideas. ''

In January I start working on putting the soundtrack together; by mid- February I start putting together our order, which we submit in March to get the best discount; when it ships, we start setting up the boards. When the goodies arrive we unpack the product and lay it out on our 9 boards. (Four left, four right, all mirrored, and one more in the middle.) From there, we make a list of what's on each board and I use that information to build the script. I usually have the script finalized by around the middle of June so we have time to dry-run before starting to wire the ignitors into the modules. We don't plug anything into the actual fireworks until show day. This year we'll be mostly fired by MJG Initiators so I'm a little nervous about doing everything right. But I have high hopes.

Since we're in Montana, and therefore hundreds of miles away from any fireworks "distributors," we buy all of our product from one source -- wfboom (Wholesale Fireworks) -- and although I wish they'd get into some of the more pro-line kind of stuff, I can see why they haven't (yet....c'mon, guys). I'd love to put together a show like that using "pro-line" product but I just don't have enough time to work on it to that level of detail. Maybe when I am retired!

[Mattp]

every year when its time to start planning my show i feel it all over again...all those questions come back in my head like ive never done it before.. and i feel overwhelmed.. then i start to plan it..gets better.. then i start to buy/put it together, the overwhelmed feeling comes back 100x over.. and doesnt go away until after the last shell fires..lol.. but to help answer your questions.. most places will not sell you pro line items unless you have approval or a certificate from them... you have a cobra, that helps alot.. dave hosts a "continuing education class" that will get you that certificate for users with professional firing systems(which you have)...now for the other questions.. it really does come with time and experience... you probably dont see any of those videos that you are asking for because most "backyard enthusiasts" are figuring it out for themselves as they go along also.. and professionals arent going to show you what they do on a youtube video..lol... i recommend starting out with a budget.. figuring out who you will purchase from and watching lots of their product videos(and i mean alot).. probably more than once too!! then your mind should take over and envision what you can do with those products and your budget.. also your shoot site property size is important too!!.. honestly, you may want to start doing all of that now for next year!!! for me, and this years show... i started the planning process last july!!!

[joed2323]

Hopefully this isnt against forum rules but i highly recommend you search through firecat8 YouTube videos.

He goes through alot of "how to" videos, poking cakes, product placement, show design etc.

I will post up a link for quick reference of a cpl videos
https://youtu.be/BqfA7s-07z4
https://youtu.be/1D0y_bUQwyIe has a ton of videos so your going to have to search through his "videos list" to find helpful videos you need.