Rehearsal for July 4 2022 is Complete | Thank You to All

[Bitzan]

First my sincere thanks to everyone on this forum as well as the amazing folks at Cobra. The help and guidance I receive is incredible and truly appreciated.

I just completed my rehearsal for the 4th of July 2022 (yes, every show is simply a rehearsal for the next - learned that here) and my number one lesson learned is: I must start overlapping between cakes. Despite my best efforts to estimate timing, there were a couple spots of black sky due to a cake ending sooner than expected. Should also wire an alternate firing cue.

I think the show would have been enhanced by having a little bit more "action" (i.e. multiple cakes going off at once) but we have a VERY small shoot site and budget. Thinking about filling the sky more vertically than horizontally (horizontal not possible) for next year.

All in all I am pleased with what was my first pyromusical. I know everyone enjoyed it and when I mentioned the black sky spots to a guest his response was "ya, that was great I got to let out my breath". As has been said many times on this forum... we are all our own worst critic.

Any and all suggestions for improvement are welcome. Only 362 days until we do it again!

Here it is

https://youtu.be/lBJvcV3ujpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBJvcV3ujpg

[Engineer Cat]

Nice show.

I also have a small tight shooting location. A 12 x 12 dock. So it's difficult to get things spread out. In this case, overlapping to much makes it looked a but muddy. And the guy who purchased all the cakes just kept wanting me to add more. So I learned for next year I need to space out a little more and try to setup left right and center positions with more degree of angle. Also the audience is pretty much looking straight up at the effects overhead instead of out in the distance. This makes it much more difficult to paint the sky at different heights because it all looks like it's on top of each other. And I learned no one will be able to get a good view of the show with a camera because they are just to close. So I will place a camera way further away next time. But everyone couldn't stop saying how much they enjoyed it so I'm happy with that!

Like you said, rehearsal complete for 2022!


https://youtu.be/wvniCUA-oso

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvniCUA-oso

From a distance time lapse


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwfHW_iWVsE

[R. Derrick]

First my sincere thanks to everyone on this forum as well as the amazing folks at Cobra. The help and guidance I receive is incredible and truly appreciated.

I just completed my rehearsal for the 4th of July 2022 (yes, every show is simply a rehearsal for the next - learned that here) and my number one lesson learned is: I must start overlapping between cakes. Despite my best efforts to estimate timing, there were a couple spots of black sky due to a cake ending sooner than expected. Should also wire an alternate firing cue.

I think the show would have been enhanced by having a little bit more "action" (i.e. multiple cakes going off at once) but we have a VERY small shoot site and budget. Thinking about filling the sky more vertically than horizontally (horizontal not possible) for next year.

All in all I am pleased with what was my first pyromusical. I know everyone enjoyed it and when I mentioned the black sky spots to a guest his response was "ya, that was great I got to let out my breath". As has been said many times on this forum... we are all our own worst critic.

Any and all suggestions for improvement are welcome. Only 362 days until we do it again!

Here it is

https://youtu.be/lBJvcV3ujpg

Good job on the show. Not sure if you could but what I've done was attach cakes to a board and then the board was angled to produce the horizontal that I couldn't achieve. Of course, you can't go too far out to the side but you can get a little spacing that way. (this is no way a criticism on your show:) )

I liked your action on the faster song at 2minutes ... I think I used that same cake before but definitely the right time to use that one! I seemed to have gotten the most oohs and aaahs out of those zipper cakes (at least I think that's what they're called). I'm guessing the average person doesn't see those as often. Everyone is familiar with the big breaks in the sky but maybe not these?

I enjoyed the show! :)

[Birdman]

Really nice show. I like the soundtrack, especially at the end...very clever.

[Bitzan]

Engineer Cat,
Thanks for the comments and insight. Watching your video I think I have just a little, but not much, more room than you have. Listening to the shrieks of happiness in your show from the audience reminds me it is all about the experience. Good stuff.
- John

[Bitzan]

Birdman,
Thanks for the kind words. I don't have the budget or experience that many on this site have (and they do some truly awesome and admirable shows that I am continuously learning from) but it is a fun challenge to try and come with a few fun twists. At 57 years old its fun to be learning and creating again.
-John

[Bitzan]

Nice show.

I also have a small tight shooting location. A 12 x 12 dock. So it's difficult to get things spread out. In this case, overlapping to much makes it looked a but muddy. And the guy who purchased all the cakes just kept wanting me to add more. So I learned for next year I need to space out a little more and try to setup left right and center positions with more degree of angle. Also the audience is pretty much looking straight up at the effects overhead instead of out in the distance. This makes it much more difficult to paint the sky at different heights because it all looks like it's on top of each other. And I learned no one will be able to get a good view of the show with a camera because they are just to close. So I will place a camera way further away next time. But everyone couldn't stop saying how much they enjoyed it so I'm happy with that!

Like you said, rehearsal complete for 2022!


https://youtu.be/wvniCUA-oso

From a distance time lapse


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwfHW_iWVsE

Engineer Cat,
Thanks for the comments and insight. Watching your video I think I have just a little, but not much, more room than you have. Listening to the shrieks of happiness in your show from the audience reminds me it is all about the experience. Good stuff.
- John

[Bitzan]

Really nice show. I like the soundtrack, especially at the end...very clever.

Birdman,
Thanks for the kind words. I don't have the budget or experience that many on this site have (and they do some truly awesome and admirable shows that I am continuously learning from) but it is a fun challenge to try and come with a few fun twists. At 57 years old its fun to be learning and creating again.
-John

[Bitzan]

Good job on the show. Not sure if you could but what I've done was attach cakes to a board and then the board was angled to produce the horizontal that I couldn't achieve. Of course, you can't go too far out to the side but you can get a little spacing that way. (this is no way a criticism on your show:) )

I liked your action on the faster song at 2minutes ... I think I used that same cake before but definitely the right time to use that one! I seemed to have gotten the most oohs and aaahs out of those zipper cakes (at least I think that's what they're called). I'm guessing the average person doesn't see those as often. Everyone is familiar with the big breaks in the sky but maybe not these?

I enjoyed the show! :)

R. Derrick,
Thanks for the insights. I like the idea of the angled cake boards. I tried a little of that with the comets in the beginning but did not think to try it later in the show. I do have some open area on the one "side" so placing the cakes closer (but still a safe distance) from houses and angling toward the open space would cover more sky and not piss off yet another neighborhood fun sponge. Great idea!

Your comment about things other than "big breaks in the sky" is spot on and one I wish I would have realized before I bought the fireworks. Folks do get excited about different effects.

Thanks again,
John

[Bitzan]

and yes... for those noticing that I have replied twice to some comments above my "learning curve" includes learning how to reply correctly:confused: Sorry!

[WithReport]

Nice show.

.... So I will place a camera way further away next time. ...

As a thought....Years ago when living in more of a residential tract home site, I parked my truck down on another road - set the go pro up on the dash and let it run for the evening. I walked the small distance home and started the show.

[esgrillo]

Nice, PFX5438MN is one of my favorites.

[WaynesBeenThere]

Question: If you had the space, with audience 150 feet away, how far would you space two firework launching areas (with two consumer grade fireworks more or less firing simultaneously through show, with finale adding a middle launching area? Audience all looking from the one area 150 feet away and about 120 feet long area of viewing area in front of the fireworks. Lots of artillery going up as well as mostly 500 gram cakes. Thanks in advance.

[Icooclast]

that was very nice. i love go-getters. ESPECIALLY when they are shot in bunches at once and the silver comets were cool. (even though silver is my least fav. effect) i love the way they brighten up the sky, and making the effect more dramatic and offering more light for any other shells on their way up

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Question: If you had the space, with audience 150 feet away, how far would you space two firework launching areas (with two consumer grade fireworks more or less firing simultaneously through show, with finale adding a middle launching area? Audience all looking from the one area 150 feet away and about 120 feet long area of viewing area in front of the fireworks. Lots of artillery going up as well as mostly 500 gram cakes. Thanks in advance.

NFPA1123 is the pyro bible that will answer all those questions. To save you some time.... The rule is 70' of distance for every inch of shell. So if you're shooting 1.75" mortars they need to be AT LEAST 122.5' away from the crowd.

Laterally, you're bound by the same limitations/restrictions. Assuming there is no structure or people 122.5' away from the outermost edges of your shoot site, then you can push your "launching areas" out to the edges of your shoot site. If there are, then you'll need to adjust accordingly.

My shoot site is much wider than my viewing area. So I place the outside effects at the edges of the viewing area, then space the center platforms evenly spaced between the outer platforms.

I hope that makes sense.