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Page 1
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Pyrotechnic Choreography 101
Bill CookWestern Winter Blast
February 19, 2005
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Introduction
• Bill Cook• 13 years experience
producing pyro musicals• Pyro licenses in CA and NV• WPA member since 1992• CA native now living in
fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada
Page 2
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Overview
• The Audience “Thrill Ride”• Selecting the Right Music• Digital Music Editing• Creating a Firing Track• Choreography Basics• Choreography Video Samples
An introductory course in Pyro Choreography…
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Pyro MusicalsA Video Overview
Page 3
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
The Thrill Ride
• Audiences are the most sensitive at the beginning of the show
• They become “de-sensitized” as the show progresses
• Sustained intensity ‹ sensory saturation ‹ less enjoyment
• Therefore you MUST vary the pace!• Slow things down to clear the smoke
and “re-sensitize” the audience
Some Basics:
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
The Thrill Ride
FasterSlower
False Finale
Encore
Grand Finale
2nd Open
Show Timeline
Open
• It’s like a roller coaster• Music is the coaster track, so
avoid “klunks” between songs• Many recipes, but there
are some basic formulas
Open
• 2nd option for a show open
Inte
nsity
Page 4
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Selecting Music
• Music (even by itself) can be moving• Music combined with the right fireworks
can create an intense, fully involved sensory experience for the audience
• Pre-show music can build anticipation
Some Tips• Recognizable music is best, but
obscure songs can work• Audibly interesting • Gut feel – do you “see” fireworks?
In General
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Selecting Music
• Emotional (e.g. suspense & mystery, slow & heartfelt, upbeat & happy) TV, movies
• Musical punctuation – good spots for shells• Be brief – the music piece needs to “get
where it’s going” within :45 or 1:30 (digital editing can work miracles)
• Final show should be 15 minutes or less• Strive for variety – use different music
eras for multi-generational appeal• Vary the pace – too many fast songs can
burn out the audience and the budget!
Some Tips (continued)
Page 5
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Let’s Practice!
• Option 1:Mountain - “Mississippi Queen”• What do you see in the sky?• Is there enough “space” for fireworks?• Does it sound “bloated”?
• Option 2:Hollies - “Long Cool Woman”• Is the song start a good dark sky opportunity?• Do you feel more “space” for fireworks?• How about the pace of the rhythm and vocals? Is
the pace good for rising tails and shell breaks?
Southern Rock Example
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Digital Music Editing
In General• Digital editing allows you to create a
smooth track for the coaster ride• A long song can be chopped down to a
minute or so – without obvious detection
Some Tips• You really don’t need to spend a lot of
money on software to get started• Do spend enough on hardware:
• 1 GHz CPU (or better)• 512 MB RAM (or more)• CD burner is a must
Page 6
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Digital Music Editing
How do you do it?1. Install audio edit software (e.g. Cool Edit).2. Create WAV files from your music CDs.3. Paste the WAV files together to make one
large WAV file of your entire show.4. Indicate shell burst cues on music track.5. Input burst cues to a spreadsheet to
calculate firing cues based on shell size.6. Copy and paste firing cue WAV files into
the second audio track with the “beep”precisely aligned with the firing time.
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Digital Music Editing
How do you do it? (cont.)
FoxFanfare.wavLetsRumble.wav
Music CDs
ShowFinal.wav
Burst Cue Times
Spreadsheet
Firing Cue Times
Page 7
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Digital Music Editing
Creating the Music Track
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Digital Music Editing
Creating a Firing Track
3” = 3.0 Sec4” = 3.5 Sec5” = 4.5 Sec6” = 5.0 Sec8” = 5.5 Sec10” = 6.0 Sec12” = 7.0 Sec
3” = 3.0 Sec4” = 3.5 Sec5” = 4.5 Sec6” = 5.0 Sec8” = 5.5 Sec10” = 6.0 Sec12” = 7.0 Sec
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© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Creating a Firing Track
• Copy and Paste Firing Cues• Burn to a CD
• Left channel = music track• Right channel = firing track
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Let’s Practice!
1. Edit two songs together to begin a music track.
2. Determine the burst cue times using F8 key (Cool Edit).
3. Calculate the firing cue times using my Firing Track Creator spreadsheet.
4. Copy and paste firing cue WAVsonto final music track.
Clip 1 Clip 2 Final Clip Sheet Cue WAV
Page 9
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Free Tools!
1. Go to:www.WilliamCraigCook.com/fireworks
2. Click on:“Western Winter Blast Seminar”
3. You’ll find:- A download of Cool Edit shareware- My Firing Track Creator spreadsheet- Firing cue WAV files (A1, A2, etc.)- A PDF version of this presentation
Show Me
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Choreography Basics
• Use your imagination. In your mind’s eye, what do you visualize with the music?
• Lyrics can suggest effects, but they’re often too subtle for the audience
• Put your creative energy into more obvious connections between music and fireworks
• Audience enjoyment comes before “artistic expression”… just ask the sponsor!
• Videotape all of your shows – for future enjoyment and for “lessons learned”
• Learn from every show you see – there’s a lot of pyrotechnic talent here in the WPA
In General
Page 10
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Choreography Basics
• Remember, audience sensitivity is highest at the start of the show – use it wisely
• As early as possible, demonstrate a choreographed show through use of tightly synchronized zero lift time effects (e.g. comets, mines, and indoor pyro devices)
• Create “looks” on the canvas using multiples of the same shell
• Angling mortars adds interest and helps fill the canvas, but also expands fallout zone
• Avoid “stepping on” long duration shells –try to let them develop fully with the music
Some Tips
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Choreography Basics
• Don’t forget to account for rising tails!• Consider bright shells with bright passages
and soft shells with soft passages• Avoid bright effects (e.g. titanium, silver)
with soft colors (e.g. blue, purple)• Vary the pace. Don’t saturate with
prolonged intensity – give a “breather”• False finales can be effective encores, but
don’t “cry wolf” more than once!
Some Tips (continued)
Page 11
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Choreography Basics
• Giving the audience little “surprises” during the show can work, but it can backfire too
A couple of my blunders:Grand finale confetti mortar incident“Born to be wild” fireball incident
• Lead the audience’s eyes to where you want them – avoid effects that compete for their visual attention
• Trick: pretend you’re in the audience with a video camera... where would the camera be pointed just before your proposed effect?
And finally…
© 2004, 2005 William Cook
Choreography Video ExamplesPreshow
Audio Only (1:04 sample, 15:00 total)
OpenNeil Diamond “America” (0:49)
Slow PaceEagles “New York Minute” (2:02)Beatles “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” (1:04)
Medium PaceLenny Kravitz “Fly Away” (0:48)Stevie Nicks “Edge of Seventeen” (0:34)
Fast PaceBuster Poindexter “Hot Hot Hot” (0:30)
Page 12
E-mail: [email protected]
Thank You!