5000 Explosions: Behind The Scenes At San Francisco’s 4th Of July Fireworks Display
Technically, it is not true to say that the city of San Francisco will be lighting off fireworks at Pier 39 for the 4th of July at Pier Fireworks celebration on Saturday night. Instead, a firework show production firm called Pyro Spectaculars by Souza has been contracted to shoot more than 5,000 fireworks from the decks of two barges floating on the Bay. While the show will last around 25 minutes, the planning for SF's July 4th Fireworks display has spanned several months, multiple continents and miles of bureaucratic red tape.
We spoke to a couple of Pyro Spectaculars show producers about all the work they put into your fireworks. Rialto-based Pyro Spectaculars has been handling San Francisco's July 4th fireworks for more than 40 years, also producing other high-profile displays like the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks in New York City. The planning and testing for these shows has been underway for months.
"It really starts back in the fall," Pyro Spectaculars show producer Matthew Gilfillan said. Gilfillan produces numerous other northern California cities' displays, first setting a budget with each city's officials. Pyro Spectaculars then designs a custom show for each city, draws up insurance and transport arrangements and then travels the globe to find the most kick-ass fireworks they can find. "We usually visit China a few times a year, and other countries around the world where fireworks manufacturing is widely prevalent," Gilfillan said. "We import from all over the world: Europe, Asia and also North America."
Pyro Spectaculars must then prove regulatory compliance locally with the SFFD, on a state level with the Department of Transportation and federally with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives to get permits and licenses for possessing, transporting and setting off their professional-grade fireworks. "We develop and test our products to make sure that they meet the highest safety specifications," Gilfillan said, "as well as all of the regulations provided by the dozens of different regulatory agencies that have their hands in making sure that the fireworks that are used are safe, they're transported in a safe manner and that the equipment that we use to discharge our fireworks is also safe."
The San Francisco show producer is Pyro Spectaculars' Jeff Thomas, who is personally producing about 60 cities' fireworks shows this weekend. The San Francisco fireworks are not set off manually, but instead via elaborately wired computerized ignition systems on board the barges. This Vimeo video shows his crew loading and wiring the fireworks onto the barges for San Francisco's 2014 4th of July display.
"That process doesn't start until late in the afternoon [Friday] or first thing in the morning on 4th of July," Thomas told SFist. "There are two barge locations. One at Aquatic Park, and the other one is positioned near Pier 39. Fireworks are launched from barges out in the water."
San Francisco's display will also be choreographed to music. "There is a musical score that's broadcast locally down at the Aquatic Park area and along the streets," Thomas said.
And yes, Pyro Spectaculars is prepared for the possibility of fog.
"San francisco has had fog for — haha! — ever," Thomas told SFist. "It's not always foggy on the 4th of July but there is a possibility . We're aware of that so we try to shoot products that have a range of heights and altitudes so that we can hopefully get around that fog."
"We shoot different style and altitude products specified to go at certain altitudes, knowing that some of the higher ones might not be seen. But we have a good complement of middle-range ones and lower ones," Thomas said. "We've got a nice variety of altitudes in the case that there is fog."
Whether or not there is fog, the San Francisco 4th of July Celebration fireworks show is Saturday, July 4 at Pier 39. The display is best seen from Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. Early arrival is highly encouraged, with Tainted Love playing at 5 p.m., a laser light show at 9 p.m. and the fireworks display beginning at approximately 9:30 p.m.
‘Firework, Not Fire Fun’: The Serious Jobs Of Pyrotechnic Pros
Original Article — http://goo.gl/gW2etc Download All Things Considered Interview Designing a vast fireworks show is a bit like composing music. There’s the […]
Photo Highlights of the Macy’s July 4th Spectacular
Images courtesy of Macy's.
Photos by Kent Miller.
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150,000 people, 10,000 fireworks, 2 nights: It’s July 4th weekend in Atlantic City
Orginal Article -- http://goo.gl/vBccIX
Question: What does Atlantic City call 10,000 fireworks shells shot off from two barges in the ocean and closely choreographed to a 15-minute soundtrack that culminates in a rousing rendition of John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever?"
Answer: A nice little warmup for July 4th.
That's because those 10,000 shells are just what the Atlantic City Alliance is having shot off from the ocean side of the city at 9:30 p.m. Friday — July 3 — to welcome the weekend crowds to town.
The alliance will shoot off that same barrage of 10,000 blasts, and back it up with the same music, at the same time Saturday night, July 4. Only this time, the center of the action — and the noise — will move across the island to an empty lot by the bay in the city's Marina District.
Christopher Souza, a fifth-generation member of the family that runs California-based Pyro Spectaculars by Souza, says it will take a crew of 16 experienced technicians about 4½ days to put the two shows together, shell by shell, grid by grid and wire by wire. And it takes miles of wire to control and synchronize a show with that many shells.
Souza's crew has been working on the barges, which are anchored on Absecon Inlet across from the marina, since Monday. And they won't be finished assembling Friday night's show until Friday, said Souza, whose experience in the family business includes years of being the technical director of Macy's July 4th fireworks in New York.
He's been the "big cheese" in Atlantic City for two summers, and he says the crew here includes a variety of professions — everything from doctors to drywall hangers to electricians to sound engineers — all drawn by a love of working with fireworks.
"Most of these technicians bless me by taking their vacation to come out here and work," Souza said, because to them, pyrotechnics are "a passion, not just a job. ... It's really like a hobby."
Plus July 4th is basically to the fireworks business what Christmas is to shopping in this country. Souza says Pyro Spectaculars is scheduled to put on about 400 shows this holiday weekend, "from sea to shining sea" — and then across some more sea and into Hawaii.
And fireworks can still draw a crowd in lots of places. The alliance's Melanie Sole said there's a range of very unofficial estimates for how many people one of Atlantic City's full-blast fireworks shows can bring out — "I've heard anywhere from 150,000 to 250,000," Sole said. "I think it depends on the weather and the day of the week, that kind of thing."
The casino-funded alliance is "bound by a confidentiality agreement and not allowed to disclose the fees" it's paying for the two shows, Sole said. But she added that the two barges, both locally owned, are "among our largest costs, after fireworks."
Fireworks can make a boom for other local businesses, too. Jeff George, captain and owner of Atlantic City Cruises, was happy to hear about the two nights of fireworks going off over the city this year, because fireworks sell out his tour boat every year.
"Those trips will go out full," George predicted Wednesday, very confidently — although he quickly added that as of right then, some tickets were still available for the Fireworks Cruise scheduled to leave Gardner's Basin at 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
And unlike many other summers, fireworks won't end in Atlantic City this year when the smoke finally clears from the July 4th show.
Tropicana Casino and Resort plans to host free fireworks, shot off the beach every Saturday night from July 11 through Sept. 4, the casino announced recently. Those weekly 10 minutes of fireworks will follow a pair of shows the Trop held Memorial Day weekend, and they're designed to promote the same project — the casino's new "Multimedia Sound & Light Show," which now plays nightly on the Boardwalk, every half-hour from 8:30 to 11 p.m.
Steve Callender, Tropicana's general manager, said the public response to the casino's May fireworks was "huge and positive" — as it has to the ongoing outdoor show of sounds and light.
And speaking of huge, the mortars that Pyro Spectaculars is loading up for this weekend range up to 10 inches in diameter — and are packed with enough gunpowder to shoot almost-basketball-sized shells up to 800 feet in the air, Souza said. But other, smaller shells go up and make their booms and burst their colors just 100 or so feet above the ground.
"We like to layer the show," he said, adding that in his lifetime of experience, the perfect viewing distance for fireworks is about a quarter-mile away from the shooting site.
And even though he has the firepower to send his fireworks 800 feet into the sky, Saturday's second round of 10,000 shells — the ones shot off on land near the Marina District casinos — won't go quite that high.
That's because much of the crowd tends to be closer on a land-based show, and it gets uncomfortable for people who are that close to follow fireworks bursting that high. Souza likes to create lots of oohs and ahhs at his shows, but he'd hate to be responsible for a quarter-million cases of neck strain — especially on his favorite national holiday.
Contact: 609-272-7237
MDeangelis@pressofac.com
From Sea to Shining Sea!
Once again, America's Independence Day celebrations will feature Pyro Spectaculars by Souza's dramatic touchstone pyrotechnic pageantry literally from Coast to Coast... and beyond. Not only do our "Fireworks Ambassadors to the World™" present the nation's largest display for Macy's in New York City, but we also will fire multiple shows in Atlantic City, along with a host of pyrotechnic productions in California, the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii. Literally tons of fireworks and equipment will be deployed across the country to enable our pyrotechnicians and crews to realize once again John Adams' prophetic call for "bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more."
Port of San Diego Invites Public to Big Bay Boom
Original Post -- https://goo.gl/u90qbF
Contact: Marketing & Communications (619) 686-6388 - Published on June 25 2015.
San Diego Bay will light up with the annual Port of San Diego Big Bay Boom July 4th Fireworks Show to benefit the Armed Services YMCA on Saturday, July 4, 2015. In addition, the Port is sponsoring fireworks being launched off the iconic Imperial Beach Pier.
This year's Big Bay Boom will be the 15th annual show that provides spectacular fireworks to over 500,000 viewers around San Diego Bay at 9 p.m. on Independence Day. With title sponsorship from the Port of San Diego, this show is unique in San Diego because fireworks are launched simultaneously from barges around the bay, providing a spectacular waterfront view.
Sandy Purdon, Executive Producer/Founder of the Big Bay Boom, promises another fantastic show. "The Port of San Diego Big Bay Boom has become the defining San Diego event on Independence Day and it gets better every year. Thanks to the folks at FOX 5 and KTLA, we are able to reach a huge audience with views of the waterfront of San Diego Bay. We are proud that the show benefits military families and wounded warriors through our support of the Armed Services YMCA."
This iconic Independence Day celebration will be produced by Pyro Spectaculars by Souza under their San Diego Fireworks banner. Show Producer Sam Bruggema promises a display that's "more, bigger, and better in every way" for this year's show. Known as "America's Premiere Pyrotechnic Production Company™," Pyro Spectaculars by Souza produces over 300 shows nationwide on the 4th of July, including the nation's largest display for Macy's in New York.
San Diegans are familiar with the work of Bruggema and Pyro Spectaculars, having enjoyed their pyrotechnic mastery at Sea World, the world-famous "KGB Sky Show," special fireworks for the San Diego Padres and Chargers, the Poinsettia and Holiday Bowls, and scores of Independence Day celebrations from Vista and Mira Mesa to Camp Pendleton, Coronado, Ramona, and Spring Valley.
Pyro Spectaculars CEO James Souza touts the Big Bay Boom as "a tremendous feat — blending modern technology with the ancient art of pyrotechnics. It is our West Coast anchor in Independence Day celebrations literally from sea to shining sea."
Headquartered in Rialto California, Pyro Spectaculars by Souza regularly produces more than 1,500 shows throughout the world.
Journey works its magic at the Bowl
The OC Register
Original Article -- http://goo.gl/n1VYXt
The premise sounds like something drafted in the notebook of a daydreaming teenager, the kind of thing that starts with, "You know what would be totally radical?"
It's the stuff of fantasy; Journey is onstage at the Hollywood Bowl accompanied by a full orchestra. Guitarist Neal Schon is shredding on his custom green Paul Reed Smith, and just as he launches into the loudest part of "Anyway You Want It," with the entire crowd singing along, fireworks start to illuminate the sky. They're silent at first, but as they rise higher and creep over the crowd, thunderous booms accompany the white spirals, red flares and purple bursts that now spread to all four corners of the horizon.
Luckily, the notebook containing this rock fantasy belonged to the opening-night committee for the Hollywood Bowl, and on Saturday, Journey played with a full orchestra for the first time in a career that has spanned four decades.
Perhaps the group has never played with an orchestra before because every Journey song is an anthem already, and the five members of the band have had no difficulty filling arenas with their sound. Hollywood Bowl Orchestra conductor Tom Wilkins, a rock star himself in the eyes of Bowl regulars, understands that dynamic. That's what made the pairing work; his orchestra was there to complement, not upstage.
On massively popular tracks like "Wheel in the Sky" and "Who's Crying Now," Wilkins directed his players to let the band work its well-honed magic, only really stepping out of the shadows during guitar solos. The format made for a cohesive performance.
Aside from the monster singles, the band went for lesser-known tracks that could be reinterpreted with an orchestra without leaving the audience feeling defrauded. Singer Arnel Pineda won the crowd over with his passion for his Philippines homeland on the song "City of Hope." The band veered even further from the karaoke bar with the 1978 song "Winds of March." As the seven huge LCD screens behind emanated a sinister red, the song's harder prog-rock elements paired especially well with Wilkins' conducting.
As the crescent moon set over the tree line, leaving a very visible Jupiter and Venus on the horizon, those onstage, including the 20-member choir from the Youth Orchestra LA, may have had the best view of the night. When a gentle breeze picked up during the calm opening chords of "Patiently," it seemed as though Wilkins' baton had some authority over nature.
The few moments in the band's 2 1/2-hour set that lacked energy didn't last. By the end of the restrained "Mother, Father," the crowd was ready for fireworks. When the pyrotechnics began during "Anyway You Want It," they were incredible. As the explosions multiplied in size and volume, all eyes were turned skyward. Drummer Omar Hakim, filling in at the last minute for Deen Castronovo, leaned across his kit to catch a glimpse from under the Bowl's iconic arch.
The band left the stage after the fireworks and returned faster than you could say, "Yeah right, like they're not going to play 'Don't Stop Believing.'" The Bowl audience didn't need fireworks to get inspired this time, not for the best-selling song in the digital era. And they didn't need sheet music to sing along to an anthem so catchy that it was still being sung long after the orchestra's final bow.
Flag Day Kicks Off National Celebration
"Let the 21-gun salute begin!" With those words, Pyro Spectaculars by Souza has once again started the countdown to July 4 as we celebrated Flag Day, June 14, in all our operations across the country.
CEO and Chief Creative Officer, Jim Sousa, reported "We are thrilled to once again be celebrating the land of the free and the home of the brave, quite literally from 'sea to shining sea.'" In addition to continuing the now-iconic execution of Macy's July 4th Independence Day Fireworks Spectacular in New York (the nation's largest), the Souzas are well into the final steps of preparation at locations spanning from San Diego to Atlantic City to the Pacific Northwest. This promises to be another Pyro Spectacular year of Independence Day celebrations.
Although not an official federal holiday, Flag Day is celebrated throughout the country with the display of our national banner, as well as parades, picnics, and pyrotechnics. It marks the unofficial opening of the Independence Day Celebration season for patriotic Americans nationwide.
It was on June 14, 1777 that the Second Continental Congress adopted the American Flag. In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed June 14 as "Flag Day." In the words of President Obama, "Over farmlands and town squares, atop skyscrapers and capitol buildings, the American flag soars. It reminds us of our history -- 13 colonies that rose up against an empire -- and celebrates the spirit of 50 proud States that form our Union today. On Flag Day and during National Flag Week, we pay tribute to the banner that weaves us together and waves above us all."
Remembering Our Friend Jim Knezovich & Fire Service Seminars
After recently being told that his Stage IV cancer had metastasized, Jim left this temporary home to be with Jesus on 5/27/2015. […]
Highlights from the Pyro North & South Seminars
Highlights from the Pyro North & South Seminars Fireworks season is here and operators are ready! Pyro North and South hosted their […]
Film and Discussion: Judy Chicago: A Butterfly for Brooklyn
Film and Discussion: Judy Chicago: A Butterfly for Brooklyn
Thursday, April 9, 2015 at 7 p.m.
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium, 3rd Floor
The Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art and the Museum of Arts and Design are honored to host "Judy Chicago: On Fire," a two-night event exploring Judy Chicago's works in pyrotechnics. This event at the Brooklyn Museum marks the premiere of A Butterfly for Brooklyn, a 20-minute documentary by award-winning film editor Kate Amend, and by director of photography Joan Churchill, that showcases the making of Chicago's spectacular 2014 fireworks piece in Prospect Park, which was applauded by more than 12,000 viewers. Immediately after the screening, Glenn Adamson, director of MAD, will moderate a discussion with Chicago, Amend, Donald Woodman, and fireworks producer Chris Souza. The following evening, MAD will host a conversation with Chicago and MAD curator Elissa Auther recounting the artist's history with fireworks.
Free with Museum admission.
For more information and to watch the live stream please visit http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/calendar/event/8458.
Get excited!! The 2015 Pyro South Operator Seminar is Here!
SAVE THE DATE:
Saturday, April 25, 2014
The annual Pyro Spectaculars Pyro 101 training seminar and operator seminar in Cerritos is on Saturday, April 26th. The seminar details and location information will be sent to you by email with your event confirmation.
Please complete the form at the bottom of the screen to RSVP online.
Pyro 101 Training Session
Located at 13234 166th Street, Cerritos, CA 90703
8:00 AM -- Seminar starts
12:00PM -- Seminar concludes
*Please note, there is a $25 fee to attend the training session. Cash or check only.
Operator Seminar
Located at 13234 166th Street, Cerritos, CA 90703
12:00 PM -- Registration
01:00 PM -- Seminar Starts
*Please note, there is a $10 fee to attend this seminar. Cash or check only.
Operator BBQ & Showcase
Located at 19900 Bloomfield Ave., Cerritos, CA 90703
06:00PM -- Family BBQ (Please note: BBQ wristbands will only be given out at the seminar)
08:00PM -- Showcase
Remember to bring your chair to watch the show!
If you have any questions or comments, please use the form at the bottom of the page. We look forward to seeing you at the seminar!
Online registration for the event has now closed. To RSVP for the event, please contact Margo Lund (mlund@pyrospec.com | (909) 355-8120 x233). Thank you.