Fireworks

[djdigitald]

As has been said before I am a professional pyrotechnician! It started as a hobby and has blossomed into one that I now get paid for so if you can still call it a hobby I don’t know. Apart from Florida and Liverpool FC I am absolutely Pyro mad, so much so it drives Kaye mad when I always go on about it! So I know the Bonfire night displays have all but gone but if anyone wants any information on how to do their own displays safely, what to do for different events etc… give me a shout and I will try and point you in the right direction (I also know a bit about how they do the Disney displays so if you are interested in that ask as well!). BTW Fireworks are not all about the things you see in your local supermarket, far from it!!!

[Skywatcher]

Thanks for the post mate, I think its a fascinating subject. I watched a documentary years ago now about the pyrotecnics that were to accompany a Frank Sinatra concert and the final 'biggie' was made of so many layers it was an astonsishing work of engineering and I'm sure technology has advanced it beyond all recognition now - the fact you can produce smiley faces and stars like you get in the wishes firework dispays blows my mind.

Out of interest from a technical point of view which are you favourite fireworks at WDW?

[djdigitald]

Out of interest from a technical point of view which are you favourite fireworks at WDW?

Good question! I think technically i would say Epcot as it has the lake involved as well as other more unusual methods of launching fireworks. I have not seen the Magic Kingdom ones in a while now but when i last saw them, although i thought they were superb, they were not much different than what i would see in a large display i have performed on.

The problem with being in the industry i find, is that you become very over critical of displays you see outside of what you do. I suppose that is the GEEK side of it! LOL

[djdigitald]

On your first part of your reply, you will be surprised as to how they haven’t changed that much at all. Yes the methods of manufacture have advanced and the way they are able to create the way the fireworks explode have got better but the actual way of making them and material used hasn’t really changed since the beginning!

[Skywatcher]

Thanks mate

Hve you seen Wishes?

The previous MK display was , I think a bit - meh but Wishes blows my mind! As I said they have fireeworks that explode in the shape of smiley faces, genie heads and stars and the Huuuuuuuge gold cascade firework at the end must be 100's of meters across

[djdigitald]

No i haven't but i have just been watching it on here MouseVids.com - Walt Disney World - Magic Kingdom - Wishes
and yes i do agree it is a great display but it just isn't a display that includes fireworks that i wouldn't see in any other show i regularly do. Whereas the Illuminations display at Epcot has water fireworks etc... which is something that is rarely seen and there is imho a lot more creativity in the Epcot Display.

[djdigitald]

Just found this on Youtube and it was the display that i did last weekend at Ascot Racecourse. This is the finale and was shot from the firing site by one of the crew who i was working with.



BTW i am sure you will recognise the music

[Skywatcher]

The thing about the full maxed out Wishes and the one they used for the Pirates and Princess' party was that the fireworks were released 'in the round' from Adventureland and Tomorrowland as well as the usual behind the castle so you literally had fireworks all around you ( and the castle appered to be on fire at one point which was amazing.

[Britchick]

My favourite are illuminations at Epcot


the best firework display i saw was for the 50th anniversary of the battle of britain in London. Phenomenal- will never forget it.

[djdigitald]

The best display i have seen is