2021 Show Planning

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Finally got a jump on planning my 4th of July show for this year, so I thought I would post a picture of my setup design in case someone might find it helpful in planning their show. I would encourage everyone else to post their drawings for the same reason. You never know when someone might have an idea you never thought of!

http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=5530&stc=1

[ssmith512]

My humble attempt at a layout. Will be my first!

http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=5533&stc=1

5531

[Birdman]

Here's a quick layout I just whipped up. Not to scale or anything. Just a rough idea of how I expect to have everything placed:

5536

Cue and product key for layout (labeled as Channel/Cue in layout)

#Channel #Cue #Firework Name
2 1 Water Cake
4 1 Criss Cross (and slat)
1 1 Tiger Tail Comet Red
3 1 Tiger Tail Comet Red
1 2 Tiger Tail Comet Red
3 2 Tiger Tail Comet Red
5 1 Cake - 49s Brocade Trumpet with Red Tail
1 3 Tiger Tail Comet Red
3 3 Tiger Tail Comet Red
1 4 Tiger Tail Comet Red
3 4 Tiger Tail Comet Red
1 5 Tiger Tail Comet Red
3 5 Tiger Tail Comet Red
2 2 Neon Butterflies
5 2 Cake - 25s Color Falling Leaves Waterfall
1 6 Tiger Tail Comet Red
3 6 Tiger Tail Comet Red
5 3 Cake - 25s Color Falling Leaves Waterfall
1 7 Tiger Tail Comet Red
3 7 Tiger Tail Comet Red
1 8 Tiger Tail Comet Red
3 8 Tiger Tail Comet Red
1 9 Tiger Tail Comet Red
3 9 Tiger Tail Comet Red
1 10 Tiger Tail Comet Red
3 10 Tiger Tail Comet Red
4 2 Roman Candle HQ Bundle (and slat)
2 17 Slice 5s Red Mines to Crossettes
2 3 Cake - 25s Blue Mines to Comets to Shells
5 5 Cake - 49s Brocade Trumpet with Red Tail
1 14 Piranha Panic
3 14 Piranha Panic
5 6 Jellyfish King
3 11 Cake - 8s Tourbillions to Crackle Peony
1 11 Cake - 8s Tourbillions to Crackle Peony
1 12 Piranha Panic
3 12 Piranha Panic
5 7 Jellyfish King
1 13 Cake - 8s Tourbillions to Crackle Peony
3 13 Cake - 8s Tourbillions to Crackle Peony
2 4 Rainbow in the Dark
2 5 Slice - Crackle Mines to Comets to Red Dahlia
1 16 Cake - 16s White Strobe with Mine Finale Box
3 16 Cake - 16s White Strobe with Mine Finale Box
1 15 Tiger Tail Comet Red
3 15 Tiger Tail Comet Red
4 3 Comet 50mm Go-Getter Red (and slat)
5 8 Mine 50mm White Strobe
2 6 Slice 5s Red Mines to Crossettes
4 9 Mine 50mm White Strobe (and slat)
4 4 Comet 50mm Go-Getter Red (and slat)
5 9 Mine 50mm White Strobe
5 14 Cake - 130s Red Glitter Comets
2 7 Slice - Crackle Mines to Comets to Red Dahlia
2 8 Slice - Crackle Mines to Comets to Red Dahlia
2 9 5s Slice Crackle Mines to Comets to Blue Dahlia Crackle
4 10 Mine 50mm White Strobe (and slat)
1 17 Cake - 16s White Strobe with Mine Finale Box
3 17 Cake - 16s White Strobe with Mine Finale Box
4 5 Comet 50mm Go-Getter Red (and slat)
5 10 Mine 50mm White Strobe
2 10 Slice 5s Red Mines to Crossettes
4 11 Mine 50mm White Strobe (and slat)
4 6 Comet 50mm Go-Getter Red (and slat)
5 11 Mine 50mm White Strobe
5 15 Cake - 130s Red Glitter Comets
2 11 Slice - Crackle Mines to Comets to Red Dahlia
2 12 Slice - Crackle Mines to Comets to Red Dahlia
2 13 5s Slice Crackle Mines to Comets to Blue Dahlia Crackle
4 12 Mine 50mm White Strobe (and slat)
4 7 Comet 50mm Go-Getter Red (and slat)
5 12 Mine 50mm White Strobe
2 14 Slice 5s Red Mines to Crossettes
4 13 Mine 50mm White Strobe (and slat)
4 8 Comet 50mm Go-Getter Red (and slat)
4 14 Huge Gold Strobe (and slat)
5 13 Mine 50mm White Strobe
2 15 Slice 5s Red Mines to Crossettes
2 16 Cake - 25s Serpant to Color Strobe
5 4 Amazing Ballet
4 18 Cake - 100s Scrambling Comets (and slat)
4 15 Mine - 76mm Red to Blue (x2 and slat x2)
4 16 Mine - 76mm Red to Blue (x2 and slat x2)
4 17 Mine - 76mm Red to Blue (x2 and slat x2)
2 18 Cake - 25s Instant Crackle
5 16 Finale Racks
3 18 Slice 5s Red Mines to Crossettes
1 18 Slice 5s Red Mines to Crossettes

[Birdman]

I wasn't going to share this but what the hell...here is my concept video for the show:

https://vimeo.com/496960350

[Scotty Rockets]

I’ve been planning for about a month ago and currently I been scripting 2 entirely different pyromusicals for different events. I’ve learned finale 3D pretty quickly coming over from FWSIM. Audio tracks are done and currently working on the choreography.

[PyroFL]

Looks great Rick!!

I only have one question is this to scale? I think it’s a little off

JOKING

Looks great

C

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Thanks! My boards are to scale. I gave up on trying to make the cakes to scale. The vendors just don't do a good job of posting that information. As a matter of fact, I emailed the one vendor I use to tell them nearly half of the listed duration times on their site wasn't even close to reality based on their own videos. I gave them the correct times (again, based on their own videos).

[DavidthePyro]

Thanks! My boards are to scale. I gave up on trying to make the cakes to scale. The vendors just don't do a good job of posting that information. As a matter of fact, I emailed the one vendor I use to tell them nearly half of the listed duration times on their site wasn't even close to reality based on their own videos. I gave them the correct times (again, based on their own videos).

I've noticed this same thing. After I make my order the first thing I do is go through and mark down number of shots, duration(I dont rely on listed durations) and pace. I wish videos were more uniform across different brands too. Experience helps me with determining how the camera is impacting the appearance-- sometimes things look way bigger or smaller depending on the camera and the distance between cake and camera, etc. I just watched a t sky video where they zoom out halfway through and having the zoom out mid video actually gave the scale a little more substance for me

[Rick_In_Tampa]

I agree David. These vendors would be doing themselves a huge favor by placing as much ACCURATE information online for each product as possible. The videos should be taken from a distance a normal crowd or person would be for viewing. Don't zoom in on the breaks. That's not the view we mere mortals have during a show. If the average crowd is 100 ft away, then video the thing from 100 ft away! If the cake only lasts 18 seconds, don't post that it lasts 40! That's just insane to me. Not to mention lazy on their part.

[Unknown]

That is awesome, I would never have though making a visual script with picture in picture edits with your pyro-musical. Inspired.

[Unknown]

I don't do pyro musicals and have never done a site layout before. I have created board layouts in the past. Right now I'm working on 200 gram board which I fuse together, this is my calculator spread sheet.

http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=5541&stc=1

[DavidthePyro]

Have you tried the passfire method? I used to do a similar thing with running a mainline and tapping cakes in. But once I moved to initiators, it was easier to run a double quick fuse jumper from cake to cake with excellent timing. Regardless, I like your approach and the way you've organized that!

[Unknown]

I have used the passfire approach or as I call chain fusing on 500 gram cakes with good success. This year I got brass poker so I can tap into the tube's lift charge vs tying into the internal fuse. I'll have to give it try on 200 gram cakes too.

[WithReport]

Rick_In_Tampa, you have some empty ques still. Thanks for sharing the layout, I appreciate seeing different ways to organize and lay out the show - planning always makes the day easier.

Ugh, this reminds me, I need to get started with the planning. Been wrapped up in a remodel this year and a bit behind.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

I do still have empty cues. It's early yet. I'll be adding more flame effects and maybe some strobes. I really haven't done a good inventory to know what I have to be honest.

I was hoping more people posted their diagrams so everyone could take a look and get some ideas. Hasn't happened yet, but... It is still early. Hopefully people get rolling here in the next month or so and start sharing ideas.

[specialfxpyro]

Rick_In_Tampa, you have some empty ques still. Thanks for sharing the layout, I appreciate seeing different ways to organize and lay out the show - planning always makes the day easier.

Ugh, this reminds me, I need to get started with the planning. Been wrapped up in a remodel this year and a bit behind.

I just watched your 2020 show and it was great. Really nice work. Can I ask, are the flame units those Chinese spray can units? If so were you using the firing system to control them or a separate DMX controller?

[WithReport]

...I was hoping more people posted their diagrams so everyone could take a look and get some ideas. Hasn't happened yet, but... It is still early. Hopefully people get rolling here in the next month or so and start sharing ideas.

As mentioned, I'm a bit behind schedule, FWIW, here is last years layout. Once I get something together for this year, I'll gladly share it.

[DRinNY]

When doing a layout, is there any program or anything people prefer to use? I like what everyone has done, so id like to do the same. Thanks in advance. By the way, im Dave! lol

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Howdy Dave! I use MS Visio for my drawings. Very easy to use, scales really nicely too. If you don't want to pay for Visio, I know there are freeware versions out there.

[krayg]

When doing a layout, is there any program or anything people prefer to use? I like what everyone has done, so id like to do the same. Thanks in advance. By the way, im Dave! lol

Try https://draw.io/

[Devo]

I agree David. These vendors would be doing themselves a huge favor by placing as much ACCURATE information online for each product as possible. The videos should be taken from a distance a normal crowd or person would be for viewing. Don't zoom in on the breaks. That's not the view we mere mortals have during a show. If the average crowd is 100 ft away, then video the thing from 100 ft away! If the cake only lasts 18 seconds, don't post that it lasts 40! That's just insane to me. Not to mention lazy on their part.

*Like* x 1000

[DRinNY]

Thank you!