Best Performance Improvements

[cmill]

The point of this thread is to share your thoughts/suggestions/findings on what made the biggest improvements in your shows. It can be multiple things. Particular products, firing systems, even planning stages that made a huge difference in the final outcome. What part of the process do you think is most critical? Is there a particular item that took your show to a new level?

I am still very early in my hobby of planned shows that utilize a firing system but would love to hear others experiences that led them to the shows they are able pull off now.

[bani]

using visual simulation software to script my show.

[morrison2951]

Some cool effects in my show this year.
6761

[Birdman]

Besides getting a firing system capable of scripting, which I believe is the best thing one can do, I would say just experience was the most important for me. Learning how best to use my space and how to best place and layer products is something that really comes through trial and error. Ultimately I have to credit this community with just about every aspect of improving my shows. Without this community I'd probably still be hand lighting cakes one at time.

[PG2159]

My first show had 12 cues fired from one position with long fuse cakes. Third year I went 132 cues, 3 positions and fully scripted. Adding a 2nd or 3rd position greatly enhanced the viewer experience. The research I put in was focused on break frequency, color and effect. I wish would have been able to test the limitations of my system but it wasn’t in the cards. My show this year was as much of a process improvement as anything, to see what works as well as what doesn’t. Take video, post it, listen to the feedback and use it. Do your product research, delay, duration and really nail down a lot of those factors.

[MontanaMike]

Here's a list of things we've done since 2014 to improve our show. Up until then we were handlighting in the back yard and our wives hated it, but put up with it because they knew we loved doing it.

1. Get a firing system (Cobra, in our case)
2. Add music to the show, and use care in selecting songs. Don't use boring/slow songs. Use songs the majority of your crowd will know and love. (Nobody goes to a firework show to discover new music.)
3. Shorten the show up. 25 minutes is the maximum we'll go. Leave 'em wanting more. (In the hand-lighting days we'd go a couple of hours, which left 'em wanting less!)
4. Ditch the Talons and poke those cakes!
5. Add more modules and firing locations to make the sky be fuller
6. Buy wholesale. Buy early to get the best prices.
7. Use a scripting program to create your show. I use Cobra Show Creator and love it, it's perfect for the "regular guy" show.
8. Start working on your show the day after your previous show ends. Since July 5 this year I've been using occasional spare time to add some improvements our sound system, upgrade the Cobra audiobox to LiPo, and order fuse.
9. If you don't already have one, make yourself a schedule for when you want to get things done.
10. You probably better add another module.

[jamisonlm3]

The point of this thread is to share your thoughts/suggestions/findings on what made the biggest improvements in your shows. It can be multiple things. Particular products, firing systems, even planning stages that made a huge difference in the final outcome. What part of the process do you think is most critical? Is there a particular item that took your show to a new level?

I am still very early in my hobby of planned shows that utilize a firing system but would love to hear others experiences that led them to the shows they are able pull off now.What exactly are you wanting to get out of your show. How much are you looking to spend on it? Scripting is nice and all, but how much experience do you have with a firing system currently?