Are you often watching a firework display as you wonder about the different effects are called – they cannot all be rockets, could they? Watch a pyrotechnicians eyes roll when you ask him/her if he/she has any rockets!
The sky should be filled with a myriad of colours patterns, effects and patterns. Shhhh! – don’t tell anyone but actually there are only the most basic types of fireworks. There are numerous effects which come from these few types and that’s an area where the skills of the designer lies.
In this brief article, we will look at the various forms and the effect of each one is and how they’re utilized in a show.
Roman Candles
Roman candles are the primary fuel for the fireworks show, lasting for 25 to 30 seconds, and ensuring the continuity. They deliver a wide range of effects such as comets, bombettes, mines as well as crossettes, butterflies, and serpents. They also provide noise effects like flash reports whistles, hummers, crackles and screechers. The typical candle has eight shots. they may be fired in a single shot at regular intervals across the width of the site or in bouquets of 3, 5 or 7 and can be angled to create the illusion of a lattice. They can also be arranged in various shapes across the sky.
Rockets
They are among the most well-known types of consumer fireworks and are used to describe everything people see up in the air! A rocket motor on the end of a stick moves the pyrotechnics payload up into the sky bursting to create an effect on the trajectory apex. The roar of the rocket motor, which is often with a silver or gold tail, is almost a signature sound that a television sound engineer wishes to display “BIG” fireworks. The professional industry, however, employs fewer rockets due to the fact that the stick and rocket motor go back up. If you decide to purchase a new rocket in the shops beware of the head that is large as it could be full of air and is created to convince you to buy it – bigger doesn’t mean better in rockets!
Combination Batteries or Cakes
Combination Batteries or Cakes as they’re more commonly known (because they look like – er cakes!) are an extremely popular option to create continuity
and duration in a display. They consist of lots of smaller tubes that are joined to fire in succession – occasionally very fast and other times slow. They’re a lot like roman candles with regard to the variety of effects produced by the tubes. However, they are pre angled so the impact across the sky of fans and z-shaped, w shapes and varying speed of ignition can create a variety of possibilities. Cakes are available in a array of sizes from a tiny 19 shot bubbling willow cake to the massive 600 shot rapid-fire peacock tail battery. The first battery will create an effect that is similar to a normal roman candle, whereas the second will fire an incredibly wide effect fan with 600 different effects over 8 seconds, resulting in a gigantic peacock’s tail in the skies.
Single Shot tubes
A new addition to the arsenal of choreographers who work with firework Single shot effects are becoming increasingly popular in show that uses pyromusical effects. A wide frontage in single shot effect could be utilized to emphasize an event in the music. They can also be used to create an additional dimension, bringing movement and motion into the display by creating chase sequences, be it the chase of comets through in the Olympic Stadium or a one shot comet mines racing through within the London Eye, they can be utilised to create some stunning images. As the names suggests they are an effect that is created by one tube however they can be found with a wide range of effects and colours.
Fountains
Fountains are another popular type of fireworks near me and are utilized to add variety to an display. From small fountains of silver to large displays of coloured chip fountains that create a dazzling show of sparks up to 8 meters into the sky. When stacked in wooden structures or on set pieces they can be used to create stunning lattice patterns in addition to being used as a driver to construct Catherine wheels. Fountains can last as long as 50 seconds which is why they’re great at creating a focal point to an exhibit.
Mines
They typically serve to signify the beginning and ending of a firework display. They are also used together with music to highlight a crescendo or major changes in tempo or key. When fired on mass from a long distance, they can deliver a huge show of stars that wow the audience. Mines are available in a variety of sizes and can provide a variety of sound and visual effects.
Aerial Star Shells
Saving the best till last and only for the professional pyrotechnician, we have airborne starshells. The professionals will almost always use these instead of rockets. From mortar tubes, aerial star shells launch to the sky. They can reach heights of 250 metres within a matter of minutes. A delay fuse has been designed to ignite the blast at the end in the flight vertically. the vast stars is lit to create patterns colours and sounds. The bursting charge from the biggest star shells can create the sky with 150m of stars. Star shells come in a variety of sizes, and are usually fired in a series of barrages.