Le Mondial SAQ 2003
Montréal International Fireworks Competition Report
Australia Romeo and Juliet July 16th, 2003
Explosive Entertainment International. Designed by Robert McDermott and Bill Brown; Pyrodigital firing; Show Director choreography
After five visits to Montréal, a silver Jupiter in 1994 and a bronze Jupiter in 2000, Australia's most important pyrotechnics firm - Syd Howard Fireworks International - launched under a new corporate identity called Explosive Entertainment International. This new chapter in the company's history has supported a more innovative approach to pyrotechnical art, marrying extravagance with tradition. Buoyed by their past achievements and their new vision, these renowned Australian magicians will present an astounding pyromusical adaptation of the most universal of classics - Romeo and Juliet- based on the soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann's splendid film starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Claire Danes.
Click here for the official press release from the public relations team at La Ronde.
(All music is from the film Romeo and Juliet by Baz Lurhman).
Introduction A line of red flares lit up and then silver fountains on top of the Mirage (ramp 4) roof as narration introduced the display. A front of glitter star mines was followed by barrages of massive pistil shells above and sequences of mines moving left and right as shells with stars turning to crackle fired above as the narration continued. Then shells of charcoal comets and charcoal to silver shells followed by mines of crossette comets and shells of silver crossette comets.
Part 1 to the music Death Scene Collage by Clair Danes. The death scene. A front of blue and gold glitter mines was followed by pastel comet shots with shells of bees above and then a front of big comets below and cakes of silver bombettes with shells of crossing stars above and shells of silver comets. Then more shells of bees as the silver bombettes continued followed by sequenced mines below and very high firing comets as the music moved into
Set 1
Part 2 to the music Montague Boys by Craig Armstrong. Sets up family conflict and introduces the tension. Crackling shells and firefly comet candle fans and then shells of bees. Next angled comet fronts first to the left and then to the right in very fast sequence with shells above with tourbillons. These were followed by fans of glitter comet crackling bombettes with shells of rings above as the glitter comet crackling bombettes continued below. More shells of rings above and then a huge front of star mines with salutes as the music moved to
Part 3 to the music Gas Station Scene by Craig Armstrong. Key dialogue and scene setter "peace, peace, I hate the word as I hate all Montagues". This began with shells of blue stars with gold strobing pistils and then shells of charcoal comets with strobe pistils with cakes of crackling comets below. More of the huge shells of charcoal comets with pistils above and shells of gold crossette comets and more of the blue shells with gold strobes. Crackling comet bombettes with silver comet shells above formed a theme for a while and were followed by comets turning to colour stars as the music moved into
Set 2: Love, Innocence and Irony
Part 4 to the music Angel by Gavin Friday. The set where Romeo meets and falls in love with Juliet. Fans of orange mines with shells of clusters of stars above were followed by crackling comet bombettes below and then fronts of mines and very high rising crossette comets. Then bombettes of gold glitter as pattern shells in the shape of red hearts burst above as well as double ring and overlapping ring shells. These were followed by charcoal comet bombettes and more ring shells above and shells of comets with crackling clusters.
Part 5 to the music Young Hearts Run Free by Kym Mazelle. Three track sequence that sets up the notion of youthful innocence and young love - this notion is gradually revealed to be tragedy in the making, as suggested lyrically in "Lovefool" and "When Doves Cry". Serene music was reflected by a line of gold fleur-de-lys fountains with firefly comet candles with shells of electric silver comets above followed by shells of charcoal comets turning to silver. Then shells of blue stars and gold strobe pistils and shells of comets turning to blue and then red and more of the blue and gold strobe pistil shells. Horizontal fountains opened up on the roof of the Mirage (ramp 4) and a line of four X-es in silver fountains fired up too as the music moved to
Part 6 to the music Balcony Scene by Craig Armstrong. Moving sequences of big comets angled left then right were followed by sequenced mines with ring shells above and more mine sequences below and shells of smiley faces. Then shells of white comets and strobe bombettes below with crackling shells above and barrages of comet to colour shells. More mine sequences and note-sequenced comets and the same again in mines with shells of crackling clusters above. These were followed by mines to the left and right alternating and magnesium comet candles with shells above of starfish shaped (6 pointed) clusters of electric crackling comets followed by large comet to colour shells. These were followed by silver shells with electric comet pistils and then shells of comets to colour with pistils with a fast sequence of massive crossing comets below and fans of crackling bombettes. Next shells of charcoal comets and then shells of half red half blue followed by big silver to colour shells as the music moved to
Part 7 to the music Lovefool by Cardigans. A front of blue mines was followed by unreadable notes and then big shells of blue stars and gold strobe pistils. These were followed by silver mines and mines of crackling electric comets with barrages of shells above and shells of multiple clusters of stars (blooming flowers). Fast sequenced cakes ("Z cakes") of glitter comets with shells with pistils above continued for a while with shells with crackling pistils above as the music moved to
Part 8 to the music When Doves Cry by Quindon Tarver. Sequenced shots of huge angled comets formed the main part of this section with the comets rising very high and some unreadable notes as the music moved to
Set 3: Tragedy and Violence
Part 9 to the music A Challenge by Craig Armstrong. Here come the Capulates, this is the showdown .... Flares lit up on the roof of the Mirage as magnesium comets and glitter mines were fired with fast sequenced cakes ("Z cakes") of stars. Fronts of glitter mines and fronts of comets with titanium salutes as the music moved to
Part 10 to the music Fight Scene by Craig Armstrong. ... showdown and first blood for both families is shed. Fast star bombette cakes on the Mirage roof were followed by fast mine sequences and shells of serpents above and fronts of glittering mines below. Then huge shells with pistils and sequenced mines below moving left and right in silver kamuro comets as the music moved to
Part 11 to the music No.1 Crush by Garbage. Romeo's regret and fear and desperate need for Juliet. Serene music with nautic flares and red bee shells above were followed by shells of half red half white with more shells of white bees as the nautic flares turned to white strobes. Then shells of half blue half white and shells of comets turning to blue and then red.
Set 4: Flight, fear and the inevitable
Part 12 to the music Mantua by Craig Armstrong. Romeo is now a fugitive. A line of flares lit up along the lake front as strobe shells fired above and fast sequenced mines fired below and shells with blue stars and gold strobing pistils above. Then fabulous sequences of mines forming the colours of the rainbow were followed by willow bombettes and shells of weeping willow above turning to red and blue stars. Then shells of glitter comets and kamuro shells followed by a return to the the red bees shells. Next, shells of green bees and shells of crackle and salutes as the music moved to
Part 13 to the music Oh Verona Reprise by Craig Armstrong. The images and words of the opening scene setter played out while Romeo runs. Massive shells of blue to white to red and huge shells with pistils and other huge shells with crackles and a muzzle break were followed by shells of kamuros, but distracted by bright shells, followed by a repeating sequence of shells of rings with comet pistils and then a front of glittering mines turning to strobes as the music moved to
Part 14 to the music Little Star by Stina Nordenstam. A tired and emotional Romeo dreams of Juliet, love. Shells with gold strobes and then shells of fabulous electric crossette comets in pastels and shells of clusters of silver comets were followed by very high rising comet sequences of silver comets with star shells above as the music moved to
Part 15 to the music Everybody's Free by Quindon Tarver. Link to reprise anthem. Shells of silver comets and red-headed meteor comets were followed by barrages of shells of rings of red crossettes as the music moved to
Part 16 to the music Young Hearts Reprise by Kym Mazelle. The Anthem. Fronts of silver mines with shells of silver crossette comets above and pattern shells of double hearts. Then shells of red with go-getters and shells in the shapes of spirals and shells of aqua stars becoming go-getters. Next, shells of multiple overlapping and concentric rings and another fabulous sequence of fast mines forming the colours of the rainbow as shells in the shape of double five pointed stars above, shells of hearts and bowtie comet shells with rings. These were followed by shells of red crossette stars and shells of clusters of stars. The barrages continued with shells of pastel comets, big shells of comets to stars and more shells of hearts. Then barrages of shells of pink stars and fast sequences of cakes of very bright pastel stars ("Z cakes" again). Barrages of massive bright colour shells above continued and the segment ended with a massive front of rainbow mines.
Finale
Part 17 to the music Escape by Craig Armstrong. A dramatic and powerful return to the pending death scene for the audience with an emotive choral chant. Sequence photoflashes were followed by comet fronts with big silver shells above and then fast sequences of comets. Tourbillon candles with barrages of blue shells above increasing in pace and then massive fronts of fast sequenced comets to the left and right with shells of white comets above. More fast comet sequences with shells of kamuros above and then silver kamuros. The pace increased with mines of charcoal glitter and barrages of kamuro shells with colour tips above. Then massive mine fronts and more and more kamuros above continuing to the end of the display with a final front of comets and titanium salutes and enormous kamuros trailing all the way to the lake (and setting a tree on fire to the right), as the crowd cheered loudly.
This was a fantastic display with virtually non-stop action all the way
through, even when narration was taking place. Due to the complexity of
the display, my notes hardly do it justice as they were very hard to read
in many places. The signature sequenced comet fronts with very high rising
comets and the fabulous rainbow mines are always greatly enjoyable. A strong
theme with some good serene moments and other more dramatic sections too.
Since it was so good, a couple of criticisms are due: there were a few times
when very bright shells were shot at the same time as brocade/kamuro/charcoal
shells, detracting from the latter. Also, little use was made of the lake,
save for some flares/strobes and, finally, the finale was a little bit small
but this is probably due to the overall scale of the rest of the display.
Despite these criticisms, this display was indeed excellent and is right
up there at the front of the pack for a place on the winner's podium this
year. Special thanks to Rob McDermott for providing me with the thematic
notes shown in this style in the report.
Thanks to the public relations people of La Ronde for the official
press release material, shown in white.
