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Posted: Jul 31, 2013 19:04:25

As mentioned exactly one year ago today, it is sad that the Montreal fireworks competition is very soon coming to a close, and that it is already time for us to make our personal predictions as to which of this year's participants will be on the podium this coming Saturday (August 3rd).

Please use this thread to post your jury predictions and personal choices for the Jupiter winners of 2013. As always, some justification would be interesting to go along with your choices, but, of course, it is certainly not compulsory.

Trav.


Posted: Aug 1, 2013 03:31:34   Edited by: Saluteness

My personal predictions

1. Italy
2. Canada
3. Croatia

Jury predictions

1. Italy
2. Croatia
3. Spain

Pat


Posted: Aug 1, 2013 04:36:29   Edited by: fredbastien

The 29th edition of the Montreal International Fireworks Competition comes to a close, as the closing display is the only one to be seen. The 2013 season was marked by the introduction of five to six new entrants (depending whether one considers Arthur Rozzy as a recruit), which led to expect many innovations. Unfortunately, we experienced a line-up of major technical problems, leading to countless black-outs in the Hong Kong display, almost 30 minutes delay with the American show and a shorter delay with the Canadian one. Furthermore, some displays lacked of complexity. While the season ended in a great way with the Italian entrant, the quality of the shows was below the average.

I sometimes added to my reports some minor problems which occured through the season: the lights on Ferris Wheel which didn't turn off with the countdown, as those of La Spirale continued to light the audience, the uncomplete setup of the floating stage (BTW, the standard mast just came back to hoist the Italian flag, as it was not installed before), etc. I also suspect that media coverage reached a low-level record this year. Even the official website wasn't updated with regular materials and no press release has been sent to CNW since the beginning of the competition. I think these problems (and, I'm sure, other issues we are not awared about) are likely the result of years of cuts from Six Flags.

In such conditions and despite disappointment some may feel regarding the 2013 season, I tip my hat to the organizers of the competition, especially Martyne Gagnon and Paul Csukassy, whose enthusiasm and resilience are absolutely outstanding. La Ronde pyro crew continues to be praised by the contestants who would not be able to setup so large shows within five days. And we were fortunate to enjoy the work done by master of ceremonies Michel Lacroix for every display this year.

As media coverage of this event is almost nonexistent, Internet-based sources are critical to be informed about what is coming up and the features of each display. I want to acknowledge the work done by Paul Marriott and Mylène Salvas who have collected and delivered relevant information for each display. They are volunteers and are not in vacation during the fireworks season, so they have to struggle with sometimes complicated and heavy schedules to achieve that.

I updated my personal ranking through the season, leaving aside the Hong Kong display. The Italian show was clearly the best, but I think it is much more difficult to disentangle teams for 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions. At the end of the competition, here is my final ranking:

1. Pyroemotions & Pyrodigit Team (Italy)
2. Zaragozana (Spain)
3. Garden City Display Fireworks (Canada)
4. Mirnovek Pirotehnika (Croatia)
5. Merlin Fireworks (England)
6. Arthur Rozzi Pyrotechnics (United States)
7. Fireworks by Ian Riedle (Australia)
* Vulcan Fireworks (Hong Kong)

As I wrote above, the race between the Spanish, Canadian, and Croatian teams may be very close. While I ranked the Canadian team ahead of the Croation one for reasons I explained in a previous post, I feel that most people appreciated more the Spanish and Croatian displays than the Canadian one. So I am afraid that Garden City Display Fireworks may not be on the podium, and given the performance of the Italian team, it's almost sure that the Canadian troika will not complete his triumph this year. Nevertheless, I would also be happy to celebrate the victory of Mirnovec for a Silver or Bronze position.

Since 1992, the Montreal International Fireworks Competition relies on a popular jury and presents about the same number of contestants, that is, between 7 and 9 (more often 8-9). A different sort of jury existed from 1985 to 1991 and the line-up was shorter. There were Bronze, Silver and Gold Jupiter awards each year (but in 2004 with the Platinum Jupiter, nonetheless three finalists were announced). The following statistics are about the three annual winners (or finalists) from 1992 to 2012:

- 1 of 21 first in-competition displays (4.8%) won a Jupiter (Ipon in 1998).
- 10 of 63 three first contestants (15.9%) won a Jupiter (never more than one within a single year).
- 37 of 63 three ultimate contestants (58.7%) won a Jupiter (we have never seen a podium without any contestant from the ultimate trio).
- 14 of 21 ultimate in-competition displays (66.7%) won a Jupiter.

Given these considerations and the calendar of the 2013 line-up, I predict that the jury decision is going to be:

Gold Jupiter - Pyroemotions & Pyrodigit Team (Italy)
Silver Jupiter - Mirnovek Pirotehnika (Croatia)
Bronze Jupiter - Zaragozana (Spain)

I also predict that Team Italy will win the award for the best soundtrack.

Fred


Posted: Aug 1, 2013 12:34:37   Edited by: Admin

I've been doing my own grading of the shows and here's my top 3 according to that:

1. Italy - Pyroemotions / PyroDigiT (97%)
2. Spain - Pirotecnia Zaragozana (92%)
3. Croatia - Mirnovec Pirotechnika (90%)

Vander


Posted: Aug 1, 2013 14:10:20

Les deux derniers pays en liste sont venus bousculer le classement final des Jupiters.
Voici le mien

ITALIE
CROATIE
CANADA

Roger


Posted: Aug 2, 2013 16:44:59   Edited by: Smoke

Once again, I am, for the 24th time, in utter disbelief that the competition has already come to a close, but I will say that this has, as always, been an interesting edition of the Montreal fireworks competition. Like 2012, this year's schedule was a little confusing for many; however, unlike last year, the 2013 scheduling was more confusing during the first half, with the first display occurring on a Saturday, followed by three consecutive Fridays, just before resuming to the more common Saturday-Wednesday bi-weekly pattern thereafter. The schedule had also been devised in such a way that we faced likely the third latest starting date in the history of the competition (the first and second latest being in 2012 and 2011, respectively), making for three consecutive years where starting dates had been established beyond June 21st, though, in this year’s case, the competition commenced appropriately on the first “full” day of Summer. In addition, because of the manner in which fireworks dates had been scheduled for both this year and 2012, the last four displays, for the first time in the competition’s history, shared the exact same dates for two consecutive years.

The 2013 lineup, as Fred pointed out previously, consisted largely of new recruits, including the first-time appearance of Croatia, and, for the first time, a dual-company representing a country (Italy) was also a part of the entrants. These attributes made for what appeared to be a very promising edition of Montreal fireworks! As the competition has now officially ended, we remember how each and every display brought its own methods of creativity for each respective theme. Although many, including myself, would argue that this year’s competition level has been below average (this trend has been somewhat observed in recent years, as well), especially when compared to 2012, all displays were enjoyable in their own right. Canada’s “Four Season” theme was particularly memorable for me and offered some very captivating segments (“Thunderstruck” was one of my most favorite segments of the season). Croatia’s “Artificial Intelligence” was also a very good attempt for a first-display to Montreal, and Spain’s display, centered on “Languages of Love”, was additionally captivating. Italy’s performance, titled “Jukebox Memories”, stood out the most this season and was one of the best represented themes/displays in the competition’s history. However, a display at this level of creativity was seemingly appropriate to conclude the competition, given the below-average tendency exhibited by 2013. With the exception of Italy 2013, no display from this year, however, had the same degree of quality and creativity as Canada 2009/2010 and Sweden 2010. Identical patterns from last year were also repeated in 2013. For example, there were a fair number of displays lacking a strong thematic connection, and we had seen many performances showing signs of repetition, somewhat restricted product diversity, as well as anti-climactic openings. Also, a few displays this season could have benefited from soundtrack editing, and a little less in the way of narratives. Nautical effects were a little more prevalent than last year, however, with Spain having the most dramatic sequences of nautical shells. Finally, like 2012, there were no “exceptional” finales (in the strictest sense – i.e. Italy 1998, Panzera 1996/1997/1999/2003/2004, Spain 2001, Italy 2004, Spain (Vicente Caballer) 2004, etc. were exceptional) this season, though Italy 2013 was very, very memorable, enough to make it onto my listing of most memorable finales!

2013 was also notable for technical problems, where three displays had experienced delays, and two of these three (Hong Kong/China and the United States) had faced significant problems. In Canada’s case, technical problems led to a near six-minute stall. Unfortunately for the Chinese display (a very heart-breaking situation), only approximately 20% of the material was fired due to major problems taking place with the employed firing system. As sad as this was/is, we hope to see the team (Vulcan Fireworks) return for the 30th anniversary of the competition, or in the very near future, as whatever was fired showed signs of what could have been a very successful, exciting, and highly creative display! In the case of the American team, technical problems led to a 27-minute delay (similar in length to England 2003). On another note, it was with great sadness when learning of the very tragic incident that had occurred with respect to the BEM fireworks warehouse explosion, just two days prior to the official start of the competition. The incident was/is truly heart-breaking, and our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to all those affected.

With the closing of the competition, I would like to provide my deepest thanks and gratitude firstly to all of our participants of 2013 for the tireless effort in carefully/rigorously planning and putting their displays together to begin with. I would like to extend my thanks to the organizers for their diligence, and for continuing to make this competition possible for yet another year! As mentioned with every year, we must always remember how fortunate we are, here in Montreal, to be able to have the exciting opportunity to indulge in thrilling 30-minute performance on a weekly to bi-weekly basis during the heart of Summer – it is always an amazement as to just how much work/dedication is involved in consolidating each of these displays. I also understand that this particular Summer was one that brought many challenges, mostly with respect to the occasionally unsettled and unstable conditions, and the elevated frequency of high humidity days, so I do also appreciate the hard-fought battle with the weather. As always, a special thanks to Paul, Mylene and Simon for their hard and faithful work in bringing us very good insight concerning each display – we all very much appreciate all of your efforts! A big thanks to Paul for also, once again, keeping this forum alive and updated, especially now that we have reached the forum’s 10th anniversary (this is quite an achievement)! Endless thanks to everyone on this forum for their contributions and sharing their passionate thoughts and commentaries concerning each display, and many thanks to our photographers (Bob, Steve and Rachel) for, again, providing us with exquisite and mesmerizing photos of each display. Of course, once again, I thank Bob Burch for sharing with us his full-length videos for yet another year!

I'd also like to provide some discussion concerning the weather. This Summer's weather patterns, thus far, have largely traced those that had been forecasted in seasonal outlooks (including my own). For example, during the warm season, so far (defined as April-July), we have seen somewhat cooler, though still above-normal (all daily maximums and minimums averaged) conditions, relative to the last few years (2010, 2011 and 2012). At this point, 10 days have reached 30 Celsius (hereafter referred to as “C”) for the island of Montreal, which amounts to fewer than those reported by this time in 2011, and especially 2012. That said, this amount is still about three days above the warm season (defined as May to August) average. Of these 10 days, eight have occurred in the month of July, with six of these combining into a six-day heat wave (occurring from July 14th to the 19th, including the highest daily maximum of 33.2 C on the 19th). While May 2013 was largely pleasant and warm (though very wet), June 2013’s daily maximum average was tied for the 11th coolest on record, for the Montreal area. More distinct, however, was how warm July 2013 had been, overall, especially for most of its first three weeks. The monthly average for July 2013’s daily maximum yielded 27.2 C, making for the fourth consecutive year where this value exceeded the 27 C threshold. This average was also 1 C above normal, relative to the 1971-2000 climatology, and the overall monthly average (maximums and minimums averaged) of 22.2 C, though cooler than July 2010, 2011 and 2012, was about 1.3 C warmer than normal.

Precipitation patterns have also been well above normal for most areas of E. Canada. For the Montreal area (in accordance with airport station data), we have witnessed the 5th wettest May-July period in recorded history, including June 2013 being the 5th wettest June on record. We have also seen a fair number of severe weather days, where, so far, 12 severe thunderstorm days have been issued for extreme S./SW Quebec. The most severe thunderstorms (so far), though, occurred on May 22nd, June 1st, July 17th and July 19th, where on July 19th, tornado watches/warnings had also been issued by Environment Canada, just South and NE of Montreal. At one point, an estimated 560,000 customers were without electricity in S. Quebec in association with the July 19th thunderstorms’ damaging winds. Canada, as a whole, has seen above normal severe thunderstorm activity this past Spring, and, so far, this Summer.

About half of the 2013 Montreal fireworks competition was characterized by unfavorable weather conditions, and below normal attendance (possibly a record for attendance for the early part of the competition). Rains and saturated air were reported during the afternoon prior to the Australian display, persisting as far as during the show itself. Then, a repeat of rain and gusty conditions occurred during the late-morning to afternoon period, just before the British display, though, again, the air was damp and cool in time for the show that evening. Weather conditions became better for the Chinese display, but the day was not completely precipitation free. Thus, three of the nine displays (so, 33%) saw some form of damp conditions. Consequently, this culminated into well below-average attendance for the first three displays (at least on Notre-Dame street). The potential is also there for scattered showers and unseasonably cool conditions for the afternoon before the closing show. That said, no risk for severe thunderstorms occurred during a fireworks day this year (although it did for setups, mostly for England, and especially for the United States). When the weather did cooperate for the third display of the season, the aforementioned unfortunate technical problems emerged for the Chinese. At the same time, one of the coolest temperatures to occur during the history of the competition took place for the Croatian display (a late-evening temperature of 16 C in the metropolitan area), again contributing to fewer spectators (perhaps in conjunction with it being the first Wednesday, though the influence of weather was further evidenced when a high attendance was observed during the following Wednesday, for the Italian display) and making for four nights with below-average attendance (again, at least on Notre-Dame street). By contrast, the Chinese, Canadian and Italian displays had the warmest evenings (all at about 24 C), though the Chinese had the most humid night, making it “feel” like the warmest of all shows. Altogether, this was certainly one of the poorest years for the competition, in terms of weather, even though the weather never prevented a display from being fired.

Wind patterns had also been strikingly anomalous, with winds often out from between the North and East, owing to the typical trajectory weather systems exhibited this Spring and Summer. Indeed, this year, for six of the displays, winds had been pushing the smoke in directions typically opposite of the climatological Southwesterlies, and three of the displays had winds that brought smoke towards those on Notre-Dame street (Australia, Canada, and partially for Croatia). 2013 was quite possibly the year where winds deviated from the common directional tendencies for fireworks nights with the greatest frequency. In terms of speeds, none of the displays had been influenced by excessively strong winds and were instead mostly light for every evening. Winds were lightest for England and Croatia, and especially for the Spanish, while breeziest for the United States. All in all, with the exception of the brief late-afternoon rainfall, the Chinese had the most inherently “perfect” evening conditions for all viewers, largely due to favorable wind direction (for all major vantage points) AND speed, combined with the warmest apparent temperature of the fireworks evenings. One would argue that Italy, the final entrant, had “near-perfect”, or second-best weather, since slightly stronger wind speeds were all that were absent!

Below are my summaries of each display, highlighting what I assessed as strong and weak aspects of the shows. Following this, you will find my personal predictions for the jury's decision, as well as my personal choices for the winners. Afterwards, for the fun of it, I have added subsequent sections for various criteria (such as best choice of music, best finales, best sequencing, etc.) and place those participants best suited for each, in accordance with my personal tastes. Note that I've kept the grading evenly weighted for simplicity, so I am using a total out of 50, instead of 45 (synchronization is, therefore, out of 10, not 5).
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Participating country: Australia
Company: FireworX by Ian Riedel
Date of presentation: June 22nd, 2013

Terrible weather conditions had occurred to introduce the 29th edition of the Montreal fireworks competition. Rains began early in the afternoon and persisted well into the evening hours. Adding insult to injury, the smoke was also blowing towards those spectators on Notre-Dame street and surrounding locations.

This was a well-choreographed performance devised by the Australian debutant and featured some very enjoyable musical selections to correspond to the theme “Magic of the Movies”. The effects included were in a decent range, though somewhat restricted, and many effects were used to highlight signature components of the music (i.e. the rising-tail shells, or the nautical shells used towards the end). All that said, I found the show to be rather simplistic in representation, and this was largely attributed to the often redundant use of certain effects seen in multiple segments. Consequently, the display was much less complex than it could have been, as there was so much more potential to creatively represent many soundtracks and, therefore, the thematic framework. Apart from the finale, a few more appearances of nautical shells would have been appreciated. The finale itself was good, but it needed more endurance. Nonetheless, this was an enjoyable performance (though the weather prevented further enjoyment), but I feel that the generally simple design of the show will prevent it from being awarded with a prize.

Pyrotechnical pieces: 7.5/10
Pyromusical design: 7.5/10
Technical design: 7.5/10
Soundtrack: 8/10
Synchronization: 8.5/10
Total: 39/50<---78%

Participating country: England
Company: Merlin Fireworks
Date of presentation: June 28th, 2013

Again, lousy weather conditions were present for the second competitor of the season. Rains were heavy throughout the day but had cleared in time for the late-afternoon and evening period. However, the air was very cool and became saturated following the afternoon rainfall, causing, with the aid of the light NNE winds, smoke accumulations to occur shortly after the display started.

This was a good display by the English debutant team. Great symmetry was withheld throughout the show, and synchronization was effective, especially since it had been implemented in a more creative manner. The diversity of products and product quality was also memorable, although there had been repetition in firing patterns, especially in terms of the rainbow-like effect sometimes created towards low-level. Colors tended to drown quickly (likely due to the damp air), but this was mostly visible for the blues. Also, the color selection, at times, was a little reserved for multiple sections. The thematic premise was largely driven by love (centered on “It Must Be Love”), but the music used to represent this was not very clear, and the transitions from the main components of theme did not appear realistic. Consequently, I did not receive the emotional feel that would otherwise be characteristic of such a theme. The finale was also fairly intense, especially with the fantastic nautical shells, but it lacked endurance, and the musical choice used for it did not seem too fitting in relation to, again, the theme. In spite of these criticisms, this display is, in my mind, in contention for a prize, though more so for the bronze.

Pyrotechnical pieces: 8.5/10
Pyromusical design: 7.5/10
Technical design: 7.5/10
Soundtrack: 7.5/10
Synchronization: 9/10
Total: 40/50<---80%

Participating country: Hong Kong/China
Company: Vulcan Fireworks
Date of presentation: July 5th, 2013

In spite of a quick passing convective shower (so, the third consecutive fireworks day to report measurable rainfall), cooperative weather had been in place for the Chinese display. Unfortunately, only approximately 20% of this display was fired due to significant technical problems. That being said, it would obviously not be fair to rank this display, although based on what was seen, there is absolutely little doubt in my mind that this would have been a truly memorable display for 2013! I sincerely hope to see Vulcan Fireworks present amongst competitors in the near future.

Participating country: Spain
Company: Pirotecnia Zaragozana
Date of presentation: July 12th, 2013

For the first time in the season, a fireworks day was absolutely rain-free. Temperatures were also comfortable at 23 C during the late-evening. However, winds were the lightest of the season, causing some periods of smoke build-up, especially towards the bridge. However, it was fortunate that most of the pyrotechnics were not producing much additional smoke, and the humidity also helped the situation, as it was moderate.

Excellent display by Zaragozana of Spain! The display featured a great diversity of quality products, rich and vivid colors, a large left-right extent and maintained symmetry, enjoyable/relevant music, and marvelous choreography, especially with respect to the low-level sequences of mines, gerbs and candles. The display also comprised of many exciting sequences that are typical of a Spanish display. In addition, the theme, “Languages of Love”, was strongly adhered to and was well reinforced through the musical choices employed. Because of the nature of the theme, distinct transitions were particularly important, and these had been effectively implemented in a culturally and emotionally meaningful manner. Many of the effects, notably the red photoflashes, were very well sequenced and made for a particularly creative representation of both the music and, ultimately, the theme. Nautical shells were also used in a very creative and dramatic fashion and were the most pronounced of all competitors this season. My main negative point with this display, however, was the surprisingly more repetitive firing patterns that emerged during the latter half of the performance at mid- to high-altitudes. In addition, many segments ended with either horsetails or falling leaf shells, giving the impression of a more restricted design complexity. The finale had the correct endurance, as well as a thunderous close, but it probably would have been better to combine all three of its main sections while gradually increasing the pace. Considering all of these points, the Spanish are in strong contention for a prize this season!

Pyrotechnical pieces: 9/10
Pyromusical design: 8.5/10
Technical design: 9/10
Soundtrack: 9/10
Synchronization: 9.5/10
Total: 45/50<---90%

Participating country: United States
Company: Arthur Rozzi Pyrotechnics Inc.
Date of presentation: July 20th, 2013

The American team was graced with mostly cooperative weather conditions, where slightly breezy Northerly winds, warm late-evening temperatures of 22 C, and low humidity were present.

The American display suffered from a 27-minute delay (similar in duration to the British performance in 2003) due to a major technical problem, making this the second show of the season to be influenced by technical issues. Fortunately, however, the display was able to be fired in its entirety. The show itself was entertaining and consisted of many elements that we would expect from an American show, though the proposed theme of Swan Lake seemed a little more unconventional! Indeed, there were many exciting and powerful (thumping) segments that frequently captivated the audience. Like Spain, the display was also quite wide, which was frequently shown through the sequences of low-level candles and angled mines. The theme, while I did not fully understand its overall premise, its essence appeared to be more highlighted through the musical choices. The quality of the products was superb, and the color richness was fantastic, though not as vivid as Spain’s. Overall, however, I felt that there had been some repetition with effects for several segments, which was probably related to the more restricted product diversity. Also, possibly related to technical problems, the precision for a fair number of low-level sequences was noticeably off in relation to the music, with many single shots that exhibited a slight delay behind the key components of the relevant soundtrack. The narrative at the beginning also produced the feeling of an anti-climax. The finale was much less than expected, but the faux finale was reasonable. The American team may be in contention for a prize, although likely more for, like England, third place.

Pyrotechnical pieces: 8.5/10
Pyromusical design: 8.5/10
Technical design: 8/10
Soundtrack: 8.5/10
Synchronization: 8/10
Total: 41.5/50<---83%

Participating country: Croatia
Company: Mirnovec Pirotehnika
Date of presentation: July 24th, 2013

This was easily the chilliest fireworks night this season. Nearly record-breaking cool temperatures occurred for this newest country participant in the competition, thus setting the stage for one of the coolest evenings to ever take place for a fireworks night and forcing the vast majority of spectators to equip light sweaters/light jackets. The overnight low was cool enough to earn the third rank in recorded history for the Montreal area for July 25th. Very light NE/NNE winds also caused smoke to move gently towards Notre-Dame street, just near the bridge, as well as towards sections of the city, producing some paper debris.

Despite the chilly weather, the fireworks warmed the souls of spectators with a flamboyant display! The overall pyromusical design was creatively-oriented and included a fairly broad range of products for representation. Synchronization was virtually flawless, especially notable at low-level, and worked well with the (enjoyable) musical selection. In addition, the flame projectors used for the display added a different and interesting dimension to the show and were implemented with novelty. My principal criticism with this show, however, was the lack of a strong thematic connection. Here, most musical selections offered little or no relevance to the overall theme. However, the theme had been largely conveyed through the narratives that had been provided, but these sections themselves were much too enduring, especially the opening (which lasted about one minute and seven/eight seconds) and detracted from the display. At some points, the product selection also appeared a little reserved (several uses of kamuros and weeping willows), and colors were shown in a somewhat monochromatic fashion (though it was appropriate for many sections), including for both the faux and real finales. The finale itself was intense but short-lived and needed a little more in the way of color richness. In general, this display had features that would merit a Jupiter, though, in accordance with my personal rankings, for the bronze.

Pyrotechnical pieces: 9/10
Pyromusical design: 9/10
Technical design: 8/10
Soundtrack: 7.5/10
Synchronization: 9.5/10
Total: 43/50<---86%

Participating country: Canada
Company: Garden City Display Fireworks
Date of presentation: July 27th, 2013

Generally cooperative weather conditions were present for the Canadian display, with warm evening temperatures of 24 C, moderate humidity, a few clusters of mid-level clouds, and light Easterly to ESE winds. Winds were particularly favorable for those spectators at La Ronde, though to the detriment of viewers on Notre-Dame street, as smoke moved unfavorably in that general direction.

Following a near six-minute delay, we were treated with what soon appeared to be a promising display, performed by the Canadian team who was last seen in 2006. This was one of the displays that I most anxiously awaited, and I salute my hat to the Canadian team, as they pulled off a compelling display in relation to a theme that demanded a relatively large degree of intricacy and structure. Indeed, in spite of doubt that was casted in my mind beforehand concerning the structural integrity of the performance, this quickly turned out to be a finely crafted display that truly merits much appreciation for its conceptual design, especially for one who studies atmospheric and climate science! In spite of an unoriginal theme, the overall premise was one of novelty. The display made use of small narratives to both help convey the theme and introduce each season. The narratives themselves added depth to the display and, as compared to other displays, did not detract from the show. A variety of products was also featured, and effects were often implemented accordingly for representation of the four seasons, which was the essence and foundation of this display. “Thunderstruck” was a particularly memorable piece, largely simulating lightning from a thunderstorm (an important meteorological and climatological event of the warm season at mid-latitudes) through the use of bright photoflashes. Transitions from season to season and segment to segment were excellent, and choreography was mostly clean and effectively delivered, especially at low-level. However, the occasional asymmetric pieces of this display, likely related to technical problems, became somewhat obvious and led to a sense of imbalance, as well as, subsequently, to a lesser degree of precision with synchronization. That said, these occurrences were minor and few. Colors were vibrant, but not to the same extent as Spain’s selection, and they could have been a little more diverse at certain points. These technicalities were mostly observed during the early part of the show. A better demonstration of a selected few segments would have been appreciated (such as “Surfin’ USA”). The finale was good, particularly with the transitions in color from section to section, though it could have been a little more enduring and combined into one! Certainly a strong contender for an award, mostly for either the Silver or Bronze!

Pyrotechnical pieces: 9/10
Pyromusical design: 9/10
Technical design: 9/10
Soundtrack: 9.5/10
Synchronization: 9/10
Total: 45.5/50<---91%

Participating country: Italy
Company: Pyroemotions Scarpato & Pyrodigit Team
Date of presentation: July 31st, 2013

Near-perfect weather conditions took place for the highly anticipated Italian display. Temperatures steadily remained at 24 C during most of the evening, tying for the warmest fireworks night of the season (with Hong Kong/China and Canada). Winds were largely out from the South (occasionally the SSW) and were light, prompting some periods of smoke accumulation.

This was an absolutely fantastic display fabricated by the debutant Italian dual-company and merits the title of being one of the most memorable displays experienced in the history of this competition. This display featured some of the most fantastic and precise one-shot sequences that I have ever seen, together with a very large diversity of high-quality product that hardly made the display monotonous. The sequences at low- to mid-levels added a great dimension to the display, as did the incorporation of the two mounted rings. Ramp five was also effectively used and often permitted for some exquisite symmetry. Although nautical products were not included, the firing angles of gerbs at extreme low-level made for some great use of the lake. Skies at all altitudes were scarcely void, and there had been plenty of exciting moments to have the audience frequently thrilled. The theme was the most apparent and enjoyable of the season, and, of course, was well established and organized throughout the display. Thematic representation was very good, especially with the precise timing of the candles, angled mines and shells! Rhythm and pace were absolutely stellar, and, again, the precision of the one-shot sequences, combined with those mine and comet sequences from the ring, achieved such a sharp level of precision to match the intricacies of most musical selections, carefully adhering to the sudden in-music changes in pace. The music itself was the most enjoyable of the season, and one of the most enjoyable in the competition’s history. This was particularly effective since the soundtrack editing was superb and allowed for typically seamless transitions. As I had mentioned previously, many folks felt the need to interact with the music, and, in many ways, the music was somewhat similar to Sweden 2010’s. The degree of creativity was also somewhat similar to Portugal 2008, while the two mounted ring-like structures reminded me of Portugal 2002. That said, the pyromusical and technical design of the Italian display was very unique and will remain as one of the most memorable displays in the history of the competition. My criticisms are minor and few. Firstly, the narratives, for me, although they served as a guide, detracted a little from the display, since it was difficult to hear the music in the background when they had been present. Also, there were some points where additional representation for a selected few segments would have been welcomed – this may be achieved by increasing the diversity of effects, at times, for sequencing. A few nautical shells also would have been interesting to incorporate, but, again, the firing angles made very good use of the firing site from left to right and top to bottom. Transitions in pace and, thus, emotional feel were good, but like Sweden 2010, would have benefited from one or two more serene sections. The finale was easily the most dramatic this season, and is enough to make to my list of most memorable finales. However, it could have been a little more colorful and enduring in nature! Overall, the Italian team earns the Gold Jupiter, with “flying colors”.

Pyrotechnical pieces: 9.5/10
Pyromusical design: 9.5/10
Technical design: 9.5/10
Soundtrack: 10/10
Synchronization: 10/10
Total: 48.5/50<---97%
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At this point, my thoughts are largely tied with the Spanish, Croatian, Canadian and Italian performances, but mostly with the Italian and Spanish displays for the Gold and Silver, respectively, for my jury predictions. The Spanish, Croatian and Canadian displays had their positives and negatives; however, the overall degree to which the negatives stood out for each of these displays is not entirely clear enough to decisively favor one over the other. As a result, the choices for the Silver and Bronze are distinctly more of a challenge to predict. For myself, I thought the Spanish display had a very tenacious theme and was well represented. At the same time, the products used were of high quality and often produced the most vivid colors of the season, along with some excellent sequences of nautical shells and generally fabulous choreography. Though it could have been a little better, the finale was the second-best this season. The more negative point, however, was that the show began to lean more on redundancy/monotony towards the latter half. For Croatia, the creativity was apparent, especially with the low-level sequences, as compared to Spain. However, the theme was not very obvious through the fireworks or music, and the colors, though diverse, were not as captivating as Spain’s. The narratives, though they did help to convey the theme, they were a little too enduring when present. The finale also left an anti-climactic feeling, and the show also lacked the nautical effects presented in both the Spanish and Canadian displays. With respect to Canada, the theme, while not completely original, was represented in a very creative and highly organized manner. For me (and many others), the second-most enjoyable musical selection this season was also from Canada. The small technical problems that had been experienced (mostly evident with asymmetry) were not enough to significantly impact the show, and the effects used illustrated most of the segments effectively. Though synchronization was not as seamless as the Spanish and Croatian displays, Canada’s was effective in its own right. As a final note, I always fundamentally believe the choice of music is a powerful element in a final decision and could bring a great lasting appeal to a display, so I feel that Canada has the advantage here.

As such, here are my jury predictions and personal choices, followed by my choices for other aspects:

Trav’s jury prediction:

1st: Italy
2nd: Spain
3rd: Canada

Green Achievement Award: Not really enough known to predict.
People Choice Award (if it exists this year): Italy

Trav’s personal choice:

1st: Italy
2nd: Canada
3rd: Spain

Best choice of music:

1. Italy
2. Canada
3. Spain
4. Australia
5. United States

Most intriguing effects:

1. Italy
2. Canada
3. Croatia
4. Spain
5. England

Best quality products:

1. Italy
2. Spain
3. Canada
4. Croatia
5. United States

Highest color richness:

1. Spain
2. Italy
3. United States

Best devised and represented theme:

1. Italy
2. Canada
3. Spain
4. Australia

Best sequences:

1. Italy
2. Canada
3. Croatia
4. Spain
5. England

Most powerful/energetic displays:

1. Italy
2. Canada
3. Croatia
4. Spain

Best opening segment:

1. England
2. Australia
3. Spain

Top conclusions:

1. Italy
2. Spain
3. Australia

All will be revealed soon.

Trav.

P.S. Yes, this qualifies as overdoing it, but I, nevertheless, enjoyed the monstrous write-up.


Posted: Aug 2, 2013 21:03:22

Trav, one day I'll force myself to write as much as you. Promise!

Until then ....

My top 3:
1 - Italy
2 - Croatia
3 - Spain

Jury's Top 3:
1 - Italy (Forza Italia!)
2 - Canada
3 - Spain

Dan


Posted: Aug 2, 2013 21:11:52

I agree with Dan

1 - Italy
2 - Croatia
3 - Spain

Bob


Posted: Aug 3, 2013 09:04:58

My Jury predictions:

Gold: Italy
Silver: Croatia
Bronze: either Spain or Canada

It's hard to come up with my personal favourite as all of the shows had something missing so it makes it hard to put them in order. I liked the great Italian shells in the Mirnovec show, I loved the rich colours in the Zaragozana show, I loved some of the sequences in the Pyroemotions show and I loved some of the effects and concepts in the Garden City show. Those four are my top four. Vulcan would have been too - but, well, it doesn't need to be said. Few of the shows this year had any WOW moments for me unfortunately, but the four I mentioned (as well as Vulcan) did, to differing degrees.

So my 3 top shows are:

Croatia
Italy
Spain

With Canada very close.

I'm not sure which was my favourite soundtrack this year as the Vulcan one was very good, but I felt so bad throughout the entire display that I couldn't enjoy it

What a strange year it was!

Paul.


Posted: Aug 3, 2013 14:20:29   Edited by: Smoke

As my father was also faithfully watching the fireworks with me, he wanted to share his jury predictions and personal choices, so I will post them on his behalf. Jury predictions and personal choices are the same:

1st: Italy
2nd: Croatia
3rd: Canada

Thanks to Bob Burch, my mother also had an opportunity to provide her choices:

Her jury predictions and personal choices are also identical:

1st: Italy
2nd: Canada
3rd: Spain

Like Paul, I thought that this season was a strange one (probably the strangest).

Edit: Dan, don't feel compelled to write as much!

Trav.


Posted: Aug 3, 2013 14:32:08

Mylène has just posted her prediction (the same as mine) and her choice: Spain, Canada and Croatia, with a Special Jupiter to Italy. But I would like to know how she would have dealt with the Italian case if she was on the jury, without that degree of freedom.

Mylène and Paul's choices make me believe about a small probability that Pyroemotions and Pyrodigit may not be on the highest podium position, but I still guess that most people, inside and outside the jury, go with Team Italia.

Fred


Posted: Aug 3, 2013 14:50:44

with a Special Jupiter to Italy

Fred, is the Special Jupiter the same as the Green Achievement/Initiative Award?

Mylène and Paul's choices make me believe about a small probability that Pyroemotions and Pyrodigit may not be on the highest podium position

After seeing the results of 2008, I am not ruling anything out.

Trav.


Posted: Aug 3, 2013 14:59:19

Fred, is the Special Jupiter the same as the Green Achievement/Initiative Award?

No. In this specific case, the Special Jupiter is a Mylène's innovation!

An award named "Special Jupiter" has existed during the 1990s. It was basically a corporative prize to acknowledge a partner of the event.

Fred


Posted: Aug 3, 2013 15:09:21

An award named "Special Jupiter" has existed during the 1990s. It was basically a corporative prize to acknowledge a partner of the event.

Thanks for your response, Fred! Yes, I remember the Special Jupiter awards from the 90s (and 2000), though not their full purpose - the question just surfaced because I noticed the "Green Initiative" award winners from 2009 and onwards had been placed in the Special Jupiter column of the "Winners List" page on this site.

Thanks for the clarifications!

Trav.
 

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