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 Montreal Fireworks Forum —› 2007 Display Reviews —› France-Féérie reviews.
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Posted: Jul 21, 2007 19:02:05

Hi guys,

Post your reviews of the French display here once you've returned or whenever you get the chance afterwards.

I hope to see a wonderful display assisted by a powerful finale for my birthday.

Trav.


Posted: Jul 21, 2007 20:16:35

A message for you Travis,

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you.....Happy Birthday dear Travis.....Happy Birthday to you! Let me tell you Travis....it's a good thing you can't hear me sing.....LOL

I just hope you had a wonderful day today.....and that France will put on a wonderful show this evening, to celebrate your Birthday.....and one special way to do that, would be for them to show us an intense and endless finale....with thousands of salutes, of course!

Have a great show, my friend. I will be there on the bridge, looking at the "candles" that France lit up in the sky for you....

Pierre


Posted: Jul 22, 2007 00:49:49   Edited by: Enkil

Unfortunately, tonight, I made the terrible mistake of leaving at 9pm and going to the fireworks by car! Everything was going well until we hit Sherbrooke street where there was a huge traffic because many cars stopped in the middle of the street or something and those damn road closures due to festivities, I think. It was chaos in downtown at around 9:30 - 9:45.

So we decided to watch the fireworks (if I still remember name of the streets) between Sherbrooke and De La Fontaine intersection. I believe it's near the Breaudy metro station. We found a pretty good view, but I mostly saw shells and a few lower effects.

From what I've gathered, this appeared to be a very decent display. I saw many beautiful shells. The music was really good also. There was one song which was like Hip Hop, very anti-climatic and I didn't like it. In fact, I just didn't think it fit well with the show. But the song selection and synchronization were very good overall.

I personally don't like these Romeo and Juliet themes. I've heard about this so many times that it just irritates me now. The show obviously had a very emotional dimension to it, with all those wonderful mini-finales... excuse me, kamuros. At some point, I was afraid that it might end with kamuros because of the theme and the ending of the story lol, but thank goodness it was only a faux finale (for Smoke's sake ).

The finale seemed to be OK, but nothing huge, except the last 3 seconds. I might be wrong, though.

I suppose that's all I have to say . I was mad as hell for almost missing this show. And I still am very angry! But at least, I saw something.

I'll have to see the full video of it beforing ranking it, or maybe I shouldn't. I'll have to find it on YouTube.

Anyhow, I think that Féérie has a chance to win an award this year.

Rankings - from Notre-Dame street (without France)

1. Canada
2. USA
3. England
4. China
5. Spain
6. Mexico


Posted: Jul 22, 2007 01:28:25   Edited by: Smoke

Good evening,

Tonight's show was actually very nicely constructed and a lot of the pieces were pleasantly fluent with the music of choice for most of the display. The theme itself was well followed and was well built on with what was demonstrated from segment to segment.

I was, however, expecting a little more from this sort of display. I also found that the Australian performance in 2003 executed the same theme much more efficiently the way I remembered it. However, it is important to remember that Feerie practically had a different approach taken on the thematic framework by comparison and this too was also nicely done in its own way. I was particularly impressed in the opening with that display of a rose in the form of a heart along with the stem and leaf structure directly underneath it. The latter appearance of the heart (I think situated on ramp 4) was also very admirabe.

Other memorable pieces were the sequencing of some of the effects, particularly the red shells at mid level, as well as the kamuros at the same level, were nearly perfectly in harmony with the music and making a nice appearance of a rainbow as they moved from the left to the right transitioning back and forth.

The music choice was a little bit redundant and some of them were essentially more enjoyable than others. As Enkil clearly said, I, too, was not a fan of that Hip Hop-like soundtrack used at one point since it did not mix in at all with the other selected sountrack used. The music choice was pretty much enjoyable, though, but I found a lot of it very similar in rhythm and feeling, particularly at the beginning. A lot of the firing scheme was also quite identical and a lot of the display lacked variations in speed. Firing patterns were also remarkably similar at times.

In all, this was a great effort from the French team, but I was expecting a little more from this sort of display, especially with the more dramatic transitions to represent the complex variety of emotions that were involved with this theme.

The finale was ok, and yes, Enkil, thank goodness the finale wasn't just a bunch of kamuros! The real thing was starting off pretty good, but it didn't last even 15 seconds!

I'll have more details later today, but I must say that I enjoyed my day to the fullest. Thank you, France, for putting on a terrific show!

Hi Pierre,

Honestly, that was very kind of you, my friend. I did in fact have a good day all the way through from the time I woke up to the time the fireworks ended.

France did a pretty good job, but I was hoping for a bigger ending with loads of salutes, like Canada! The ending itself was surprisingly so short, but the faux finale series was still a thirller before the main course!

Again, I was thinking of you and everyone else on this forum in what you guys were thinking this time around when the finale was happening! It wasn't a bad finale, but I wish it kept going at that rate for a good while longer!

Regardless, I had a great time tonight and it was a pleasure to see such a large audience on Notre-Dame and De Lorimier once again. The weather also cooperated so nicely for a change.

Thank you very much for your good wishes (and for your happy birthday singing ), Pierre, and you've really helped make my birthday an enjoyable one. Here's hoping that we get another chance to scream for a big finale before this season comes to a close!

Trav.


Posted: Jul 22, 2007 01:49:08


FRANCE ... Overall Rating: Ho-Hum

I was expecting a lot more, I would rate this one OK, average, but the finale was weak. The crowd around me even seemed to expect more at the end, alas it was over...
Cheers were short and muted, as opposed to Canada where long big cheers and clapping erupted at the finish...

Hey, after that Canada, what a letdown!
(seriously I would pay $25 to watch that Canada display over again... even with the freaking delay...)

Anyway there were some good large shells filling the sky, but way too much monotone amber color.
The large reds were good though.

Again, they would have done much better if the finale was like multiplied by 5, or 10...

Next up...


Posted: Jul 22, 2007 13:25:36   Edited by: fredbastien

Le spectacle de nos cousins français était très attendu, leur réputation ayant précédé leur première visite à Montréal. Hier soir, Féérie a produit un excellent spectacle pyromusical, malgré les difficultés qu'ils ont eues à surmonter (à suivre sur www.pyroplanet.com !). À mon avis, cependant, il y avait un peu trop de lacunes pour accéder aux plus hautes marches du podium.

J'étais très heureux de constater que malgré un thème similaire, Féérie avait choisi une bande sonore très différente de celle d'Explosive Entertainment en 2003. Comme la firme australienne, Féérie a choisi d'insérer quelques extraits narratifs pour nous situer dans le déroulement du récit. Des extraits très courts, qui ne perturbaient pas le déroulement du spectacle. La bande sonore était aussi très diversifiée. Les amateurs de rap, d'opéra ou de musique instrumentale pouvaient y trouver quelque chose correspondant à leur préférence musicale. Cependant, la pièce qui apportait une narration en anglais jurait considérablement avec le reste. Un autre segment aurait été plus approprié.

Dans l'ensemble, le site a été très bien utilisé, avec ce montage de coeurs et de fleurs sur la rampe 4, de nombreuses pièces nautiques et des effets à tous les niveaux. La géométrie de certains tableaux était à trancher au couteau. La règle, le compas et l'équerre des concepteurs ont donné des segments dont la symétrie et la précision dans la juxtaposition des éléments pyrotechniques étaient fabuleuses.

La principale lacune du spectacle pourrait se résumer à un manque de diversité. Concernant les pièces pyrotechniques, il y avait beaucoup de répétition. Il me semble que nous aurions apprécier le recours à une gamme plus diversifiée d'effets pyrotechniques. Concernant les couleurs, une plus grande richesse aurait été souhaitable. Le blanc et le rouge étaient omniprésents. Les pièces multicolores ou changeant de couleurs étaient peu nombreuses.

Bien que la synchronisation était par moment excellente (je pense que plusieurs spectacteurs ont été séduits par les mines d'étoiles rouges synchronisées sur les battements de coeurs), elle aurait pu être améliorée à d'autres moments, en particulier à la fin des tableaux. Après la pièce d'Era, par exemple, quelques bombes éclataient encore alors que les artifices associés au tableau suivant entraient déjà en action.

Enfin, il semble que les artificiers succombent ces temps-ci à la mode de l'arc-en-ciel. Celui des Français était le quatrième cette année. Cela me rappelle 2002, alors qu'au moins deux firmes (Marutamaya et Luso Pirotecnia) nous avaient présenté une vague déferlante de droite à gauche à l'aide de mines ou de comètes. Succomber à la mode n'est pas le meilleur moyen d'atteindre l'originalité!

Ces critiques très sévères ne doivent cependant pas faire oublier la qualité de l'ensemble du spectacle. La compétition montréalaise est très relevée et ces quelques points faibles peuvent être fatidiques. Je pense que Pains Fireworks et PyroSpectacular by Souza ont produit les deux meilleurs spectacles à ce jour. Si l'on fait abstraction du délai de 19 minutes, la firme canadienne devrait prendre les devants sur les amis français. (Mais savoir si le jury en fera abstraction demeure une inconnue.) J'hésite encore à accorder la troisième position à la France, au Canada... ou peut-être même à Hong Kong.

Il reste maintenant à voir la recrue allemande, dont nous savons pour le moment bien peu de choses.

Frédérick


Posted: Jul 22, 2007 13:34:59

Well I was completely disappointed with France last night. The music was completely depressing (I understand it was romeo and juliet) but there are much better songs to use from it. Their use of colors was unimpressive. There were no really big segments to the show, and the ones that were supposed to be big left me feeling unsatisfied. The finale was well terrible. Finales these days need to last longer then 15 seconds if they want to be taken seriously. I really am shocked with this show.

BTW- Is the rainbow a requirement this year in all shows? Its become almost silly now.

Ranking so far
1.Canada
2.England
3.USA
4.Spain
5.Hong Kong
6.France
7.Mexico


Posted: Jul 22, 2007 16:58:27   Edited by: Salutes lover

Hey Travis,

I am happy to know that you enjoyed yourself yesterday, until the last moment! The weather was simply perfect!

About France's performance yesterday, I was a bit disappointed. This is a question of taste, but the music almost put me to sleep.....and there was a lack of diversity in colors, shapes, etc... There was no change in intensity throughout the show...it was too evenly paced from start to finish. I did not get excited throughout the show, not until the finale happened. The last part of the finale (preceded by two "fausses finales" ) started pretty nicely, with red and white filling the sky....but that was WAY TOO SHORT! I think that this has become a trend this year, unfortunately! I still enjoyed myself though. There were no apparent technical problems and the show started on time!

As for how I rank the countries...

1. Canada
2. USA
3. England
4. Spain
5. France
6. China
7. Mexico

Now that I know a VERY important detail about the German show next Wednesday, I am REALLY looling forward to this display

Enjoy the rest of this beautiful weekend!

Pierre


Posted: Jul 22, 2007 17:00:49   Edited by: Smoke

Country participant: France
Company: Féérie
Date of presentation: July 21st, 2007

For the first time since the presentation of Spain, France was blessed with excellent weather and a return to more seasonal and Summer-like conditions for the entire day supplied by a beautiful build up of high pressure system creating a ridge in the jet stream. We stayed constant at 22 Celsius along with small amounts of humidity and the expected light Northwest wind, which ended up being a little lighter at 7-10 km/h. The stage was set and the weather was cooperating for this promising performance from the French team of Féérie and their associated theme of "Romeo and Juliet", which hoped to captivate this very large audience with a wide variety of emotion.

The display started off with a dazzling illumination of a large rose structure with the top piece in the shape of a heart. Not long after, mines were rapidly being fired from my left to the right with bright red stars along with some shells at the top. Following this through the performance, we have seen blue shells of swirls "@", shells of serpents and screaming serpents, extensive candles with brilliant colored stars (like the "Smarties" variety), weeping willows, quite a few areas where swirls burst into salutes, occasional large shells of white (reminded me a bit of Sweden 2005), many kamuros, shells of sparkles (pink and white), and then my personal favorites: the integral shells of multi-breakers. I also want to point out a piece early in the show where there was an attempt to make a very artistic rainbow consisting of candles that spread out nicely in the typical rainbow pattern to set up the overall effect. Shells of red were then fired above these candles back and forth in a semi-circle fashion carefully following the outline of the candles. Also, the red shells were backed up with small kamuros at the same time doing the same pattern as the reds faded away. I thought this was very cute and perfectly crafted.

Low level effects included bright white flares and moments of the wonderful red flares. We also saw fountains of gold glitters at the bottom from the left to the right on ramp 1 extending several feet in the air. Similarly, there was an appearance of some spinning wheels on the vertical with white sparks on the same ramp. There was also a structure way to my left near the Ferris wheel that I could not make out clearly (seemed to be obscured by either a tree or by smoke), but it seemed to be spinning, though with a different effect unrelated to the other spinners I described (the spinner itself was a much more elevated). Of course, we have vividly seen many variations of mines and candles. The mines sometimes consisted of salutes or crackling stars as they were fired and often times, we have seen the integration of the candles with the mines as well. The candles themelves were usually very graceful and elongated because they extended very accordingly from the left and right in the sky at low to mid level. Finally, as mentioned, we saw the rose structure at the opening segment and we also were treated with a heart structure much later in the show which seemed to be situated on ramp 4. This small ring structure that the heart was associated with also briefly gave off some bright flares (much like the idea of the Portuguese and English ring) of yellow, blue and red in combination as the red heart shape slowly faded away before hand.

Synchronization was fairly well done and much of the effects, particularly with respect to the sequencing of the firing patterns, were quite admirable at times as well. There were a couple of spots where I noticed that some connections were off, particularly when that advertisement of "Loto-Quebec" came on and fireworks resumed (unless there was music playing in the background at the same time ). Other than this, there were some noticeable spots. The choice of music could have been better, but I enjoyed some of the soundtrack used anyway. A lot of the soundtrack, however, especially near the beginning, felt rather similar in nature between rhythm and feeling, which gave me the impression of redundancy. Also, as previously stated last night, that Hip Hop-like soundtrack was personally not a good choice for this sort of display, not to mention with the flow of the other music that was used in the show altogether! That particular selection was not enjoyable either.

The design of the show was actually very well done and nicely constructed; I found the show to be very interestingly balanced from left to right, which I thought was one of the strongest points of the performance. This was most prevalent at mid levels with the candles, mines and shells that extended nicely to the left all the way to the right in perfect harmony. The rainbow simulation from low to mid level is another perfect example of this balance and sequence. However, the only problem was that there was not a variety in speed within the firing scheme itself; a lot of the patterns were essentially quite similar by the way they were executed, which also led to repetition under these circumstances. There was also not a huge range of product, especially when compared to other displays we've seen already, such as China. The colors were vibrant and in good mixture most of the time, but again there was not a big selection. Needless to say, there were some nice choices, especially with the bright stars from central candles. Also, there were some nice deep purple stars seen later on in the show, too, in conjunction with others as well.

The finale was a little disappointing, especially after what we saw with Canada, by comparison. I actually was expecting the faux finale to be presented in the way it was with tons of gold glitters in the typical massive umbrella. However, when this concluded, another set of kamuros were being fired rapidly making me believe that this was also going to be the real deal, just a bigger version of the faux finale! Luckily, as Enkil said, that was not the case. The real finale quickly started off and builded intensely with some VERY loud crackling pistils and quite a bit of salutes with a continuing pace of larger shells of green and red directly above. The entire pattern continued for a few seconds longer with a lot of strength, but surprisingly came to quick close with some final sequences of salutes and shells. Darn! If that had only continued for a good while longer, then that certainly would have been something! The actual finale did not last anymore than 15 seconds, but the thing is that it started off so well, but ended much too quickly!

Trav's personal rankings:

-Synchronization: 9/10-This was a very nicely synchronized display, but moreso with the coordination of the effects used.
-Design: 8/10-The show was very nicely concocted, but a lot of the firing pattterns were a little too repetitive in nature, which lost the advantage of having effective transitions for demonstrating the various conflicting emotions. The colors were generally good, but not in huge variety compared to other performances. The quality of the products was reasonable, but again the products were not hugely diverse. However, this display really made a good impression when using low to mid levels of sky.
-Creativity/Originality/Concept: 8/10-Let's face it, the theme was not totatlly original, especially considering that it has been considered and attempted before in the past, or at least the idea, so to speak. However, the show was still cleverly delivered through this theme and thus was still quite enjoyable. The creativity in my mind was moderate, but I personally loved some of the effects used, especially that rose in the opening, not to mention the rainbow construction as well witnessed earlier in the show.
-Choice of music: 7.5/10-Overall, the music choice was not totally impressive to me, but at least some of them made it enjoyable. However, a lot of them were remarkably similar and one of the tracks simply did not fit the display.
-Finale/Overal appreciation: 7.5/10-I was hoping for a much bigger ending to conclude this sort of display, especially since everyone's expectations after Canada's finale, as I would imagine, would naturally be quite high. Nevertheless, the finale was close to average and still had some power to it, but it's duration was simply well below our standards!
-Overall: 8/10

^^^
Again, I'll probably have to adjust scores later on to accurately compare the participants, but this should still serve as an idea of where I stand with each display in terms of rank. *These are also my personal rankings based on my viewpoints via De Lorimier and Notre-Dame streets. Notice also that I've incorporated a "design" criterion to the scoring, which considers the colors and other aspects as well.


This was a reasonable display and I personally still found it enjoyable to some extent. A lot of the color mixtures were actually very well chosen and, like I've commented on other displays, had good contrasts. The show, however, was a little less than I expected mainly because, besides the finale, the theme was not as well enforced as it could have been, considering that this is a rather complex theme to work with in its entirety. The theme itself had also been done before. However, the key factor to consider was the way this show was implemented around this hackneyed theme; the show was quite distinguishable from the performance of Australia in 2003, for example, and thus can be deemed unique. The narration also was relatively fair and didn't take much away from the enjoyment of the performance, compared to Canada's show. The problem again, though moderately creative, was that there was not enough to support the theme efficiently, especially the way Australia, for the sake of argument, did there's in that year. The colors themselves were in good variety, but often times were too deeply concentrated at certain points, especially in the penultimate piece. Similarly with the effects, there wasn't too much of a variety and many of the patterns of firing were in close resemblance.

Despite all that said, the show was still very well executed and there are some very interesting parts that definitely should not be denounced. The rainbow segment with the candles and assisted mid level shells, as I explained, was very nicely done. Also, the way this display was designed took full advantage from the left and right in a very wide fashion at low to mid levels of sky, essentially remaining balanced and rarely losing momentum. The show was also admirably artistic in a lot of sense and a lot was demonstrated in support of that. Though the theme was already implemented before, the team ideally promoted a good approach towards this it, even though it did not have the ample enforcement to be further successful. The finale, however, was not totally fitting and could have been so much more powerful, especially in the way it had already started. Overall, it is to my belief that the main problem with this display is that it lacked sufficient vibrance and variety among color, firing and music to mingle with the performance. The other disappointment was the relative absence of dramatic transitions at at consistent pace. Other than these careful considerations, everything else was very well successful.

A strong effort from the French team and the show was still an enjoyable one, especially as a birthday treat. Though I still have England as my #1 choice (still contemplating with Canada and the U.S), I do believe that France also has a chance of making it on the podium.

Our final entrant is next: Germany!

Trav.


Posted: Jul 22, 2007 17:30:47

Hi Pierre,

Yes, I had a wonderful day, but it would have come to a gorgeous end if the finale was massive! But I honestly can't complain since a fireworks display lands on my birthday once every 3 years on average. It was still a great show and I enjoyed it to some extent. Regardless, having a fireworks display on your birthday is still a tremendous treat no matter how the show turns out.

Again, let's hope we can get an ending to scream about before the season is done. I also read what Paul wrote about Germany's performance, so there's a chance!

Take care, Pierre, and I look forward to seeing your video clips! Thank you, as always, for that, my friend.

Trav.


Posted: Jul 23, 2007 15:47:56   Edited by: TRae

I think this is going to have to be a quick review. I enjoyed Féérie's display quite a bit. I really enjoyed the soundtrack and use of narration/character dialogue. I thought that one of the displays strengths was their limited use of colours and their tendency to use darker golds and blues to perfectly fit the atmosphere - I don't think it is always important for a fireworks display to offer as many colours as possible. Another strength to me was their "staging" or "choreography" - I'm using the terms coming from a background in live theatre (actually quite appropriate for a Romeo & Juliet themed display). I thought that the use of low-level displays, building up to the larger fireworks to conclude segments was really well done - I often look for this. As I've mentioned before, this year I have been filming each of the displays and France's show was my best attempt at capturing a display thus far - I've had more practice of course - I believe because it was so easy to follow the display. That isn't to say that it was overly simple and there wasn't movement or action, but that there was a natural movement and progression to it. I think Féérie did a very good job of telling the story but I must add that I never saw the Australian display in 2003.

Aversely, the number of effects were limited and a bit more variety could have helped. The finale was, meh, not what I expected. It was actually really magnificent for its 15 seconds or so (the real finale I'm talking about of course, with the vibrant red and white) but much too short. I would actually like to ask the rest of you how you interpreted the finale - what did it symbolize for you? I saw it as Romeo and Juliet having a final embrace or encounter in the afterlife - but it was only fleeting. When the narration that opened the show said something - sorry if i don't remember it perfectly - along the lines of there being other Romeo and Juliets in the world and that despite a perhaps tragic ending, that love itself endures and that love in its essence can not be killed. I was thinking a perfect way to end the display would have been to have an extended red and white finale celebrating love itself and not Romeo and Juliet in the afterlife... or maybe they did... again, I'd really like to know what you thought it meant.

Anyway, I really liked the display. I'm almost willing to put them in 3rd but going back to my "by the gut" rankings, the USA not only turned my gut inside out, it slapped me in the face in the sweetest way.

TRae's rankings thus far:

1. England
2. Canada
3. USA
4. France
5. Spain
6. Hong Kong
7. Mexico

P.S. Glad to hear you had a nice time on your birthday Trav


Posted: Jul 23, 2007 17:58:42   Edited by: Smoke

Hi TRae,

Funny enough, I thought I was the only one who got that impression during the finale! Indeed, though the finale itself was relatively short, I thought it was a true representation of the endurance of passionate love. Similarly, the color selection was strong in assistance to demonstrate both bRomeo and Juliet, but the key idea to follow is that love will continue to coexist; an entity and binding force that knows no boundaries in time's endless river.

I was also fond of one of your comments pertaining to color choice. It is true that a strong variety of color is not always a decisive factor as part of the display since many colors themselves may not appropriately fit specific thematic frameworks anyway. With this in mind, certain themes may limit what colors will be necessary to use in more concentration. That's not to say that you solely limit yourself to specific colors, but rather focus on the key colors that will ultimately define your premises, which is arguably a relevant integral part to a display. On the other hand, it can be important to have a sufficient mixture of colors, particularly for contrast purposes, to avoid redundancy and keep the better side of the audience intact, most notably in the finale.

I'm also willing to place France in 3rd place under some conditions, but I'm also still in conflict about China for 3rd as well, assuming of course that things are taken in full consideration for the Canadian team. Sounds like I have Canada in 3rd, huh? I actually have them in second place at the moment as a personal choice, but I will reveal my final choices and predictions come Saturday. Seriously, I can't even begin to imagine how this year's competition is already over.

Edit: I'm also happy that I had a nice day for my b-day, too, TRae. Thanks again for your good wishes!

Trav.


Posted: Jul 23, 2007 21:03:38

BTW- Is the rainbow a requirement this year in all shows? Its become almost silly now.


Interesting how common the rainbow has been this year. But then I guess everyone does a Golden Rain tableaux and no one comments on how overdone that is. I really do like the look and use of all the colours, as long as it's done properly I can accept the Rainbow, just make sure it's not simple, add a little complication to the package


Posted: Jul 28, 2007 20:18:51

Message à fred

J'ai bien aimé ta critique suite au feu francais..


Roger
 

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