How quickly this fireworks season came to an end, but I believe it felt even faster this year due to the latest start in the competition’s history (July 1st/Canada Day) while the end date still held constant as in recent years, so the duration of the 2015 edition was exactly one month. Nevertheless, this was a very, very enjoyable year, however short it was, and it was a real thrill for me (and many others, I am sure) that we had a restoration of 90s-style spectacular-finale frequency! Also, considering the number of new entrants this year, this turned out to be a very interesting season. One notable aspect of this year, too, was the delayed starts of the vast majority of the displays, many of which left very anti-climactic impressions. The opening display, too, was somewhat less enjoyable due to the damp, cool and windy conditions present at the time. England had the most dramatic opening.
Weather conditions were mixed this year. The opening show had uncomfortably cool conditions, with damp weather previously. We have seen the extremities with wind, with the strongest winds present on the opening night, and during Italy’s display. By contrast, the weakest wind speeds evidently occurred during the highly anticipated Chinese display by Vulcan, where a massive wall of smoke eventually took form, especially relative to those viewing from Notre-Dame. One fairly common attribute this year was the high humidity on several fireworks night, but the Chinese and French displays featured the absolute highest humidity levels. As far as temperatures were concerned, The French display had the warmest night (one of the warmest in recent years), with a temperature of 29 C during the and just prior to the display, and 30 C through most of the evening. The opening night had the coolest conditions, and Canada had the second coolest, but the least humid conditions were present for the Canadian show and was the only one where smoke was moving towards the bridge. No display experienced severe weather near and during the displays (although severe thunderstorms occurred on surrounding days – July 19th, July 21st, and July 27th), though some light rain showers took place for the American display.
A special thanks to the organizers for making this competition possible again for yet another year. Of course, I also thank Paul for keeping the forum alive and active, and for kindly and diligently providing us with inside information concerning each display! I similarly thank Mylene for all of her work in conducting interviews and bringing us additional information! I also would like to thank Bob Burch for kindly supplying video footage of the entire displays on-site for a sixth year in a row! Many thanks to all of our photographers (Bob, Rachel, and Steve) for continuously sharing their spectacular photos! Finally, I extend my thanks to all forum members for their continued participation on the forum and continuing to share all of their thoughts and insightful commentaries of each display (and in other discussions)! It was also a great pleasure to see new forum members (particularly ryguy2008) engage in the various discussions, as well!
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. I used the grading system that Fred kindly shared previously. Note that I have not graded Hong Kong/China since a fair portion of the show was much too obscured by smoke to really give a realistic evaluation.
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Participating country: England
Company: Jubilee Fireworks
Date of presentation: July 4th, 2015
As compared to the opening display, weather conditions properly greeted the competition proper with warm evening temperatures of 22-23 C, light SSW winds, and borderline moderate-high humidity.
The British debutantes truly delivered a fantastic and successful display. The colors were extremely vibrant and rich, perhaps the richest selection of all competitors this year. Synchronization was excellent, and good use was made of the firing site, extensively employing various firing angles and maintaining symmetry. The finale was also fantastic and was the second best of this year, in my mind. The dichotomous nature of the theme, “Vive la Difference”, was also a very interesting approach, as we have seen in the past, but I am not sure it was always clear beyond the fourth segment, which is a small criticism for me. The red stars that formed a heart shape were particularly memorable. Some soundtrack editing would have also benefitted. Overall, a strong contender for a Jupiter and, in my mind, first place.
Quality of pyrotechnical pieces = 14/15
Pyromusical design = 25/30
Technical design = 27/30
Soundtrack = 11/15
Synchronization = 9/10
Total: 89/100
Participating country: Italy
Company: A.P.E. Parente S.A.
Date of presentation: July 11th, 2015
The second warmest temperatures of the season made an appearance for the debutante Italian team, with temperatures of 25 C and high humidity. SSW/SW winds, however, were dangerously gusty (gusts near 40 km/h), similar to the opening night/Canada Day. Fortunately, speeds were still marginally sufficient to fire the display safely.
This was another enjoyable display, and it featured a very nice selection of musical tracks, probably my favorite selection of the season. A good variety of products were used, and the theme (Pyro Rock n’ Roll) was tightly represented. The display, however, was very simplistic in design, and though synchronization was excellent, it lacked creativity, and the choice of effects for representation seemed rather limited. By sharp contrast to England, however, many of the songs were overly short and rushed from one song to another, restricting more distinct transitions while making it difficult to enjoy and get into many of the songs, unfortunately. Still some memorable sequences in the display, but not enough to make the performance really stand out. The finale was also on the short side and needed more intensity.
Quality of pyrotechnical pieces = 11/15
Pyromusical design = 24/30
Technical design = 21/30
Soundtrack = 12/15
Synchronization = 8/10
Total: 76/100
Participating country: Canada
Company: Archangel Fireworks
Date of presentation: July 15th, 2015
The second coolest evening (though still pleasant) settled in for the Canadian entrant, with light NNW winds, along with the least humid conditions of the season. This was the only display where smoke was heading towards adjacent sections of the bridge.
This was a very good and interesting attempt by the Canadian debutante team. The display featured some beautiful sequences and memorable products, particularly the enormous nautical shells (especially in the finale). I enjoyed the fabulous arrangements of color at low-levels of the show, and the products were of high quality. Synchronization was fabulous and was sometimes quite creative. The theme, “Armageddon”, was also tightly adhered to and yielded a good pyromusical design. My criticisms are few, but as much as I enjoyed the display, I found it difficult to move one step ahead to really immerse myself into it due to the overall selection of music, which, although appropriate, did not come across to me as being fireworks-friendly, a similar feeling I acquired after seeing Canada 2012’s display. Also, I found some firing patterns to be somewhat redundant, and the show needed to place more emphasis on higher levels of the show, at times. Awesome finale, and the descriptions of the nautical shells that introduced it were quite memorable. Some music editing would have also helped a little. Overall, a good attempt by the Canadian team, who certainly has a chance of being awarded with a Jupiter, though perhaps the Bronze. This will also likely depend on the musical preference, as well.
Quality of pyrotechnical pieces = 13.5/15
Pyromusical design = 26/30
Technical design = 25/30
Soundtrack = 11/15
Synchronization = 9/10
Total: 84.5/100
Participating country: Hong Kong/China
Company: Vulcan
Date of presentation: July 18th, 2015
Warm (23-24 C) and the second most humid conditions of the season set the stage for what was the most anticipated display of the season. However, winds were tranquil, and due to the very high humidity, vast amounts of smoke accumulations occurred and remained virtually stationary, but later gently moving towards the La Ronde audience directly. Unfortunately, enormous smoke accumulations became prominent during the second half of the show. The view from Notre-Dame street, however, offered a somewhat better view of the high-level shells.
It is difficult to really write in great detail about the characteristics featured since much of the show was enveloped in thick smoke. From what we could see, however, beautiful demonstrations of rich colors and sequences were very evident, and synchronization was flawlessly executed, and very creative. Several segments were very well illustrated through the pyrotechnics. Many effects were also thoroughly enjoyed, particularly the farfalles, multi-breaks, Saturn shells, shells with central hearts embedded within them, and especially the mines of screaming serpents that made an appearance towards the end of the display. The low-level sequences were almost literally dancing, at times, and sometimes spontaneously produced overwhelming splashes of color (mostly with respect to those Z-firing patterns). The finale was good, with very echoing barrages of salutes and strong supporting intensity with the shells of silver comets directly above. The last seven minutes of the display were actually very exciting and consisted of several faux finales. The actual finale, as intense as it was, though, was on the short side. The soundtrack was very nicely edited, and the display probably produced the most emotional feel this year. One notable criticism that I have is that there had been some repetition with high-level firing, with sets of three shells often making an appearance. Also, the theme, “On The Road Again”, was not always clear throughout the show. Overall, it is difficult to say what the fate of this display will be, and given that much of the display was obscured by smoke, it is honestly difficult to rank the display in its entirety. Certainly a possibility to appear on the podium, however!
Participating country: United States
Company: Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks
Date of presentation: July 25th, 2015
Warm weather conditions (22-23 C) were present for the American team, with, again, very high humidity and light SSW winds. Some light showers also made an appearance during the evening, including during the display.
This was a very good display with a somewhat complex thematic approach (“Seasons of Life”). The layout of the theme was particularly interesting with the transitions in the elements from one season to another. Even though not awarded with a Jupiter in 2013, the Canadian display, to me, really did a fantastic job portraying each season. The Americans, too, did outstanding work to really create this seasonal (and sometimes emotional) feel, but what was particularly daring was the use of a more contemporary musical selection to produce a similar effect. The products used were fantastic, and there were many that were employed effectively to represent most soundtracks, which were mostly relevant. Like Hong Kong/China, there sometimes was a rush of fans of color at low-level that really captured the audience! While the theme was effective, however, it did not seem as clear as what had been done with previous displays with a similar theme, such as Canada 2013. This was perhaps more evident with some of the songs used. Also, the pyromusical design felt sometimes more restricted due to some repetition with drooping effects, which created some unfavorable similarities from one segment to another. I would have preferred to see a more diversified approach to really explore and represent some of the elements that constituted the theme. The finale was excellent, though it probably would have been better to combine the penultimate piece with the actual finale (each was about 30 seconds in duration). Still, a very energetic finale and ranks third for me this year. Overall, a great display, but I feel that a somewhat less complex design will prevent first or perhaps second place.
Quality of pyrotechnical pieces = 12.5/15
Pyromusical design = 27/30
Technical design = 26/30
Soundtrack = 12/15
Synchronization = 9.5/10
Total: 87/100
Participating country: France
Company: JCO
Date of presentation: July 29th, 2015
The warmest and most humid temperatures of the season graced the French team, with late-evening temperatures of 29 C (30 C just before the display began). Light SSW winds were also ideally present to push the smoke adequately.
This was certainly a very different, but enjoyable and mysterious display! It featured the most tenacious theme (“Dynamite Circus”) of the season and truly, truly produced a circus-oriented feeling – it honestly did feel like we were in a circus. In several ways, this display did remind me a little of the French display in 2011 (which I had viewed from La Ronde). This was also most definitely a very original concept. The show featured some very enticing sequences and comical moments that really amplified the overall atmosphere that engendered this display. Some elements were appropriately used to represent characteristics of the theme, notably the simulation of a hoop that appeared atop ramp 5, as well as that curtain effect. Colors were vibrant, and low-level firing angles were often interesting and made good use of the firing site’s left-right extent. The show, however, sometimes felt a little awkward with the laughing moments early on, and I thought the narration was a little too enduring for my tastes and somewhat disrupted the fluidity of the display. Still, some of the narration made me let out a chuckle or two, especially before the finale when we could hear people shouting for reimbursements! The display also sometimes felt disproportionate due to the lack of more high-level activity. The finale was absolutely awesome – it was so colorful, introduced well, and it had the correct crescendo and longevity (and maybe magnified by that feeling of disappointment during the previous “faux” finale), though just perhaps the very last bit of intensity could have gone on for another 10-15 seconds! Nevertheless, this was a stunning and exciting finale and will make my list of top finales! Really the top finale this year, and one of the most active displays (many faux finales!). Quite possibly a contender for a Jupiter, and I believe will be the winner for the soundtrack award with the very original and extremely well edited and compiled soundtrack.
Quality of pyrotechnical pieces = 12/15
Pyromusical design = 27/30
Technical design = 26/30
Soundtrack = 14/15
Synchronization = 8.5/10
Total: 87.5/100
All in all, a very exciting season this year, and, again, quite surprisingly so with many new recruits occupying the schedule! In my mind, I believe that there are five displays that really deserve a Jupiter award: England, China, Canada, United States, and France. In spite of fewer competitors this year, it’s ironically one of the harder years to predict the actual winners, especially given the circumstances tied with Hong Kong/China’s display. All of this year’s displays really excited me in different ways, but I felt that the music was what really helped me to take one step forward to really go into some of the displays. England’s performance had a very good theme to work with, and it equally had one of the more complex designs, even though the theme itself fell flat, for me, beyond segment four. The show also suffered little from technical problems/misfires. Canada’s display also had a very tenacious theme and a creative design, but I had a difficult time “really” enjoying the display because of the overall nature of the music (as appropriate as the selection was). China’s display, from what we could see, had a very complex design and very impressive low-level sequences and intriguing colors/firing patterns to go along with the music. However, it was sometimes a little redundant with firing patterns at high-level, and the theme was not always as clear. Unfortunately, most of the latter half of the display was obscured by smoke, and, as such, it is difficult to really rank it, and it’s more difficult to say what is racing through the minds of the judges concerning it. As much as I loved the Chinese display (again, from what I saw), the judges can only evaluate based on what they can actually see, not what could have been. The American display featured my favorite thematic framework, and it was one of the most creative displays, and the song selection was very interesting. The French display was the most original, had the best represented and integrative/interactive theme, and it featured a very unique song selection, along with many exciting sequences, although I am not sure how the extended periods of narration will affect the display. As such, my personal choices and predictions look like this:
Trav’s jury prediction:
1st: England
2nd: United States
3rd: France
Green Achievement Award: This is really hard to say.
Trav’s personal choice:
1st: England
2nd: Hong Kong/China
3rd: France
Best choice of music:
1. France
2. Italy
3. China
4. United States
Most intriguing effects:
1. Hong Kong/China
2. France
3. England
4. Canada (especially the nautical shells!)
4. United States
Best quality products:
1. Hong Kong/China
2. England
3. France
Highest color richness:
1. England
2. France
3. Hong Kong/China
4. United States
Best devised and represented theme:
1. France
2. Canada
3. United States
Best sequences:
1. Hong Kong/China
2. United States
3. Canada
4. France
Most powerful/energetic displays:
1. France
2. England
3. Hong Kong/China
Most dramatic opening:
1. England
Top conclusions:
1. France
2. England
3. Canada
4. United States
And so ends 26 years of attendance for me! And by the end of the closing show this evening, the number of years hosting the competition in the 2000s will have exceeded those in the 1900s (1985-1999).
Enjoy the closing display this evening.
Trav.
