For a third consecutive display day, dry and pleasant conditions graced this region. Indeed, the temperature during display time faithfully clung to the 20 C threshold, and with low humidity. Winds, however, were largely in the form of light WNW, causing the smoke to blow towards left-hand and central sections of the on-site audience (at times, narrowly capturing right-hand sections). This then created a hazy/murky appearance for the display when accumulations of smoke became more abundant during notably active sections. Fortunately, wind speeds were marginally suitable to clear some of the smoke at times, and the low humidity prevented the display from being potentially almost completely unseen.
The Mexican display, represented by Sirius Pyrotechnics, was, overall, quite entertaining in the sense that it brought with it many sequences of higher activity by using many fairly rapid bursts of shells. The segment that had featured cakes and mines also captivated the audience when they did appear. Together, this often kept the audience engaged as the show progressed, even though it soon became clear that the range of effects used would evidently be quite limited. Apart from the concluding minutes of the display following what appeared to be the faux finale, the final 33% of the display was the most enjoyable for me with its more energetic demeanor. Another aspect that I enjoyed from time to time was some of the musical selections used to showcase the theme of “Bells and Drums”, as we often heard the sound ringing of bells and the beating of drums, under a variety of forms, from one segment to the next in the music.
On the technical side, as already articulated in the previous reviews, the display was significantly flawed under several respects. In particular, the design was loosely structured and appeared to, unfortunately, have no distinct connection to the thematic premise governing this particular show. Of course, a strong thematic connection, as we have seen, is not always necessary to stand out, but there were other aspects of this show that very much made it unclear as to what was being portrayed through the pyrotechnics. Once previously becoming more familiar with the cultural aspects that this display intended to illustrate before the audience, I quickly envisioned much promise to visually demonstrate what this concept could look like. Being a fan of (relatively) dichotomous themes, I was eagerly awaiting a show that could effectively (and creatively) separate the elements of bells and drums in such a way that would evoke the correct range of emotion. Sadly, I did not feel emotionally drawn to the display, for there were too many moments of redundant firing patterns from one sequence to the next. To that end, even though most of the soundtrack selection used to enforce the theme was, indeed, relevant, the choice of effects and firing style prevented the right type of representation and transitions that would otherwise probably be expected from a theme not unlike this one. The transitions themselves frequently were unclean, where the pyrotechnics would continue after the music would terminate. It was also an enigma as to some of the songs utilized – in particular, the opening songs and that of the finale seemed random.
Related to the above-mentioned points, the display also was not always visually robust. It struck me that the range of effects, as specified previously, was surprisingly reserved for such a conceptual design, as was the palette of colors chosen. The vibrancy of the effects was also generally limited, and so the colors and effects used lacked richness and quality. Although our vantage point was not affected by the smoke, and despite the low humidity present, the color richness still appeared to be quite restricted. This was further not helped by the often-adopted rudimentary firing patterns. As well, there many periods of asymmetry along notably low-level, where the firing position to the left (our left) would mostly come to life without any support towards the center and right-hand side (and perhaps other positions in between). Such a problem became apparent early in the show, but I was hoping that the opening would be the only piece that would suffer from this issue.
The finale itself was, for me, among the most disappointing attributes of the display, especially after seeing a strong penultimate piece and, thus, missing out on an opportunity to really capture our hearts during those dying minutes. As everyone had pointed out already, this created a powerful anti-climactic feeling and a deep sense of emptiness as we desperately waited for something more to happen.
Overall, this was a display that entertained, and the audience seemed to enjoy much of what the show had to offer. I personally enjoyed the abundance of shells during several segments, as well as at least some interesting firing patterns distributed along low-altitude. However, the lack of color richness, excessive periods of asymmetry, and a lack of a more complex exploration of a theme like this really affected my ability to take the degree of enjoyment to the next stage. In particular, the finale really disappointed, not just for the lack of intensity that we would come to expect, but also that its approach seemed haphazard.
All that said, I hope to see a much stronger delivery from Sirius Pyrotechnics in future participations at this competition!
Trav.
