As many of you already know, I was selected last spring to be a member of the popular jury for the 20th Montreal International Fireworks Contest. In this context, I could not write any comment until the end of the competition. As I announced in this forum early this summer, I am now writing some comments about my second experience in the jury.
I have already described the selection process – which had been more difficult than in 2001, owing to the special formula of the 2004 edition – in this forum. So I begin by the training day, June 5th. A first part has been a journey through the firing site at La Ronde, including the ramps, the computers room situated under the fourth ramp and the control room located in the middle of silver section (a small two-floors red building). Paul Csukassy, technical manager of Le Mondial SAQ, gave a number of information about the art of fireworks, provided us a chance to take many pieces in our hands (the largest bombs are very heavy!) and he answered to all our questions. At the control room, we met Luc who is in charge of the musical side of the show. To achieve a pleasant sound environment, Luc has to perform a lot of work, including some technical adjustments to the soundtrack of each display. This seems to be an unsuspected painstaking task. (And I guess that we can not imagine the size of his puzzle before the German show with a live orchestra!) Then, the jury has been picture taken. I think that a picture will be available on the Mondial SAQ’s website, but it is not yet.
During the lunch time, we discussed about our personal experience regarding the fireworks. Many of us had seen a great number of displays from La Ronde or other points of view. This is not a surprise since we had already been judges before. It was the fourth mandate for one of us!
In the second part of the day, we had a long discussion about the criterions. When we had been interviewed in the course of the selection process, some questions were about these criterions and all interviews were videotaped. It was clear, at this moment of the training day, that a summary of our answers had been done. A lot of points were discussed about the criterions, sometimes with a video support. In overall, people in charge of the event made clear that the issue was especially important this year and that we must perform rigorously and conscientiously our task. In addition, a new rule has been in force this year : the marks given each night after a display were final. We could not change a mark later in the season.
Each night, we watched the show from the fourth terrace of silver section and we stayed at this place to complete our work. We had to take as many and detailed notes as possible (Paul Marriott would break all the records on this point, for sure!). We could performed this task during the display or right after. Then, we wrote down our marks in the appropriate boxes of a table. This is an individual process, not a deliberative one. Then we gave back our notes and the table to the person in charge of the jury, Carole Schmidt, and her two assistants, Élaine and Yvon. We recovered our documents two or three hours before the next display. They remain the property of La Ronde.
My job began to be tougher the night of Ipon’s display. From my point of view, whatever the good and bad points of a show, it is not possible to be insensitive to an intensive final like Ipon’s one. Obviously, I could not write down a mark based only on the last minute of the show! Therefore, I waited a couple of minutes after the display and then I started my work. At this moment, for the very first time, I felt a big pressure on me. I was aware that an important decision rests partially on my shoulders. It was not the last time!
In the course of the training day, Paul Csukassy said that the contestants had many surprises in store for the fireworks fanatics. I did not imagine that they will have produced a tridimensional cube, that they will have erected two 28-metres towers or two Eiffel Towers to launch fireworks and special effects, neither that a symphony orchestra will have played live a musical program composed especially for this contest. I did not imagine, too, that the rafts located in the middle of the lake and used only two times in 2003 (USA and Canada) will have been used so many times this year and will have become a fifth ramp. And I can not forget the opening show produced by Ampleman, which included a team of pyrotechnic acrobats. I have been at La Ronde for all displays since 1996. I have never seen in a same year as many special things as this year. The 2004 vintage was really outstanding!
Wednesday, July 21th, two judges were randomly chosen to be witnesses during the official compilation of our marks. This highly secret process was done last Sunday morning. The other judges learned the result only when it was released.
The night of July 28th began by a delicious supper organized by La Ronde for the jury. That gave rise to a great discussion with our fellows and I think that many judges felt more free to talk about the displays than before. Many prizes were drawn, including a lot of posters autographed by the pyrotechnicians. Then, we went in the front of the silver section and we stayed at this place during the awards ceremony. The winner team was clearly enthusiast and proud when his members came to the stage just after the announcement of our collective decision. Finally, after the closing show, we went to the pyrotechnicians’ and employees’ party organized by La Ronde.
In conclusion, I am not going to made public my detailed comments about each displays (I believe that the duty to preserve secrecy goes beyond the end of the competition), but I want to make a point about the winner. I can not speak for the jury and I will not. These words are just mine. Weco’s display was not perfect, and I think that a perfect show is impossible. Maybe also that « Eau de Cologne » was not the best display from a technical angle. For instance, some nautic products located near the rafts did not start. However, from an artistic viewpoint, we must recognize that Weco’s show was very creative and that this team took risks. Weco pushed away the limits of the pyromusical art.
When I was interviewed for the jury, I said that a contestant has to produce a good display from a technical viewpoint to win, that is sure. But I added that it should also perform something never done before. Once again, I can not speak for the jury. But I suspect that the judges acknowledged that Weco had taken these risks and had opened the way toward a new way of performing the pyromusical art. This kind of events, that is, when a new perspective appears and requires further exploration, are uncommon. And this kind of events must be considered as a step toward the progress. In my opinion, that is the sense of our decision to give the very first Platinum Jupiter to Weco.
We should be inspired by that. For me, that is what I learned from the winner’s performance and the result of the 2004 Montreal International Fireworks Contest.
Fred |