Oui, voilà revenu le moment de l'année où il faut faire nos prédictions (ou nos voeux!) sur le calendrier.

D'entrée de jeu, je m'attends à un calendrier comprenant 10 feux.

Ensuite, je crois qu'il y aura entre 3 et 5 recrues. Je parie sur une nouvelle recrue du Mexique et peut-être une autre de la Russie (si les Russes (Khan) ne sont pas à Montréal en 2008, gardons à l'esprit qu'il est fort probable de les voir apparaître dans les années qui suivront). Une nouvelle recrue canadienne me paraît plausible, mais après les difficultés rencontrées par Fireworks Spectaculars Canada l'an dernier (à la suite de problèmes dont la responsabilité a été attribuée à La Ronde), je crois que cette firme devrait jouir d'un laissez-passer pour 2008. Je crois qu'une nouvelle apparition de BEM est également fort probable.

Enfin, parmi les retours attendus, je crois que nous devons orienter nos prédictions vers les firmes venues entre 2003-2006. J'appelle de tous mes voeux une nouvelle apparition de la firme suédoise Göteborg Fyrverkery Fabrik, qui avait été privée d'un Jupiter en 2005 pour des raisons qui m'échappent toujours. Un retour de Luso Pirotecnia est vraisemblable. Parente, Pyro Spectaculars d'Afrique du Sud et Brézac pourraient aussi faire une nouvelle apparition.


One more thing: I think it could be great to change the last display and give it to the winner of the last competition. For exemple the closing for the 2008 season should be Pains fireworks, and for the 2009 season the winner of the 2008 season. Then it will be always great displays (because their are the winners) and with more creativity ( at least more diversity ). What do you think?

I can't be more agree with you. I believe that less frequent is the appearance of a company in Montreal, greater are the efforts made to design a great performance. It would be welcome to see a change for the closing show. Your idea is an interesting one. However, I think that the close relationships between La Ronde and Panzera will prevent any change, at least for the upcoming years.

Fred

Ok I saw the video reflections leave us.

The digital sequences are very well done (as you said and as I said, Europla is very creative with the technologic pieces) What about the rest of the display ?¿ A show can't be based only on dygital mines, salutes or low effects, as you know.

If you watch the video, Europla is only innovative with the low effects, because the rest of the display is very very very classic, and the sincro is not very good.

For example, the English display this year (Pains) was more in a classical way (in terms of low efects and digital sequences, not in terms of choreographie) than innovative, but the dispaly was great. Europla, and it's just a feeling, maybe use a lot of digital sequences, but their show in terms of excitement and in a general way ( not only the low effects) are boring.

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The same idea for the Blanes show....they did a very interesting opening...but the rest was always the same and very classical. And Zaragozana, yes , they didn't win, but you should know that the budged in Blanes is not like in Tarragona or Valencia...so a big companie prefer to lose than spend more money for the display. And a small company as Europla prefer to spend more money to win the contest because it's a good opportunity to be on the international scene.

If you look at ricasa and europlas shows their very much the same! The ground effects are also used a lot! and the aerial effects are more classical! It's still the innovatives-"ness" that counts. People prefer different things depending on their personal taste. like i prefer to look at the ground level fireworks more, this is because thats were most of the inovation comes in. Whats happening on the sky is just back up for the ground effects! I'm sure that it is super hard to make shells hit notes that's why it's better to just expect something from the ground level.

Bottom line is that we all have different taste if some people says that they prefer ricardo caballer's on the spot synchros in the ground level, some people would say that they prefer displays like feeries which was creative in a more "poetic" way i should say!

I'm sure that all companies has the power to join montreal fireworks competition. this is because this competition is the way were you can show all your ideas in making a fireworks display. May it be in ground level synchro, shells synchro, or maybe a more classic display!

vander

I totally agree with you man !!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ricasa and Europla have are very similar. They do the same with the ground effects.... however Ricasa has more experience and from my point of view is better.


Belive me I love ground level effects, but not in all the display as Ricardo or Europla. A good example of perfect mix of ground level synchro and shells synchro is Vicente Caballer. Their shows are always perfect in terms of excitement.



Rovira

I have a full video and better version of what Reflections posted.

This is what I mean about creativity. Because Europla is a smaller company, it will make something different to what is available to them. They will create something different from what is easily available to anyone and make it unique to them that even the manufacturer of the said effect didn't even thought about using that material in that way.

And then I will go back again to what is a fireworks competition really is... Is it just about FINALES??? Or the whole creation/choreography of the entire show?

I have seen that Catarroja show. And 3 - 4 minutes into that show, not a single shell has been fired and yet, to anyone who see the show, I can see their mouth open.

Wouldn't it be great to do a show and overwhelm your audience without firing a single shell???

You want to see good shells, go to Japan. August 15 in Lake Suwa, Nagano prefecture.

2-3hours of fireworks, starmines are alternated by 8" - 12" shot one by one. They are art.

There are other shows too in Japan. But the Suwa show, I've seen and can attest to it.

Of course, Maltese and Italian shells are also good to look at...

Vicente caballers shows are a bit too "clean" hahahaha!!! I like ricasa better though hehehehe!!! Oh my god how i wish i could go to japan!! Their (spherical) shells are probably the best ones you can find!! hehe!! Those single shot at the beginning of the catarroja show were almost perfect!! Where did you download the full version?

To fred: How were you able to think about the possibilities of who might come next year?? Is it because they went to la ronde or something? or you have some kind of a contact??

Hey rovira dont u have full videos from 2005 also?? would you be able to share it with us?? Do you have yahoo mesenger?? just askin hehehe!

Vander

^^^Not yahoo but hotmail:


ricasa25@hotmail.com

Feel free to add me on your contacts, I'm gonna do.

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From the 2005 season I recorded the Ricasa's show from the gold section. I didn't use tripod so it's not very very good.

I didn't record other shows because it was my first time in Montreal, and think I was paying almost 50 dollars for each display. I recorded the ricasa's show because I saw a very similar one in Sueca in 2004.

I know I should recorded Luso, Groupe-F, Usa, Sweeden and Argentina.... 2005 was the best year of my life. Belive me...At the end of Luso's show I was the happiest person around the world...I don't know why...but it was a very special display for me.

vanderites@yahoo.com! You can add me in your contact

Hehehe i tihnk that after watching a similar show as luso's display, i would be the happest person on earth as well hehehe!! It's just something not comparable to any other displays!! I wish that paul has all of the full videos from 2005!

I wish i could study in montreal for college!! (Thats my plan, as of now im 9th grade so i just need to wait 3 more years before college! Any good chemecial engineering schools in montreal?? o i have to learn french or something or is there any english speaking schools there in montreal??) off topic! can someone answer?


vander

To fred: How were you able to think about the possibilities of who might come next year?? Is it because they went to la ronde or something? or you have some kind of a contact??

Everyone is able to think about who the next contestants may be.

Fred

McGill and Concordia universities are English speaking and have good engineering programmes.

I have the full video for Luso's 2005 show and will be posting it sometime before the start of next year's competition - I also have the full Atlas show from 2003, as well as Royal's 2003 show and Sunny's 2004 show too! I have a lot of full shows from 1998, 1999 and 2000. Eventually, they'll all be posted I have Luso's full 2002 show as well But I can't just post everything all at once.

For 2008, I can tell you that Brézac won't be competing. In fact, it was Dominic that told me which French company will be there - but I'm not making any announcements until the official press release.

Paul.

I would love Royal or BEM to represent Canada again, they always do a great job.

Let's not forget that 2009 will be the 25th edition - this will probably be like the 20th in that only former Gold Jupiter winners will be invited. This will finally give a chance to a still-existing US company to compete as a former Gold winner (Melrose from 2006) as of course Austin are banned forever from Montreal thanks to the fiasco in 2002. I believe that we won't see Royal before 2009 at the earliest.

I may not remember correctly, but I believe that 2009 will be the last year that Six Flags are compelled to hold the competition - the agreement when the park was sold was that the competition had to be kept going for 10 years. It would be interesting if the 25th Edition was also the final edition - though I have nothing to suggest that this will be the case. Perhaps that would also be a good time for me to retire from reporting on the competition

Paul.

I may not remember correctly, but I believe that 2009 will be the last year that Six Flags are compelled to hold the competition - the agreement when the park was sold was that the competition had to be kept going for 10 years.

Six Flags purchased the park in April 2001. So 2010 will be the last year. It was also written in this agreement that Six Flags must spend 90M$ in 5 years to improve the park. That is not the actual investment made. So I believe that the event would already be ended if Six Flags did want to stop it.

It would be interesting if the 25th Edition was also the final edition

Paul, are you crazy?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Fred

My list of hopes and wishes for the 2008 season:

Canada:
I would really love to see Royal Pyrotechnie make a return to La Ronde. Yanick Roy is the best designer in Canada and would do us proud!
I think though that they will go again with a company from outside of Quebec. It would make sense to go with an Ontario company; although not many good options for competitive pyromusicals. Garden City Display Fireworks has won before at Sherbrooke, they competed at Calgary International (although lost to Sirius Pyrotechnics who for some reason although it would appear from their website are Canadian as well, represented Spain), and designer Michael Bohonos has some very good experience. He designs a fun show! He also is familiar with the La Ronde experience, having been a major part of the Hong Kong entries from Pyromagic Productions.
David Whysall Fireworks would be another option if you were to consider his experience only. He has a very impressive resume and also is a direct importer of his own line of fireworks. This firm has been responsible for the Niagara Falls Displays for many years. I would think he'd step it up for Montreal, but his Sherbrooke display last summer was not very good at all. He must have made a ton of money, as the product was very limited and it would appear not much time spent on design.

Archangel Fireworks out of Winnipeg MB. won this years Vancouver Competition. Kelly Guille and Sean Procter designed the winning show. Maybe they have what it takes?
And Ampleman, from Quebec although probably going to be from outside the province, has been busy on the international scene. They acheived the podium in Montreal in 2002. They were in Cannes this summer and did not see the podium. Who knows?!
As for Fireworks Spectaculars coming back... I would like to see them return again, would it be too soon to have them back though?
It takes a lot of energy and time to plan and design for Montreal. Is there any precedence from this competition inviting companies back when there has been technical problems that are the competitions fault?
Was just looking back through some posts/articles to see if I could find anything myself and found an article advertising 2006 as the 22nd year. That would make 2008 the 24th... maybe we'll see a lighter line-up this year to keep all the heavy-hitters for the big 25th! Maybe a past-winners year again???
I will post further guesses and wishes later.


edit - Beaten to the punch on the 25th annniversary!