Hi everyone,

I've got good news for you : there will be 5 displays for the 2010 edition of Fire on Ice on the Quays of the Old Port, plus the traditional New Year's Eve show :

- Dec. 4th at 8PM
- Dec. 11th at 8PM
- Dec. 18th at 8PM
- Dec. 25th at 8PM
- Dec. 31th at midnight
- Jan. 8th at 8PM

Unfortunately, the display companies are not known at this point, but Fiatlux/Ampleman, Royal, BEM and FAE should be there as usual. One can only speculate as to who will be the 5th company to join this fine event.

I'll provide detailed coverage on my website, unlike last year where I missed FAE's display because of freezing rain.

This should help our fireworks addiction under control until the summer !

More info :

Feux sur Glace
Fire on Ice

STL

Thank you for posting this information, STL.

I find it interesting to see a list consisting of as much as six displays in the event this year, including one appropriately falling on New Year's Eve. It is surprising, though, to see the displays spanning into the beginning of January. Perhaps the event became so popular over the years that the organizers decided to increase the total number of displays?

As far as attendance is concerned, I may make the effort to view at least one of the performances this year, but only providing that the weather cooperates in terms of temperature - I have a very low tolerance level for the cold conditions, unfortunately, but I am hopeful to have temperatures that are at least close to freezing during the evening hours (preferably on the plus side).

I'll provide detailed coverage on my website, unlike last year where I missed FAE's display because of freezing rain.

I remember covering that weather system on Christmas Day last year, but let's hope that we avoid such treacherous conditions this time around. Freezing rain is a very dangerous form of precipitation even when present in trace amounts. I'm looking forward to your coverage!

Other than that, it is nice to see that some "spark" still shines brightly in the forum to keep the spirit alive at the onset of the darker days starting to settle in (darker when we put the clocks back one hour next Sunday, November 7th).

Trav.

I find it interesting to see a list consisting of as much as six displays in the event this year, including one appropriately falling on New Year's Eve. It is surprising, though, to see the displays spanning into the beginning of January. Perhaps the event became so popular over the years that the organizers decided to increase the total number of displays?


That's what I heard from a fellow pyro last summer, but the way I then understood it, there was to be 6 "regular" displays, and not 5 and a special one for New Year's Eve (as this show is normally not part of "Fire on Ice". ).

We must remember that Royal indeed put up the New Year's Eve show on the Jacques-Cartier quay last year too, and it wasn't billed as being a "Fire on Ice". Only four shows were advertised.

Well, at least we're looking forwards to about an hour and a half of fireworks starting in a month or so !

I hope that the list of companies will be out soon, so I could call Royal and (finally) do my third apprentice show and get my licence !




As far as attendance is concerned, I may make the effort to view at least one of the performances this year, but only providing that the weather cooperates in terms of temperature - I have a very low tolerance level for the cold conditions, unfortunately, but I am hopeful to have temperatures that are at least close to freezing during the evening hours (preferably on the plus side).


I may provide Hi-Def videos of the displays, that is *if* I get the money in time to buy a new SLR (with video mode). The only thing bothering me is that the file size is limited to 4 GB per file (12 minutes at 1080p) and the camera doesn't start a new file automatically. So, 720p and some pictures if I'm lucky, or just pictures if I'm not !

I, too, anxiously await the representative firms to be released. I'm fairly certain that the usual four will be present, but the other two remain more of a mystery. It is curious as to whether one of the common firms will do a second display for New Year's Eve.

Speaking of Winter, we may get our first glimpse of either a rain-wet snow mix or measurable wet snow falling tomorrow evening-overnight (October 30th). A weak disturbance is moving into Southern Quebec from the SW, providing us with firstly rain in the afternoon before a possible transition near and following dusk. Some isolated flurries were observed during the overnight period of October 21st, but nothing that could accumulate. Brief periods of wet snow are also possible for Halloween.

Bundle up if you're heading out for Halloween as temperatures are likely at or slightly below the freezing mark during the evening - frost is also a possibility for early Monday and Tuesday morning. November is off to a cold, but dry, start.

Trav.

You'll find the pyro companies producing the Feux sur Glace on my blog.

Right here

Enjoy those nights !!!
Mylene

Ah-ah ! Mylène was quicker than me on this one, as I was asking this very morning the media personnel to release the list of companies.

Well, at least we do know now !

Two days to go.

And it appears that I won't be working with Royal this year. /me looking for other companies now, any advice ?

Tonight's show is "Storm" ( "Tempête" ) , and it will last 19 minutes.

Patrick Chandonnet, the designer of Orion Feu d'artifice, learned in November that he'd participate to the Fire on Ice event; therefore he only had 4 weeks to prepare his soundtrack and his script.

All the 2010 displays must have a maritime theme, but the documents sent to Patrick only specified that the display should be about winter. Fortunately, when he learnt the "real" theme, the soundtrack he edited was fine according to the organizers; as the conception steps takes around 80 hours, this was therefore very good news, as it would have been rather time consuming to prepare a new script and soundtrack at this point.

Patrick's finale will be of the golden variety, with some 150 kamuro effects ranging from 3 to 6" being launched in the last 22 seconds, along with 3 cakes. He also has some salutes to pack a punch where required.

An interesting sequence will take place on a rather fast song from Ice Age, with note-synchronized mines (there are 6" mines somewhere in the show, but I don't remember if they are used in this particular sequence).

The firing system is FireOne, and Patrick uses two cables to feed his firing modules, to allow at least half of them to fire the show should a cable be severed by debris.

There are 3 positions up front with fountains, 150 one-shots and some flares as well, 5 positions in the middle with candles, mines, one-shots and cakes, and finally 3 shell positions in the back, the middle one having 5 and 6" shells.

A lot of effects are sourced from Royal Pyrotechnie, so brands like Dancing, Zaragozana and Caballer are well represented.

For those who won't make it, I'll have a high definition video online by tomorrow. This is my first "manual mode" video shoot, so the exposure might not be right for this show. I'll of course improve my "recipe" as the Fire on Ice season progresses.

STL

STL, looking forward to seeing your videos of the shows this year as I don't think I'll get to see any of them Thanks also for the interesting information about Orion's show. Will you be doing similar previews for the other shows too?

Cheers,

Paul.

Will you be doing similar previews for the other shows too?

This depends on the firms' willingness to be interviewed. I hope to provide this kind of coverage for all the Fire on Ice displays, but it really depends on the participating companies.
I have to call each one of them to secure a visit on the firing ramps on the day of the display - the interviews will follow the format of the Grand Feu Bleu coverage, with lots of set-up pictures to boot.

Only time will tell...

Yesterday's show was quite good ! At first, I was worried that the amount of effects on the firing ramps would not be enough to have a good pace, but the designer nonetheless managed to get a pretty good rythm throughout his display.

Even though the first segment was rather anticlimactic, the pace picked up after that and the rest of the show was quite entertaining.

Patrick Chandonnet even finished the show with the same song that was used to conclude "Build a Dream", the show presented by Dominator at the PGI last August that contained my "Winter" segment.

I'll upload the video this afternoon to my YouTube channel : Pyro Montréal.

Meanwhile, you can consult my French complete report on this show, with the interview on the firing ramps, my review and some pictures :

4 décembre 2010 - Orion

Google Translate of the above



EDIT : I've been running in circles all day to find that the editing software I was planning to use on my 32-bit laptop only works on 64-bit computers... Bummer ! Therefore, I resorted to the old fashion technique, but the video will only be online tomorrow...

Both parts are now online :

First part
Second part

The wind was having fun with the monopod my video camera was installed on. I'll try to bring two tripods next week.

The chirping sounds heard regularly throughout the video comes from the camera I was using for taking still pictures. I'll try to put more distance between them next time, as this noise is rather distracting.

I'll also try to bring a better lens along, as this was the kit lens and, put frankly, its optical quality is not good wide open.

As the encoding software was not able to cut the first 30 seconds without messing up with the audio, you can hear me discussing the antics of synchronizing the firing console with the CD with a bystander, as he was joking that Orion would lose points because their show did not start right after the presentation by the PA announcer. I was telling him that it was normal, even in La Ronde, to have a 60 seconds delay between the time the CD is started and when the show actually starts. At La Ronde, this part is included in the ceremony, with Michel Lacroix (or his substitute) making his final announcement.

Thank you very much, STL, for providing your footage as well as a corresponding report of the first Fire on Ice display!

Another weather system, an Alberta Clipper, is developing out West and is quickly heading East, which could deliver some additional snows and breezy conditions in time for this weekend - this could play some role for the next display. More details later on in the week.

At last measurement check, 25 cm of snow had accumulated on the ground, but I suspect close to 30 cm (one foot) by the end of tonight (Tuesday). This turned out to be our first snowstorm of the year. Following this system (Nor'easter) is a large area of high pressure, which, as mentioned previously in the weather thread, will briefly be bringing some cold Arctic air later tomorrow through to Friday - Thursday overnight to early Friday morning could be as cold as -16 C, with a windchill close to -22 C.

Trav.

Tonight's show is Polar Light (Lumière polaire).

Yanick Roy worked again with Serge Péloquin for the soundtrack part, which took about 6 hours to put together.

The theme relates to an imaginary boat trip to the Arctic (as the main theme of the displays must be about the sea). The first 12 minutes consist of soundtrack Yanick never used in one of his previous displays; these segments are also original work that may be reused in the future, depending on the public's reaction.

Highlights from the firing ramps include a boat-shaped set piece (no, not as big as the Titanic from the Tribute to Céline Dion !) with a Niagara Falls underneath, some wheels, and the usual cakes, comets, mines and aerial effects.

To account for potential bad weather, the mortar racks were set-up yesterday, and the effects were installed today, starting at 9:30 AM. Due to the rather good weather we're now experiencing (one would say "the calm before the storm" ), the set-up was slated to be done by 5 PM, so Royal's team must now be taking it easy in the heated trailer.

The show length is around 18 minutes. The scripting part took around 10 hours, with three days of preliminary work in Royal's workshop this week, one day spent installing the racks and one day installing the product. Firing is of course Pyrodigital.

Due to the rather good weather we're now experiencing (one would say "the calm before the storm" ), the set-up was slated to be done by 5 PM, so Royal's team must now be taking it easy in the heated trailer.

Indeed, the current weather conditions are the calm before the storm. Had the display been scheduled for tomorrow evening, I don't think things would have worked out, especially with the wintery mix (freezing rain included) and generally gusty conditions.

I look forward to your review, STL. Enjoy the display!

Trav.

As a foreword to my review, let's just say I'm not used to this kind of performance by Royal Pyrotechnie. During the interview, Yanick told me he would try brand new sequences on soundtracks he never used before. I therefore had high expectations, as Yanick is perfectly able to go "beyond the limits". Yet, I found that Polar Light was not your typical Royal Pyrotechnie display.

As a matter of fact, I've noticed that the same effects (yellow crossettes, for instance, and some others as well) were sometimes repeated throughout the show, a type of design that is practically unheard of in a Royal Pyrotechnie display.

Also, the display's pace was a tad too slow for my liking. Again, Royal Pyrotechnie displays almost always have a good rhythm for the entire duration, while in this case some sequences would have benefited from having some aerial shells being launched. For example, Yanick had installed a boat-shaped set piece above a Niagara Falls, which produced a stunning effect, but this particular sequence lasted a good 45 seconds, while no other effect whatsoever was being launched. A set piece, while expensive, is impressive, but hoping to keep the public's attention during 45 seconds with it alone is wishful thinking in my opinion. In this case, shooting a few horsetail shells or kamuros above would have boosted the public's interest considerably while not distracting from the set piece like a barrage of noisy or bright effects would do.

With a complex theme such as Polar Light, a narration would have helped setting up the mood, but the Fire on Ice rules forbid using a narrative segment. This is an example where the event rules effectively prohibit the designer from completely fulfilling his artistic vision. Yanick's divisions between sequences were quite clear on paper, but the once-again exceptional soundtrack edited with Serge Péloquin gave the display a "too-continuous" feeling that prevented the public from understanding the purpose of the changes in pace.

For me, Polar Light was not a bad display, but represented a a radical departure from the usual type of displays that are the staple of Royal Pyrotechnie. For instance, I think it missed the "magic sparkle" that puts together a good theme, a good soundtrack and a good selection of products to create a truly exceptional display. Well, I guess that Royal's shows can't always be at the same excellence level...

My complete coverage (in French)
Google-translate of the above

Look out on my YouTube channel; the video should be online tonight.

EDIT : First part now online; note how stable the camera is now that it's installed on a second tripod and how the picture quality increased since last time, as a friend of mine lended me his professional-grade wide-angle lens

EDIT 2 : Second part is now online as well. I'd like to get your opinion on te display, just to make sure I didn't miss something. I kinda feel bad to write a negative review on a Yanick Roy display (never thought that it would be possible, to be honest).

STL