A special insight into the challenges of producing the spectacular pyrotechnics for the opening and closing ceremonies by Andrew Howard who headed the pyro team

Background

Howard & Sons Pyrotechnics Displays commenced general discussions with the ceremonies team of Jack Morton Worldwide (JMW), the producers of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, back in March 2004 whilst our team was presenting the pyromusical for Melbourne’s annual Moomba Festival on the Yarra River. These preliminary discussions were very broad and considered the overall possibilities for pyrotechnics and special effects elements of the ceremonies. Due to confidentiality and future contract negotiations these discussions were usually very short and sweet as there was not much either party could talk about apart from what we would all love to do with the pyrotechnics. 

Throughout these tendering stages of the project we were mainly dealing with Andrew Walsh (Executive Producer), David Proctor (Producer), Adam Charles (Closing Ceremony Producer), Nick Eltis (Technical Director) and Ian Baldwin (Production Manager) all of whom are very creative and with extensive experience in producing large scale events and ceremonies. So to cut a long story short it was a five to six months tendering and negotiation process until the “Scope of Works” was at a stage for contracts to be signed in early November 2005 but many elements of the creative we still in progress and subject to many creative changes. 

The pyrotechnics and special effects brief further developed, dramatically increased and changed over time to what we actually produced, which was a major challenge in itself as the date of the opening and closing ceremony was not changing but our requirements were. 

The Challenges

• Time (as above) our brief was changing, increasing but the show days were getting closer and closer.
• River Pontoons, Outriggers/Water Fountains- I explain the river Fish pontoon issues with the aid of photos below.
• Music deadlines and the final display design, issues with Delta Goodrem’s team at Sony Australia and Sony UK
• Cast safety training for the Finale Scene I have explained the finale scene cast issues below.
• The Firing Sites - we had over 110 firing locations plus the pyrotechnics that where physically attached to live performers; 51 roller bladers and 12 ballerina’s.
• Security Measures, Rehearsal Times and Logistics: arranging movements of dangerous goods into the MCG being a AFD secured venue. Lock down periods where no one was allowed in the MCG, which affected our rehearsal, and bump in schedules. 

The Firing Sites & Pyrotechnic Display Design

Stuart Bensley’s (Display Designer & Choreographer) initial inspection of the new Northern Stand “glass” rooftop. Stuart is standing on the 800mm wide beam that our pyrotechnics pod was to be positioned on just 11m in from the inner edge of the rooftop. The architectural beam work and wires on the Northern Stand prevented us from positioning pyrotechnics elsewhere. 

The Great Southern Stand rooftop inspection – Andrew Howard, Ian Baldwin and Stuart Bensley discussing how to best design and set up a display to look like it came from one stadium rooftop when it was in fact being fired from 4 different levels of the MCG Stadium rooftop - Great Southern Stand, The Northern Stand, Scoreboard 1 and Scoreboard 2. 

We fired pyrotechnics from 55 positions on the MCG rooftop and developed special Comet shots to shoot inwards to create a Pyrotechnic Dome above the MCG. 

Comets, especially designed and manufactured by Christian Howard and his manufacturing team, firing inwards were a big crowd pleaser. We wanted to create the unexpected but ensure 100% safety, because as the song says “It’s a fine line between pleasure and pain…” and these pyrotechnic stars burn at over a 1000 degrees Celsius.

Every single shot we designed had to be designed to miss the overhead cable system to ensure pyrotechnic stars would not deflect off the cables and into the arena. So we calculated and measured every single shot in our storyboard.

Cast Safety and Training

Andrew Howard conducting the 1^st demonstration for the M2006 Ceremonies Creative/Technical Team of the prototype “Backpack Pyrotechnics” that were to be used by the roller bladers in the final scene of the Opening Ceremony.

Christian Howard - the number one Guinea Pig demonstrating the prototype backpack pyrotechnics.

Training 51 Roller Bladers (Volunteers) to safely zoom around Delta Goodrem on the MCG stage, whilst pyrotechnics sparks erupt off their back was a long process but well worth it. After many technical tests and individual safety rehearsals watching the 1^st full cast pyrotechnics rehearsal with an empty stadium on the 3^rd March was something that I will never forget, the whoosh of the multiple of pyrotechnic effects, the ooooohhh’s and arrhhhh’s just from the production and creative team in the stands was enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. This scene now features in Delta’s music video clip.

“Kids don’t do this at home” All cast in the finale scene had head-to-toe flameproof costumes plus Nomex suits (as worn by car racing drivers), balaclava’s and enclosed goggles.

A ballerina’s tutu being test burnt after being treated with Pyroguard, a spray that the would increase the fire resistance of all fabrics used by Paula Ryan and the wardrobe department. They didn’t burn after being treated. 

CO2 Special Effects

Howard & Sons also produced the transition special effects CO2 as the toy duck transformed into the flying bird character. There photos are from the final dress rehearsal on the 13^th March 2006.

River Pontoons

There was no room on the Fish pontoons to safely place any pyrotechnics so we had to design and manufacture 36 x River Pyrotechnics Pods (780mm x 560mm) outrigged over the water.

When we do a display on the Yarra we usually use our pontoons that are about 2.4m x 2.4m or even larger pontoons so physical space was an issue we had to overcome. Then when we overcame it we had to make it water proof as the Fish features had 8 water pipes pumping 1000’s of litres of water onto the pyrotechnics.

Water and Pyrotechnics are not usually a good mix, but a new heavy-duty waterproofing system was developed for the opening ceremony and worked very well.

Christian Howard in the Yarra River control room/marquee. Over 8,000m of 2-wire control cable was used on the river, in fact a total of 16,000m of cable was run. A massive storm at the end of February (our cable system was installed about 7 weeks prior to the opening ceremony) created a flash flood on the Yarra, in the flood a river cruise boat lost control and crashed into about 8 fish pontoons, breaking all the lighting, water fountain and pyrotechnics data cable looms, therefore we have to run a new cable path. 

The ‘Welcome to Melbourne’ segment was designed to take the attention of the ceremony out of the stadium (so the flying tram could be removed from the stage) and integrate the city & Yarra River into the ceremony. It was a creative masterstroke by Andrew Walsh and his team, as the audience on the banks of the Yarra Rive got a ‘free’ front row seat for the ceremony which was broadcast on big screens and the show received rave reviews from these 100,000 or so spectators.

(The distraction sequencs wasn’t really required for Ch9 who decided to go to a commercial break at the conclusion of the Flying Tram segment and come back ½ way through the pyrotechnics display. At least the worldwide broadcast saw the show.)

The Yarra River and the Melbourne skyline was the star of the Welcome to Melbourne pyrotechnics segment. 

The City Buildings Pyro Crew taking a well-earned break after carrying all the product and equipment to the top of the Telstra building. Note: we were blessed with very unusual great Melbourne weather, which certainly helped us put such a great display together.

Ron Barrasi, AFL legend walked on water carrying the Queen’s Baton then up to the Swan Street Bridge which we illuminated with a cascading Silver Glitter Waterfall.

Stuart Bensley’s set up in the MCG control room. Over 10,000m of 2-wire control cable was used at the MCG, run back to FireOne Main Modules via our redundancy channel switch box that enables us to switch instantaneously from one controller to another if a technical problem arises.

Closing Ceremony

Snow Effects

Howard & Sons installed CO2 Snow Flutter Blowers beside the stage and smaller CO2 Flutter Blowers were also flown above/around the MCG by the rigging/automation team using the amazing flying system installed overhead.

Close Proximity Pyrotechnics fired from 12 positions around the suspended truss ring. These positions fired using our new wireless firing modules, we had an additional 2-wire cable run as part of Firing System Redundancy Plan. 

For the dazzling Delhi 2010 segment of the Closing Ceremony, we produce new effects and colours to suit India’s national colours. SHOT1

At the Jack Morton Worldwide ceremonies team after-party – Mark Pekitis, Stuart Bensley, Andrew Howard and Christian Howard relaxing and quenching the thirst brought on by about six months hard work on the M2006 pyrotechnics project.

The Howard & Sons team for the 2006 Commonwealth team

Andrew Howard, Christian Howard, Stuart Bensley, Rusty Johnson, Carl Haywood, Grant Freemen, Darren Roberts, David Ward-Fear, Frank Bodnar, Brad Stockdale, Robin (Shorty) Halfacre, Cyrus Halfacre, Rob Jury, Mark Petkidis, Todd Heffernan, Phillip Townsend, Anita Haywood, Kellie Howard, Fiona Howard, Kate Rochaix, Mary-Jane Zacchei, Mark Devine, Carly Adler, Hideki Hizunoya, Steve Irwin, David Seaborn, James Laity, Ashley Groenen, Peter Kebble, Colin Redman, Ron Jackson, Russel Jackson, Ben Coates, Jenni Stevens, Jessi Johnson, Graham Forward, Catherine Williams, Kelly Wood, Lynda Horkings, Helen O’Bree, Steve Palagyi, Jeffery Young, Gloria Young, Bob Blore, Andrew Howard (Yes a different person with my name can you believe it! We call this guy the boss)

David Lucas HEADSHOTZ PHOTOGRAPHY