A few thoughts on finales
[Update - I realized this was a lot of text to not have a picture at the top. So this is a random picture that came up on google image search for "finale." I decided to use this one instead of the naked chick...]
This thread on PyroU got me thinking a little. I wanted to post a couple videos, so I figured I might as well turn it into a post as well... The finale of a show is obviously important as the end, and can make or break a show. The importance partially depends on the audience however, a more sophisticated viewer will be more forgiving of a lesser finale if the rest of the show is done well. I guess you could compare it to enjoying the main course and not just the dessert. In a good show a great finale can push it over the top, in a decent show you make the finale good enough and people will enjoy that and remember it even if the rest of the show is nothing special. In a bad show, a good finale can at least help you get by (lots of ketchup on a bad burger? I'm stretching the food analogies here...) but then somebody who thinks about it will wonder why the rest of the show wasn't better.
As important as a finale can be, some people make too big a deal out of it, at the expense of the rest of the show. Yes, it should be big and impressive, but that doesn't mean a sky puke of the same type of shell in the same spot in the sky, as many do. I realize this is partly personal preference, but here are some things I believe make a good finale.
Sky coverage - I think this is one of the most important parts of a good finale. Too often you just see a bunch of shells fired straight up all into the same spot in the sky. The break all over each other so the effect of each shell is lessened. As long as you are firing a decent number of items (and you should be, it's a finale after all), the same amount of product will look much better spread out. A mix of sizes (not all cheap 3" shells, for example) and types (shells, cakes and mines) will provide layers in the sky, and angling shots will vastly increase sky coverage. With the same amount product you will have a reduced duration, but the visual effect is much more impressive and clearly worth the trade-off when done well. Having your entire field of vision (from the audience perspective obviously) filled with exploding color looks amazing, and should be the goal of a good finale.
Duration - The purpose of the finale is to signify the end of the show, overstimulate the viewer, and provide catharsis. How long this takes is obviously subjective, but there are a few things to consider. A short volley of everything will look neat, but you need it to go longer than that if you want true overstimulation rather than just surprise. Too long and the effect diminishes as people get used to the new increased intensity. A two minute finale, for example, is too long and simply wastes product. There are no hard rules, and I wish I could personally test my ideas more frequently, but I would look at 30-90 seconds as being a good target. A finale should start off intense, but progressively build throughout. When people think it can't get any bigger, make it bigger! This is more effectively done by covering more sky and using more layers than simply putting shells into the same area faster. When you can't make it any bigger, fire for a few more seconds and call it a day.
Color - A mix of color should be used, single color segments are better for the body of the show for a particular effect. Colors that won't show very well like blue or purple can be mostly avoided, but a full color spectrum in the sky at a finale pace will look much better than just a few colors. Personally, I'm tired of seeing red white and blue finales, but sometimes you can't avoid that.
Effects - Peony shells are cheap and if a finale is just a bunch of stuff really fast, just shoot a bunch of peonies, right? That can get the job done, but it's pretty boring seeing the same effect over and over in a finale, even if you have color variation. A finale is no time for subtle or delicate effects, but judiciously used chrysanthemums or popcorn crackle can add a lot of depth to a finale, and help build intensity as the finale grows. Even simply using peonies with palm pistils adds a lot without needing extra shells. Tails are another good way to add something easily. Ending on willows for a lingering effect can look great, but you shouldn't end every show in the same way.
Intensity - Obviously a finale needs to be intense, but intense and sky puke are two different things. If you are actually considering color and effects when designing a finale, that will be an effective guide. You can tell what a good finale pace looks like, so keep that pace going while preserving color and effects (at least until the very peak perhaps) and it will look good. A well designed finale with variation in color, effect, and sky coverage is much more impressive than putting a bunch of shells in the same spot really fast. If you are just trying to blind them with a bunch of light in the sky, save product and shine a light in their eyes instead...
Sound - If you are keeping up the intensity, noise shouldn't really be an issue, but there are many who find louder better, at least in the finale. There is certainly some truth to this, and while it is very easy to depend on salutes too much (especially as the finale volley, how creative!), they can add to the effect. I prefer to hear each one, even if the are going pretty fast, over the constant roar method. I think they should accent the rest of the finale, not be the backbone.
Here are a couple videos I have taken. They are both from the Lake Union 4th Of July in Seattle.
2006 - I didn't get the very start of this one and it is pretty smoky, but try to ignore that... This one is primarily red, mostly peonies, and has very little effects variation, with moderate sky coverage. I'm not sure how much I missed, but probably not much, so a fair guess at the total duration of the finale would be thirty seconds. I don't mind the duration, and while the finale was ok, there wasn't anything special about it, and nothing particularly memorable.
