Confettii and Flames

[Jimi]

Hi

I have a show coming up at the end of June. I've been toying with the idea of having a couple of confetti cartridges for the finale and possibly three flame effects for another point in the show. Pyros have been used in the hall before, although some years ago. I've sourced places I can rent the firing hardware from but I just wanted some advice on the legality and practical application of such devices in todays environment.

 

The effects I was looking at are

 

http://www.lemaitreltd.com/ProductDescript...;idxCategory=10

 

and

 

http://www.lemaitreltd.com/ProductDescript...;idxCategory=10

 

Am I being too ambitious in thinking we can use these in a church hall environment (stage 17' x 12' and 15' high)? what steps would I need to go thorough as far as licencing and fire regulations are concerned. I'm sorry if the details are too vague, I'm glad to give and further information that is required.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

//Jimi

.

[Brian]

In no particular order and just for starters...

 

1) Check the venue's insurance allows pyro to be used.

2) Decide if you are competent to use pyro and be prepared to justify it.

3) Check the venue's Premises Licence allows pyro to be used.

4) Check what notification conditions are attached to the venue's Premises Licence and follow them.

5) Check that the venue's Fire Risk Assessment allows pyro to be used and follow the conditions in there.

6) Check the venue's cleaners aren't going to hate you forever as they struggle to clean up the 'fetti for the next ten years.

 

As for the devices you are looking at, the 'fetti unit is too powerful to run vertically so your going to need to angle them. Don't forget that the firing pods for these need to be securely fixed and make sure that the hire company supplies the correct (new) safety attachment for the devices <- this is important, it's a recent change to accommodate a more powerful cartridge and I suspect some hire companies will not be up to speed on this yet. As Le Maitre says...

It is imperative to use our new Fixing Clamp (1110) with the Variable Angle Pod (1103) to hold all the new sized cartridges. This is to prevent the cartridges from falling or flying out of the Pod.

[Ynot]

Something else to bear in mind is the proximity of your audience to any potential pyro effects.

 

As Brian says, the confetti carts need to be angled, but with an effect height of 6 to 7 metres, you're still going to get a possible ceiling hit, depending on the pod angle you set, and actual clearance height. Also be prepared for months of pulling bits of 'fetti out of the lanterns!

 

The flames, whilst only small, are the bigger concern for me, considering you sound like a relative pyro novice. They do burn VERY hot for the short time they're up, and can give punters the heeby jeebies if they're too close. My experience of village hall shows over the years leads me to say that MOST of them tend to have audiences up close & personal.

 

I'd follow Brian's good advice first, but also bear in mind the above.

 

TD

[PDD]

The flames, whilst only small, are the bigger concern for me, considering you sound like a relative pyro novice. They do burn VERY hot for the short time they're up, and can give punters the heeby jeebies if they're too close.

http://www.pauldurose.stsg.co.uk/DSCF3498small.jpg

Indeed. :)

[Jimi]

Thanks for all the advice. TBH the flames are not an essential part of the grand scheme and I posted it as more of a "If I really wanted to, could I ..." The confetti is something I would really like to keep in if possible. I'd like something with a loud report and some sort of confetti/glitter effect. It's not massively important that it produces a ton of confetti.

 

Also, this may be a stupid question but in the interests of maintaining safety standards and also keeping our audience members alive and unmaimed ... are there any cartridges that would be safe to use between the audience and the stage. There is space either side of the proscenium, around 4' off the ground (Stage height) Would firing such cartridges off the front of the stage just be lunacy? It's for the grand finale so they'll be all the cast on the stage itself.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v491/K-Holed/PyroPlan.jpg

 

Thanks again. Feel free to shoot me down in flames at any time :)

 

//James

[Brian]

Don't know if you've read this topic?

 

At 10 feet you have a reasonable selection of devices you could use IF you can guarantee that the cast will also be that sort of distance away. However, as I suspect it's an amateur cast, you may have problems. The problem is what to do if someone gets too close. The correct answer is to not fire the devices but, as they are your finale, it will probably ruin the end of the show but save someone from possible injury.

 

I'd look at the CO2 fired devices mentioned in the other thread. Fired from the back of the stage, up and over the cast, gives a great effect. Twelve of them fired over the audience gives a stupendous effect :) Oh, and if you want to know how far the fetti goes; if the cannons are horizontal it's around 45 feet. I've also fired them from behind the audience. If you could mount them at your ceiling height and fire them towards the stage you get a real 'wow' factor.