Pyro Horrors

[owen_mcauley]

Creating a new topic for pyro horror stories, (continuing from previous topic).

 

Would pyro's placed about a foot away from the musicians and beside a (now well pitted) wall at a pantomime every year be considered slightly dangerous? The band used to pull sheets over themselves and their equipment after about the third year of being subjected to this!

 

Has anyone else worked on a shows with decidedly dodgy and potentially very dangerous use of pyros?

[Thirdtap]

A foot away from musicans? - Who has decided this because the guidelines usually say a distance of 3 - 5 feet?

Most pryos I have used have been ok except for two notable incidents.

One was a magican in panto using a flash paper gun to fire a flame about 3 feet onstage. One performance the unit malfunctioned and burnt his hand.

The other involves nameless persons wiring a pryo up to the stage mangers desk. When he fired the maroon offstage it set of the sm effect as well.

 

One accidental & one although funny at the time, not to be tried at home.

:)

[James]

Creating a new topic for pyro horror stories, (continuing from previous topic).

 

I have had one experience with a show in which nothing went right with pyro.

 

This was when I was at school a few years ago.

 

The director (staff) wanted a pyro confettie(sp?) effect in the last number of the musical. He told us (student) to sort it out.

 

I (LD) added the equipment to my budget and hired it. The DSM was to fire it.

 

When it came to the rig we found that the DSM didn't have a good view of the charge and therefore he delegated to one of the ASM's

 

As this was a change of plan there was not a spare headset for him.

 

He was to deploy the charge in the BO at the start of the song and triger it at the end of the last verse when the cast were lined up DS (apx cast 10' away, orchestra 6' away) He was told the phrase in the music when he was to triger it and he did. He heard the phrase and trigered it. Unfortunatly he hadn't twiged that it was the first verse and the chorus were still milling about above the charge. one of them was only 2' away when it went up. (He was shaken but Fine the ASM had made sure no-one was standing on top of the charge but the cast had rehearsed it at the end of the number)

 

This would be funny if it wasn't so serious but he ended up doing it again (penultimate verse) on the very next night OK this time the cast were clear but THEY WERN'T EXPECTING IT THEN either.

 

 

James

[Guest lightnix]

I'll admit I'm not a qualified pyrotechnician, but to the best of my knowledge:

 

1. No pyrotechnic device should be fired within two metres of anybody.

 

2. It is the pyro operator who is (legally) responsible and accountable for the safe firing of the pyro device(s). This means that if a performer has inadvertantly / absent-mindedly wandered into the safe zone when the cue is given, then the pyro operator must ignore the cue.

 

3. The pyro operator must have a clear and unobstructed view of the pyro devices.

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Dave]

Nick,

 

I'll admit I'm not a qualified pyrotechnician, but to the best of my knowledge:

 

1. No pyrotechnic device should be fired within two metres of anybody.

 

2. It is the pyro operator who is (legally) responsible and accountable for the safe firing of the pyro device(s).  This means that if a performer has inadvertantly / absent-mindedly wandered into the safe zone when the cue is given, then the pyro operator must ignore the cue.

 

3. The pyro operator must have a clear and unobstructed view of the pyro devices.

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Basically you're on the right track. Like you I'm not "qualified", but have used simple pyros for almost 20 years without incident.

 

1. This is device-specific. The minimum distances for the popular LeMatre pyroflash products vary from 1m to 3m according to the information I've seen.

 

2. Absolutely.

 

3. Essential for safe firing.

 

The ASM in James's post was a moron for firing the pyro when it wasn't safe to do so. He also should have known the cue properly - I've often thought that basic score reading ability is essential for any theatre work involving music.