The Intimate Language of Fireworks by Nancy Rozzi
Rozzis Famous Fireworks
Fireworks have a very specific language that describes its players and artists. The vocabulary is very unique and colorful but unknown to most people outside the fireworks business and manufacturing world.
Rozzi Fireworks / Pyrotechnics displays are art, craft and science together and the magic comes together with full intensity right before your eyes, which makes a perfect Wedding Fireworks Display.
Once you understand the descriptive terms you will be able to visualize your Wedding Fireworks presentation with a greater understanding.
Lets start with the major player in our cast of "Stars" which may perform in your Wedding Fireworks Display:
THE FIREWORKS SHELL
The name shell refers to the outside case describing its shape. The "shell" looks like a plain brown paper cylinder or ball shape. They are constructed in sizes ranging from 3 inches to as large as 12 inches in diameter.
The shell looks like a plain brown paper cylinder, but there is nothing plain or brown about the shell, for what is packed inside these unassuming packages is a powerful mechanism for throwing massive amounts of exploding colored lights high into the air with precision and magnitude.
Masterful firework craftsmen make the shell (I have known two or possibly three magnificent shell makers in my lifetime, with the best one being my own father Joe Rozzi). He would pride himself on how well the shell "broke", meaning the hard burst in the sky and the depth of color it produced meaning the quality of the star glow.
Within the major player categories are:
FIREWORK STARS
- the name describes the glow like pellets of colored lights that the shell builder will make to put into his shell.
Thousands of them are handmade from chemicals and pressed or tumbled into shape.
Hundreds of variations and combinations can be made, colors so dense and deep that they will take on their own character.
Hot red stars; cool aqua and lime, silver flitter and gold glitter, farfalla (little butterflies) silver serpents and gold fish, comet stars that leave a towering trail or colored tips, crossettes stars looking like gold wire spokes that fall to the ground and just at the very end of the descent their tips cross each other; pattern shells like smiley faces, initials, hearts and logos, golden palm trees, peonies, battle in the clouds, strobing stars and variations of all to present a multitude of colors using Pink, orange, red, green and yellow star shells, bright white comets so bright that the entire sky lights up into day, aqua, chartreuse and combinations of all the colors and effects mentioned.
The shell dictionary would not be complete until we mentioned the big boom, the salute, just noise and plenty of it or the titanium salute, noise with a bright flash; typically shot full force in the finale but also ends a color sequence.
FIREWORK ROMAN CANDLES
- take center stage but on a lower level.
Their beauty is appreciated in quantity.
One Candle either large or small is insignificant but a row of candles in sets of six spanning across the "Front" add depth and slow down the pace of the show. The stars are packed inside long slender paper tubes resembling taper candles timed to go off in succession. Add shells behind breaking at different heights and the sky becomes textured with layers of varying explosions.
FIREWORK MINES
also "front" position packed with "stars" thrown or thrust up into the air in a bunch sounding a thump as they burst low level as well.
FIREWORK CAKES
somewhat new additions to the cast, a square box most often called a multi shot. Cakes are packed with numerous stars and effects all timed to go off in a sequence either fast paced or slow. Cakes can have as many as 200 shots or more all packed inside a box or square. All "CAKES" are made in China and imported by all major companies. Cakes can be utilized in small spaces and do not require a lot of distance.
Now for the supporting cast; Gerbs, Flying Wheels or Girandolas, Stationary Wheels, Set Devices, Niagara Falls, Strobe Pots and combinations.
FIREWORK GERB
pronounced with a soft g, is a small paper tube packed with silver, gold or bright white powder that when ignited produces a volume of showers. Standing alone would be just a little fountain but combined with other gerbs in a row or on a wheel or set device will transform into a piece of movable artwork.
Which brings me to a FIREWORKS SET DEVICE a piece of art outlined on a frame then outlined again with colored sticks called Lance, when ignited lights up the outline portrayed. The pyro artist draws the art on paper then transforms it to scale on a frame as big as 20 ft x 20 ft so that his audience can view his art from a distance. He covers the colored sticks with fuse, lights it and the entire piece glows into the art and burns for 20 - 30 seconds.
FIREWORK GIRANDOLAS
are wheels that ascend throwing off silver jets and whirling all at the same time climbing into the air.
FIREWORK STATIONARY WHEELS
are made to move in a circular motion, pushers (a propellant
type tube) are placed around the wheel as well as gerbs; they can spin in one direction and then in the opposite direction changing color as they spin.
FIREWORK NIAGARA FALLS
is an effect that spans across a large area in a horizontal line with a great flow of silver showers in a downward motion. The pyrotechnic powders are encased in a large cylinder then chained together to form a sting.
Light the falls in a specific moment in the show and the crowd will gasp, a wonderful effect.
For more Information
