Ground zero was re-conned in the morning; didn't look like any events (sports tournaments, picnics, etc) were set up for the day. Phew.
Kept an eye on the weather radar all day long. At around 4pm it looked as though we were going to have some early evening showers but they didn't materialize. Phew II.
* * *
Visco wiring starts after lunch, far too late. We work at a furious pace for almost six hours straight to get everything prepared. I had originally budgeted 4 leisurely hours. There were also a few extenuating circumstances that put a dent in overall preparation, such as the bomb squad dealing with a scare directly across the street. Not kidding.
Thank goodness for Paul's presence; he is a champion tech after getting a crash course.
I'm annoyed to discover I had not built two planned racks (60 shot air bomb & Carmel fountain rack), The air bomb rack is put together, consuming more valuable time. We decide to wait on the Carmel fountain rack.
The time consumption comes from the constant translations of time into visco length, and regular check and re-check of the plan. Then there's getting underneath pallet decks to wire up from below.
We call last week's impulse purchase 'Canada house'. After the fountain effect it supposedly glows the word CANADA through the box. We decide that we want it to explode after doing this, so it is loaded with shotgun shells:
By 6:30pm all five racks are complete, along with six additional items that are not fixed to the pallets, rather on their own - but connected by visco. We are feeling hungry and spent. Carmel fountain rack does not get built. The truck is loaded up so full the seats must go all the way forward. We're both over six feet and exchange some laughs at how ridiculous it is.
We break, eat and hit the road for ground zero. Here we don't have to rush, there's 45-50 minutes of daylight left. Turns out we need every one of those minutes. We start by determining wind speed and direction, from there it is crowd placement and camera angles.
The Schwartzvolcker is unpacked. The junction box is placed at ground zero and all five pallets are oriented in a circle around the jx box. The plan is to have the show go in a counterclockwise direction around the center.This will also avoid crossing cables.
All e-matches are attached, and the ignition panel is set up. Continuity tests ok on all cues. Some folks show up early and want to wander around so we place cones out. Some even wanted to donate fireworks to the cause which is generous, but given the planning that goes into this we are unable to accept the offer.
Colour codes are double checked, and exposed visco is wrapped in tinfoil.
The location is perfect. Yes, there's the odd nasty sewage smell drifting over from the treatment plant, but it is a sleepy industrial park about 1km from the nearest house.
I'll post tomorrow about the show itself, as the video is still 'optimizing' on the Mac.
Everyone left happy, and i'm overall fairly pleased. I give myself a solid B grade for the result, details to follow.
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| 5 minutes after the last item goes, the smoke still lingers. |
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| The morning after. |
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