Saturday, January 17, 2015
London Starts The New Year Off With A Bang
Live Design: “We were tasked with putting London on the map alongside Sydney Harbour Bridge and Times Square, NYC,” explained Marenghi. “The fantastic fireworks by Darryl Fleming at Titanium are what the public recognize but, like all good lighting, our design is subliminal but would be very much missed if not there!”
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So the past week I’ve been talking about how I’ve set a new high for the firework display I put on my backyard New Years, which to backyard standards was a pretty good show. Having seen San Antonio’s firework show and everything that comes with that. I can say now that nobody has anything on London in all of its fiery glory, lighting up the sky with such splendid grandeur that I couldn’t help but just watch in awe and wonder as to what it would have been like to be there for a time such as that. Since that has been going on as big as it has for the last eleven years, makes me wonder how that guy can outdo himself for the next. Of course it’s hard to compete with a firework show like London’s but I’ve definitely got some room for improvement. Being in the midst of it all is definitely an adrenaline rush, and I just hope I can keep up a backyard tradition just as much as London does in their celebration.
There's something magical about firework, in that they might be one of the few instances where an explosion is a good thing. They are also one of the very few forms of explosive art. I think the whole New Years display in London (or at least what I saw from the video) was fantastic. The display was very powerful incorporating many of very famous landmarks around the city, and I think it can only be good for a city to put on celebratory festivals like this. It's good for morale, it's a good show, and it unites everyone in celebration of the passing of another year. There's something special about New Years in that regard, where people celebrate one day turning into the next, and the spectacle only enhances it.
Setting aside my anglophilia, I really enjoyed this fireworks display, which is rather surprising as all-too-often, fireworks displays feel like more of the same. The designers really effectively used their setting, highlighting London landmarks beautifully. What can make a fireworks display exciting is how unique it is to a particular location, especially on New Year's Eve, when fireworks are ubiquitous the world over. The use of the Eye as a focal point, and the river bank as a frame created a very arresting display. I was also pleased that the designers did not shy away from pausing in between firework barrages, as all to often displays take on the feeling and appearance of a disorganized free-for-all. It also added drama. Finally, the designers/ ability to create distinct displays in particular regions speaks to their meticulous creation of this spectacle. I could tell what was on the bank from what was on the Eye or in the sky. At the same time, different effects used in different locations still felt like parts of a cohesive whole. Frankly, I rather wish I had been there.
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