THE ASK

The producers, BRANDLIVE, asked Proshow to provide a solution that would ensure that the fireworks and music could be enjoyed by nearly half a million people each night, on three separate nights, with several days in between each of the dates.

As an added complication, the audience wouldn’t be centralized; they would be at VIP seating areas, on the beach, on boats, across the inlet at Vanier park, and enjoying the spectacle from their own homes

THE SOLUTION

There were two essential factors in the solution Proshow provided for the 2019 Honda Celebration of Light: syncing the fireworks to the music, and installing the physical equipment needed to ensure quality sound for the audience gathered in English Bay.

To accomplish the first of these tasks, Proshow’s technical team took the music files from the fireworks design teams and layered on a hidden “timecode” track. The timecode would speak to the fireworks control computer, effectively telling the computer when to launch the corresponding pyrotechnic component, ensuring that everything remained in sync. The track was played over the Proshow speakers at the venues, as well as transmitted to104.3 The Breeze for those watching and listening from elsewhere.

For the installation of the sound systems, we went in the day before and laid all the cables needed for such a complicated set-up. Then on the day of each event, we installed the technical equipment for the live music, and the PA system for the beach area immediately around the bathhouse as well as the VIP seating areas, such as The Keg Lounge, YVR Observation Deck and The Concord Lounge.

After each event, we removed the equipment but left the cabling in place to ensure minimal disruption to the public and a seamless set-up for the next event night.