We print here the summary of the Judging delivered by Andrew Fielder at last night’s winners banquet.
Sheik Sabaah making a presentation to Andrew Fielder
Head of Judges Statement
“The judging panel has enjoyed its task immensely over the last two weeks. In keeping with the prestigious nature of the Oman World Fireworks Championship 2010, our technical judges were selected on an international basis, and represent a very wide range of knowledge and experience of the firework industry.
From Spain has come Vicente Caballer Ramirez, the head of one of the most prestigious firework companies in Europe, and an expert both in manufacture and in arranging displays. Over many years, his company has won a string of competition prizes from around the world.
Tony Busuttil comes from Malta – a small country with a proud and independent culture, and a huge tradition of fireworks of all kinds. Tony has travelled widely, and worked with pyro-technicians in many countries, and has a great knowledge of the different types and designs of fireworks.
From Germany we were joined by David Weimer, who came to the firework industry from a background in computer technology, and who is greatly interested in the combination of the ancient art of fireworks with the possibilities created by modern technology.
We were joined by two eminent Omanis, Dr Suad Sulaiman and His Highness Faisal Bin Turki Al Said. Already great enthusiasts of firework displays, they brought to the jury a great deal intelligent discussion, a desire to learn more about the many varied elements that go into the creation of a display. They also were effective in representing the people of Oman, and the public response to the displays.
I can say that we have been a very happy jury and that we have greatly enjoyed the experience. We have made many new friends here. But we have taken our job seriously, and we have had long discussions on the respective merits of the displays provided by the competitors.
So what were the jury looking for? What were are criteria for judging the competition? Our scores sheets were divided into 15 categories where marks were awarded, and these were combined into four main areas.
Firstly, and most importantly, we were looking for creativity. We were looking to see the work of a designer with a clear vision, who could make bold, exciting and original use of the materials available to him. Use of colour, use of noise, use of specialist aerial effects, use of height – and the various combinations of all of these design features. Have they been used well? Is the competitor showing us something we haven’t seen before. Has this competitor presented us with a display of passion, excitement and technical innovation?
There are technical areas we looked at. Are the colours bold, bright and consistent? Are the shapes of the aerial shells symmetrical? Are the arrays of lower level material effective and how well to they combine with the higher material above them? Nowadays there is sophisticated computer programming available to enhance displays. Was this used? Was this used well? Was the stock varied in type and generous in quantity? Was the stock of good quality?
The second area is also closely related to the first. These were pyro-musical displays. Competitors were asked to come up with a musical soundtrack for their shows and to come up with a strong overall theme for their firework display. Was the music they chose appropriate for their chosen theme? Was it good music for fireworks? Was their display well synchronised to the music? Did they exploit their music in a particularly clever way? Did the music please the spectators?
The third area was safety. The Championships placed a very strong importance on issues of safety, and 20% of the marks available were awarded in this area. The competitors were subject to a process of continual assessment during the five days they spent on site, preparing material, setting up the display and then the performance and its aftermath. We were looking for safe practices, well managed sites, well managed crews, and a high level of awareness of safety issues relating to firework displays.
Finally there were 20 marks available for subjective impressions by the judges and the public. Were we awe inspired? Were we moved? Did we see passion, power, skill, and imagination?
On one thing the jury agreed. All the displays were of a very high standard. The competitors, and the country of Oman, can be proud at having participated in such a prestigious event. Already favourable comparisons have been made with other famous firework competitions around the world. And already, even before the competition was over, it has provoked an interest from around the world, with emails, and phone calls wanting to know how the competition is progressing.
That high standard was established from the very first seconds by the first competitor, Vulcan Fireworks from China. From the moment they filled the sky with huge synchronised shell bursts as they began their display we, the jury, knew we were seeing a display of the highest international standards. The scale, power and intensity of the aerial display was awesome. The quality of the material was excellent, and included effects which none of the jury, not even the technical judges, had seen before. The Vulcan display was a terrific start to the competition, and set a very high benchmark for other competitors to follow.
Our second competitor, Howard Fireworks from Australia, presented us with a display in a very contrasting style. Their soundtrack used poetry and evocative music to create a narrative, using themed display sequences depicting the sea, the sun and the golden sands of Oman. There were stunning moments, as, using the abstract shapes and patterns of fireworks, we saw the waves of a stormy sea, a sunrise in the desert, even the bustling activity of a souk. Here was a great act of imaginative design at work.
The next display was given by Merlin Fireworks from England. Here again we were presented with something very different, in style and in content. It was characterised at the outset by superb synchronisation to the music of Scheherazade. The designer moved his effects from left to right across the sky. As with the Vulcan show, we saw dense barrages of lower level material forming a colourful carpet of stars and effects, with impressive bursts high above up to a thousand feet. We also encountered the art of noise, and the spectators loved the whistling barrages, and the deafening finale.
Our fourth competitor was Zambelli from the United States. Their theme was a tribute to the culture, landscape and history of Oman. What followed was brash, full of energy; it filled the sky with deafening crescendo’s of colourful effects. Again we saw effects chosen that were unique to this competitor. Giant hemispheres of green stars with a single bright projecting comet, exquisitely timed to the music. Their arrays of fountains set among the palm trees of Qurum Park created a great cheer from the spectators.
From Italy we greeted Panzera, our fifth competitors. The presented us with a display that was recognisably Italian, traditional and characterised by breathtaking arrays of synchronised patterns from their famous Roman candles. Their soundtrack was cheerful and colourful and their display likewise. They filled the sky with golden spangle during “O Sole Mio”.
They filled it again with the national colours of both Oman and of Italy with dazzling arrays of red green and white. They made hearts ache with emotion as they filled the sky with ever larger amounts of dripping white and silver to the music of “Time to say Goodbye”, making one of the moments to remember of the whole competition. And they stunned the spectators with their rock and roll finale.
Finally, last night, we were treated to the efforts of Lacroix Ruggieri from France. In a display of great expertise they showed us the modern state of the art in fireworks. Their opening lancework brought cheers from spectators. Patterns of comets zipped from one side to the other with astonishing speed and symmetry. They provided a display of precision and impeccable synchronisation to the soundtrack, even illustrating the Arabic words of a traditional Omani song with appropriate patterns of flowers. The judges were impressed that although five displays had preceded the French show, they provided both material and techniques that had not been seen previously. There were palm trees and dancing hearts in the sky, and clusters of crossing comet stars. Their finale was colossal, and a fitting close to the competition.
So all of these displays led to much discussion in the jury, as we voiced our observations and listened to the opinions of others. Then we would mark up our score sheets privately. No judge knew how the other judges were scoring. Then this morning we met for one last time to review the marking and confirm the winner of the trophy. The scores were extremely close. All the competitors should be proud to have taken part and are to be congratulated for the high standards that they all displayed. The jury agreed about some things and disagreed on others. However there was one clear and unanimous decision by the jury, and that was for the winning company. So in the end our recommendation to the High Committee has been simple, the competition had a clear winner.”