Patent Application
20200171403
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR 1.71(d).
N/A
This invention relates generally to pyrotechnics and specifically to devices and systems for choreographing full length feature films to fireworks based upon the on-screen action.
This invention was not made under contract with an agency of the US Government, nor by any agency of the US Government.
The traditional movie has onscreen actors and onscreen special effects, and usually is confined to the screen itself. Occasional efforts have been made to blend live action acting with screening a movie, but this has never become popular. Another common trope is seen in various types of performance art, in which a video is shown in the background during the performance. One example in which the performers (the Blue Man Group®) actually play with the video may be seen at the following link: https://youtube.com/watch?v=x9Gk0qcRC0w, during the first few seconds.
The use of pyrotechnics in conjunction with other entertainment is similarly limited. Frequently fireworks shows are accompanied with a musical score, usually with the grand finale of the fireworks roughly coinciding with the climax of the music but little other coordination between the music and the fireworks. Better coordination is achieved in rock and roll type musical performances, which for the last few decades have included a heavy usage of pyrotechnics by certain types of groups. In these cases the musical climax and the firing of pyrotechnics is at least reasonably well coordinated. Such rock shows frequently include video in the background as well. One example of a heavy metal rock show with pyrotechnics loosely choreographed to the music may be seen in the first few seconds of the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxr9CsYen1Q
Perhaps the closest coordination of music to video may have been achieved at a Disney® theme park, for example, the entertainment seen at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTxAhv6r12A&t=0s&index=4&list=PLA71CEF4EF7D9132E
In this show, at approximately the 2:47 mark it is seen that there is an attempt to loosely coordinate the action on screen with the pyrotechnics. (There are also lasers fired out of the screens, another commonly known technique. The present invention does not concern lasers.) However, the coordination found is fairly poor and limited. For example, buildings on the ground blow up, but above the screen there is a noticeable gap in both time and space before a pyrotechnic effect goes off, later than the actual building explosion and substantially above the top of the screen with a gap of some yards easily seen by the audience. This seems to be caused by the pyrotechnics not being mounted directly to the screen but instead perhaps to a building located some yards behind the screen. It is believed that this is the closest prior art to the present invention.
It would be preferable to provide a tightly scripted synchronization between fireworks and the actual action on screen, not just generalized fireworks around the time a building explodes but actually script and movie-making combined to provide a real-world sense of gun-fire, bullet impacts, concussion, buildings being destroyed half on and half off of the screen with both special effects and pyrotechnics.
It would further be preferable to provide a theater entertainment complex which safely brings the pyrotechnics actually among the audience.
The present invention teaches an entertainment complex and format in which a movie is augmented with pyrotechnics to add to the special effects action on the screen. For example, when a massive explosion engulfs the screen, at the exact same moment a flash bang and liquid fuel mortar may be fired off, promptly followed by a debris/dust mortar, illuminated by flood lights, so that the action onscreen and the pyrotechnic effects blend seamlessly into one another. As another example, an aircraft or spaceship might be strafing a character on the ground or engaged in a dogfight on screen, while off screen pyrotechnics are exactly choreographed to match the shots fired by the aircraft/spaceship, even choreographed to depict bullets hitting the ground in a long row through the audience, as if the audience themselves are being strafed, with a strategic bomb explosion thrown in as well. This has been tested and can be done safely, and done so as to meet or exceed current safety regulations.
While prior art has taught that a movie may be shown, or a musical score played, with the accompaniment of fireworks, these are only vaguely related. That is, the action on screen may be punctuated or emphasized by fireworks. The present invention on the other hand teaches that with split second timing and the proper script it is possible to actually extend the onscreen action off screen, with on screen explosions augmented with real explosions beside the screen, lines of laser beams or machine gun bullets on screen seen to continue out of the screen to the audience, or shots fired at the on screen characters augmented with genuine explosions and concussive forces safely experienced by the audience.
This in turn means that the pyrotechnics may not be confined to emphasizing the movie but rather may be distinct plot points. For example, an unexpected surprising explosion which injures the characters might occur off screen rather than on, while the filmed characters on screen react.
In addition, the present invention teaches that the movie itself may be filmed based on decisions previously made about the pyrotechnic choices available. That is, knowing that a gas bomb may be safely emplaced on a framework and catwalk behind the top of the screen, the film makers may elect to film an on screen explosion with the special effects action deliberately offset to the top edge of the screen, or any other edge. Further yet, the film makers may make two versions of a film: one with explosions, cannon fire and so on centered and no pyrotechnical enhancement, the other version with explosions and shots found on the edge of the screen, so that a massive explosion off screen may become part of the script.
Another embodiment of the invention is a script which uses second-to-second timing to control and synchronize (choreograph) the real world pyrotechnical action to the onscreen special effects action.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention, in addition to those discussed previously, to provide an entertainment comprising:
a film screen having various areas including at least a front, a back, left, right, top and bottom edges and a middle area;
a full-length feature film displayed upon the film screen, the full-length feature film having scenes including special effects, the special effects including a first special effect conflagration having a first set of characteristics;
a first pyrotechnic device operative to produce a first real conflagration matching the first set of characteristics;
a control device operative to ignite the first pyrotechnic device;
a first individual characteristic of the first set of characteristics being a first specific area of the film screen;
a second individual characteristic of the first set of characteristics being the type of the first special effect conflagration;
a third individual characteristic of the first set of characteristics being a first precise time in the full-length feature film at which the first special effect conflagration is displayed on the film screen;
a script, the script indicating the first precise time in the full-length feature film at which the first special effect conflagration is displayed on the film screen and further indicating ignition of the first pyrotechnic device;
whereby the first special effect conflagration displayed upon the screen is augmented by the first real conflagration, which matches its characteristics.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention, in addition to those discussed previously, to provide an entertainment further comprising:
in the full-length feature film, a second special effect conflagration having a second set of characteristics, a first individual characteristic of the second set of characteristics being a second specific area of the film screen, a second individual characteristic of the second set of characteristics being the type of conflagration of the second special effect conflagration, and a third individual characteristic of the second set of characteristics being a second precise time in the full-length feature film at which the second special effect conflagration is displayed on the film screen;
a second pyrotechnic device operative to produce a second real conflagration matching the second set of characteristics;
the control device further operative to ignite the second pyrotechnic device;
the script further indicating the second precise time in the full-length feature film at which the second special effect conflagration is displayed on the film screen and further indicating ignition of the second pyrotechnic device,
whereby the second special effect conflagration displayed upon the screen is augmented by the second real conflagration which matches its characteristics.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention, in addition to those discussed previously, to provide an entertainment, further comprising:
the full-length feature film being shot and edited in two formats, a first format in which special effects are displayed in the middle area of the film screen for maximum onscreen impact of the special effects without the augmentation by the first and second real conflagrations, and a second format in which special effects are displayed near one of the edge parts of the film screen for the augmentation by the first and second real conflagrations.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention, in addition to those discussed previously, to provide an entertainment further comprising:
a plot of the full-length feature film, the plot including a third conflagration, the third conflagration selected to match a previously known third set of characteristics of a third conflagration produced by a third pyrotechnic device.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention, in addition to those discussed previously, to provide an entertainment complex comprising:
a movie screen having a front, a back, left, right, top and bottom edges and a middle area;
a first fireball and debris zone disposed immediately behind the movie screen;
a second fireball and debris zone disposed immediately to the left, and slightly behind, the movie screen;
a third fireball and debris zone disposed immediately to the right, and slightly behind, the movie screen;
a crowd barrier immediately in front of the movie screen, the crowd barrier having a length, the crowd barrier dividing the entertainment complex into a first part having within it the movie screen and the first, second, and third fireball and debris zones and a second part having within it an audience space;
a plurality of proximate launch locations disposed immediately adjacent to the crowd barrier at a plurality of locations along the length, the proximate launch locations disposed in the first part of the entertainment complex;
at least one “cakes and fronts” location disposed behind the three fireball zones in the first part of the entertainment complex;
at least one medium caliber shell launch area disposed behind the “cakes and fronts” location;
at least one large caliber shell launch area disposed behind the medium caliber shell launch area.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention, in addition to those discussed previously, to provide an entertainment complex further comprising:
a second and third crowd barrier disposed in the second part of the entertainment complex, the second and third crowd barriers passing through the audience space, the second and third crowd barriers defining therebetween a first strafing run/proximity launch zone.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention, in addition to those discussed previously, to provide an entertainment complex further comprising:
a rocket cable having a first end attached to the screen.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention, in addition to those discussed previously, to provide an entertainment complex further comprising:
a first pyrotechnic device attached to a rear side of the screen, the first pyrotechnic device operative to produce a first real conflagration emanating from an edge of the screen.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention, in addition to those discussed previously, to provide an entertainment complex further comprising:
a plurality of bullet hit pyrotechnics attached to the rear side of the screen and disposed so as to create bullet hit conflagrations on a front side of the screen.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention, in addition to those discussed previously, to provide an entertainment complex wherein the movie screen further comprises:
a framework on the back, the framework in turn having thereon a catwalk, the first pyrotechnic device mounted to the catwalk.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention, in addition to those discussed previously, to provide an entertainment complex wherein the audience space further comprises:
a drive-in theater parking lot dimensioned and configured for automobiles.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention, in addition to those discussed previously, to provide an entertainment complex wherein the audience space further comprises:
a plurality of seats.
It is therefore another aspect, advantage, objective and embodiment of the invention, in addition to those discussed previously, to provide an entertainment complex wherein the screen is comprised of a material which is explosion proof and flame proof.
(aimed at rocket tower) 821
As used herein, the term “small caliber shell” refers to firework shells (and mortars firing a shell of that size) having a diameter of 2 to 4 inches (50-100 mm).
The term “medium caliber shell” refers to firework shells (and mortars firing a shell of that size) having a diameter of 4 to 6 inches (100-152 mm).
The term “large caliber shell” refers to firework shells (and mortars firing a shell of that size) having a diameter of 6 to 12 inches (152-304 mm), or larger.
Synchronization of pyrotechnics to on screen action, special effects and CGI refers to not just an approximate matching of the firing of pyrotechnics to climactic parts of a musical score but rather matching of precise times of action on the screen (effects, CGI, etc) to the firing of pyrotechnics, which may include firing pyrotechnics off screen which have consequences on screen (a pyrotechnic is fired and then on screen characters fall down even though nothing happened on screen), firing pyrotechnics off screen to complete actions on screen (a character throws a grenade into the plane of viewing of the movie (ie toward the viewer), or an airplane strafes straight toward viewers) which result in pyrotechnics off screen (explosions or bullet impacts among the audience), or the like. The term “precise timing” as used herein refers to a window of firing a pyrotechnic and on screen action which is less than 1 second, whereby a smooth and seamless blending of the two effects is achieved. Precise used in terms of space refers to having a distance of a few inches at most between action on screen (such as a line of bullets) and action off screen (a line of pyrotechnics) which are lined up. In addition, by mounting pyrotechnics directly to the screen back and the four edges of the screen, it is possible to much more closely align pyrotechnics to special effects, for example, by reducing or eliminating parallax error, etc. Pyrotechnics may include at least proximate fireworks, mortar shells, dust/debris mortars, liquid fuel mortars, wire rockets, cakes, fronts/walls, fountains, arcing comet effects, concussion mortars, flash pots, smoke bombs, fireballs, gas flame throwers, sparks, aerial fireworks, brocades, roman candles, canister shells, chrysanthemum, class 1.4G, 1.4G PRO and 1.3G fireworks (per new classification system under regulations), crossettes, dahlia, dragon eggs, fish, flares, jumping jacks, parachutes, palms, peonys, pearls, salutes, smoke, willows, wheels, crackle effects, falling leaves, fireflys, flitter, pistels, rings, rising tails, saturn shells, and combinations thereof.
Immediately adjacent, immediately inside/outside etc refers to a very short distance, which may be only a few feet: 10 feet or less in some embodiments.
Note that the park is divided into two major zones, with some complexity to the borders between the two zones. A first zone is for the technicians and artists, and includes pyrotechnics, firing areas, debris areas, safety zones, the screen, and so on. A second zone is the audience zone. In this particular embodiment (a drive-in movie theater) the audience zone is a parking area 104.
Safety barriers 106a and 106b and matching barriers on the other side of the median safety zone 110 define a complex shape within which the audience is allowed (the audience zone) and deter audience members from getting into danger, for example, from getting too close to the proximate fireworks 108. Note that proximate fireworks as used as pyrotechnic jargon coincidentally carries the same meaning at patent jargon: “close fireworks”. These are items, perhaps smoke bombs, fountains, or other smaller effects, which can be safely employed despite being immediately across the safety barriers 106a/b from the audience.
One specific example, of this is the medial interaudience safety zone 110 having disposed therein strafing effect fireworks 112a, 112b. As tested by the applicant, a series of small explosives are planted with small amounts of dust/debris/dirt just over them. As an aircraft flies overhead with a twinkling effect on the wings, the strafing effect fireworks are sequentially fired off right in the middle of the audience, in the safety zone 110, and the audience safely experiences the feeling that they are being strafed, including the actual concussive effects due to whatever brisance or shock waves the small explosives produce, which effects are not truly reproducible by means of speaker. This depends upon the precise time synchronization claimed herein, and if the live airplane is replaced with a movie airplane, it furthermore depends on the use of a precise script for the movie which includes the exact timing of pyrotechnics.
This last point should be explained further. An airplane which is either real or video, which either is moving or is perceived to be moving at 300 miles per hour, is moving at 500 feet per second. To an audience, the airplane needs to be no more than a few hundred feet away, (for example 300 feet distant), and still diving straight at the audience, when the pyrotechnics are initiated. But a deviation of a mere ¾ second for firing the strafing pyrotechnics during the approach of the airplane (equivalent to a distance error of 375 feet in an exemplary required distance of 300 feet) would mean that the pyrotechnics would be fired off either when the airplane is passing overhead (producing the ridiculous effect that the bullets arrive after the airplane has left) or if fired too soon, would mean that the strafing would seem to be coming from a distant, small object still almost 700 feet away.
Thus the general approach of “manually fire off pyrotechnics when the rock star hits her high note” of the prior art, or the Disney® show previously, would not suffice to produce suspension of disbelief.
Rocket wire pylon/anchor 114 may be seen to hold rocket wire 116 which extends from the movie screen 118 toward a rocket tower/anchor. Rocket wire 116 maybe used to fire off rockets at a predetermined direction and velocity and under strict control to that the rockets may not turn toward the audience.
Movie screen 118 will have numerous effects mounted directly to it (see
Arcing/comet effects 120 may be seen to be positioned further away from the audience than the rocket wires, and of course further than small proximate pyrotechnics, etc. These will of course fire up into the air and across the space above the screen.
Debris/fireball locations 122 are large safety zones (even technicians will need to stay out of these areas at certain times) which contain mortars for firing or recovering debris, or firing fireballs. A fireball mortar is simply a large tube with a quantity of flammable material such as gasoline within it, when ignited it spews flames high into the air over the mortar tube, then thermodynamics (superheated air rising and cool air rushing in from the bottom sides) takes over and produces a small fiery mushroom cloud shape, followed by smoke in the same shape. A debris mortar may literally be loaded with material which can be seen in the air.
Cakes & fronts areas 124 (cakes are multiple tube mortars which have a single initiator: when fired the tubes begin to go in sequence, while fronts are a set of matching comets, cakes, or any other effect which are arranged in a line or other pattern and fired simultaneously. This can create a continuous wall of color or sparks or smoke, etc, which wall of pyrotechnics can extend for hundreds of feet.
This particular theater/park has been laid out for small and medium shells, with multiple launch zones for the small (3″) mortar shells (launch/safety area 126) and a different zone for the medium (5″) mortar shells (area 128). Note that with more space, a larger size of shell may be used.
Screen 418 and sightline 440 from an audience are seen. In this case an exploding building onscreen (442) is matched with a precisely synchronized explosion effect 444 (real pyrotechnics mounted on the rear or edge of the screen), along with a precisely synchronized smoke effect 446 (also real pyrotechnics). The first explosion 444 might be provided by a fireball mortar, while the second smoke effect 446 may be provided by a smoke bomb.
Film makers will occasionally, for reasons of artistic expression, film off center. But in general, in order to give the audience the maximum explosion special effects visibility, the explosion will be centered, and the center of attention of the action.
However, when film makers are aware, going into the filming and pre and post production process that they have the option of using real explosions to augment the CGI explosion, they will have more options for their entertainment.
Metal rigging platform 801 may be located behind the screen and at a height which is convenient both for riggers and technicians and also for providing the tight synchronization required. Platform supports 803 may structurally depend from a strong screen, or may be the supports which holed up the screen, or may be free standing but located immediately adjacent the screen back 818, again, immediately adjacent meaning very small: in this case, mere inches. Firing system terminals 805 provide the sockets or plug-ins for electronic firing of the pyrotechnics. During shows, these will have electrical control lines plugged in and leading to the pyrotechnics.
Proximate pyro 807 may be an item which can be fired close to the audience, as discussed previously in relation to safety barriers.
Liquid fireball mortar 809 may provide fireball effects for explosions. It will be understood that the arrangement and location of all pyrotechnics may be adjusted to any point along the edges of the screen, in order to provide the tight precise synchronization required to achieve suspension of disbelief, that is, for the audience to see and experience the content of the show rather than being distracted by the realization that it is a show and that the pyrotechnics are slightly out of alignment or are happening late. This ability to mount any item anywhere, depending upon the plot line, filmography and format of the underlying full length movie feature, applies to all pyrotechnics as one full length movie feature is supplanted by the next.
Debris/dust mortar 811 may be seen, also mounted to the catwalk/support framework.
Gas flame thrower 813 actually has a gas feed line 815 from gas supply 817, which may be a bottle of pressurized flammable gas such as propane or the like. (It may also be liquid fuel, as mentioned previously. Some types of pyrotechnics use one type of gas, others use another type.)
However, some items are mounted to the back 818 of the screen, or to the edges. Mine tube 819, multiple comet tubes 821 (which are aimed at the rocket tower), rocket cables 823 to the rocket tower, flash pot 825, comet tube 827, fountain 829, a spark/ricochet bullet hit 831, another comet tube 833 and even ancillary equipment such as the terminals 805 or the line rocket catch cans 837a, 837b may be mounted at various locations on the edge of the screen (top, bottom, left or right edges), on the back, on the catwalk or the framework, etc.
The dual screens are designed to be at angle to one another (in this case, a 90 degree angle but other angles may be employed when suitable), the angle chosen (i.e. 90 degrees) so that one screen does not block the other screen and yet a pyrotechnic effect orientation may be the same for both screens. That is, if a pyrotechnic effect is fired on the left side of a first screen, then with this angle it will also be on the left side of the second screen, as viewed from the perspective of either of the audiences (albeit slightly further away from one audience). Note that this requires proper placement of the firing positions. It may be appreciated that by this means, a single effect may be fired and yet entertain two audiences, effectively cutting costs of effects by 50% for those effects which can be properly positioned.
The disclosure is provided to render practicable the invention by those skilled in the art without undue experimentation, including the best mode presently contemplated and the presently preferred embodiment. Nothing in this disclosure is to be taken to limit the scope of the invention, which is susceptible to numerous alterations, equivalents and substitutions without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is to be understood from the appended claims.
Methods and components are described herein. However, methods and components similar or equivalent to those described herein can be also used to obtain variations of the present invention. The materials, articles, components, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.
Although only a few embodiments have been disclosed in detail above, other embodiments are possible and the inventors intend these to be encompassed within this specification. The specification describes specific examples to accomplish a more general goal that may be accomplished in another way. This disclosure is intended to be exemplary, and the claims are intended to cover any modification or alternative which might be predictable to a person having ordinary skill in the art.
Having illustrated and described the principles of the invention in exemplary embodiments, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the described examples are illustrative embodiments and can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. Techniques from any of the examples can be incorporated into one or more of any of the other examples. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
