When your show requires pyro type special effects but your budget or venue doesn't allow for the real thing, consider pseudo pyro.

So how is it done? Your basic pyro effect has up to 4 different aspects to it. Smoke, flash, report (sound) & flame. With pseudo pyro, we are limited to 3 of these. Smoke, flash & sound. Note that when you need an actual flame affect, real pyro is the way to go. If your production can get away without flame, you are a likely candidate for pseudo pyro. Typical costs compared to traditional pyro can be 1/2 to 1/10th less per show.

By avoiding the danger & risk involved with real pyro, you also avoid the permit fees, hazmat charges & most importantly the liability you take on every time a real pyro cue is fired on your stage.

There are other benefits to using pseudo pyro instead of real pyro. One of the biggest advantages being the ability to trigger your special effects in sync with audio & lighting.

Traditional pyro provides a single report (noise) if at all & the volume of the report isn't real controllable. Usually it's way too loud in a confined space & is harsh for the audience. In the case of pseudo pyro, you have infinite control of not only volume but what the report sounds like. Want some thunder that rolls on after the effect has been triggered? No problem. Fairy chimes with the effect? Sure. Explosion sound? Definitely! Need effects timed with lighting strobes? No problem, the same trigger can control both. Most pseudo pyro effects can be triggered with no wires involved so the effect can travel on & off stage if need be on a set piece.

Having worked as a licensed pyrotechnician on shows ranging from the original touring version of "Phantom of the Opera" to multiple "KISS" concerts & being a sound & lighting designer for bands & theater performances, I understand how to integrate each aspect of an effect into a whole effect.

Some might ask, why not just use real pyro? The simplest answer is cost. Some pyro accidents a few years ago caused a back lash from local, state & federal agencies that has made it incredibly expensive to do real pyro. Especially for regional theater & non profit organizations. Really, there is so much more possible in a theater environment with pseudo pyro than real pyro. Think flexibility. The opposite of a permited real pyro design. One major issue when considering any real pyro for a show is the permitting & AHJ (authority having jurisdiction) fees. Permitting fees can vary between an affordable flat fee for an entire production run to an expensive fee per show. Real pyro requires a AHJ to be onsite during the rehearsals & shows & their fee can be as much as $500 per show in my part of the country.

Not only does real pyro limit you financially but when dealing with real pyro & your local AHJ representative, your options are limited if & when you get thru the permitting stage. Meaning that you are expected & legally required to follow your own pre stated pyro plan once the permit as been issued. This permitting process must happen in advance of the first rehearsal & so for a one off show, there is usually still a lot of information that isn't known that will be learned after a few dry runs. In the case of psuedo pyro, if you realize your effect isn't big enough, just add more. If it's not loud enough, just turn it up. If it's too loud, turn it down. If you were to do this when using traditional pyro, you would need to get the permission from the AHJ (authority having juristiction) who permitted the original pyro design IF there is time & there is always the chance that the AHJ might just say no.

For more information contact, Ra Byn (robin) Taylor @ 817 879 8620 cell