NEW ORLEANS – Strictly FX of Chicago provided some of the special effects – including pyro, flames and more – during the entertainment portion of the Super Bowl XLVII. The company worked with Executive Producer Ricky Kirshner of RK Productions and Production Designer Bruce Rodgers of Tribe Design to add excitement to the Halftime show.
More details from Strictly FX (http://www.strictlyfx.com):
NEW ORLEANS – Super Bowl XLVII, presented by the NFL, was undoubtedly the high point of the sporting year for many. While the game is indeed the nexus of the event, there’s also an entertainment component involved, and special effects provider Strictly FX of Chicago was an integral part of the proceedings and worked closely with Executive Producer Ricky Kirshner of RK Productions, and Production Designer Bruce Rodgers of Tribe Design.
Says partner and effects designer Mark Grega of Strictly FX,“For this one, we were able to give them a lot more ideas than they were given in the past; they were accustomed to dealing with firms that only did pyro. We do all the effects – not just pyro. We can provide flame effects, CO2 effects and lasers. We’re also able to visualize our concepts, show them renders, as well as show them animations of all our cues.”
The use of effects were part of the discussions from the beginning of the design process. Rodgers explains, “One of the ideas Beyoncé liked and agreed to early in our process was our idea for ‘dirty pyro.’ She liked the concept of anarchy and the ‘danger’ of fiery, smoky flames in, around and behind the stage and Strictly FX helped us find that vibe perfectly.”
The firm was front and center during the player introductions, when both teams took to the field. Grega initially proposed a somewhat modest effects package. “We showed them something that I’d consider fairly standard, and then gave them an option that was a bit more crazy, a little more what I thought was worthy of the two teams that are in the Super Bowl,” says Grega. The player introduction featured a chase of 80 comets as well as flames from four aerosol flame cannons, which, unlike many flame cannons, are able to continuously hold the flame height.
The effects from Strictly FX began within the first minute of the Pepsi Halftime show, starring Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child, when the silhouette of Beyoncé’s face within Rodgers’ stage broke into fire during the introduction number. That effect was accomplished using 100 custom fabricated flame projectors. Within moments, a massive 50 ft tall by 25 ft wide flare and pyro silhouette of the singer appeared, and then almost magically disappeared – at least on camera.
The effect, originally envisioned as propane flames, morphed into a flame and spark device that featured 178 charges; the charges were called ‘fire and ice fountains.’ The unit was stored in the ceiling, and had to be loaded by hand from a window washing platform. Artistically, it was paired with four liquid propane Venom Cannons shooting 30 ft flames upstage. “The background combination of the Venom Cannons and the 48 foot tall Pyro Girl effect was actually my favorite effect moment in the show,“ Rodgers admits.
The song “Crazy in Love” also included a wireless controlled custom guitar – triggered by Grega during the show – that spewed silver sparks from either end, which was based on a gag that Beyoncé saw in the past that the firm was able to put their own spin on.
“Guitar gags have been done since KISS started it in the ‘70s but the true magic is finding a unique way to make it look fresh,” says Grega. The song concluded with comets shooting dramatically in the air. “Everything we used on this show was either custom made with low smoke output or it was a nitro cellulose product that is inherently low smoke.”
Effects from Strictly FX came to the forefront again during “Bootylicious,” when Destiny’s Child joined Beyonce on stage. Pyro accents, in the form of 30 ft silver gerbs burst up from the toasters when Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams popped onto Rodger’s stage. Not be outdone, Beyoncé’s entrance was accented by the use of eight CO2 cryojets located upstage.
Flame was one of the stars of the song “Independent Women.” Thirty-two linear feet of red hot, 2 ft tall fire flickered in front of the ladies, thanks to two Mini Venom Flame Bars downstage. “Destiny’s Child loves fire, and when you see the low shot from the handheld camera of the girls, it looks like the audience’s hands are in it, which was very cool,” notes Grega. There were also massive flame accents upstage from liquid propane Venom Cannons that provided a consistent 30 ft flame.
For the finale, “Halo,” Strictly FX brought in lasers – specifically four brand new 30 watt RGB diodes that were used with two massive pieces of white, flowing fabric, to create the illusion of hair. In the end, the show came off flawlessly due to the workers behind the scenes.
“Strictly FX brought their ‘A’ game to the production, performed above and beyond everyone’s expectations, and I look forward to working with them again,” says Rodgers.
The Strictly FX team on site included Grega – Special Effects Designer & Wireless Guitar Operator; John Lyons – Crew Chief & Pyro Operator; Eric Gorleski – FX Operator; Scott Allen – Player Intro Pyro Operator & Pyro Tech; David Kennedy – Laser Programmer/Operator; Richard Brisson– Laser Tech; Matt Schlager – Pyro Programmer; Tony Alaimo, Ron Bleggi, Adam Biscow, Wes Fiske, Robert Ehrlich, Brook Bloomquist, Shane Johnson – Pyro Techs.
