Movie pyrotechnics focus of training
Firefighters are known for putting out fires and saving the lives of millions of people, but on Aug. 16 through Aug. 18, the fire department was introduced to the field of pyrotechnics and how to keep people on the set of a movie safe when accidents occur.
The goal of the three-day program was not only to educate and inform public safety agencies and private sector interested in film production fire safety in Cali- fornia, but to also
discuss and demonstrate the proper use, handling, storage, and transportation of special effects and how they are used within the industry. The program also provided a leadership role in educating local government agencies throughout the State by standardizing regulatory safety requirements as they apply to the motion picture industry and help others recognize that the motion picture and entertainment industry is a safe and vital form of commerce in California.
Perhaps one of the highlights of the course was the last day when experts in the field of special effects and pyrotechnics gave an outside presentation of what it’s like to use live weapons with blank cartridges and complete stunts featuring a fullbody burn and pyrotechnic special effects.
Alan Roberts, a special effects coordinator for Next Generation Effects based out of Santa Clarita, was one of several demonstrators that showed students how they blow up cars in movies, blow up buildings and create smoke for certain scenes.
“The goal here is to express safety with pyrotechnics, respect them, make sure everybody goes home the same way they arrived, and that everybody has a good time,” Roberts said. “Whatever we are doing is executed with 100 percent safety and excellence and what we want to do here is spread the knowledge to the other fire safety officers so when they go to a set they know exactly what we are talking about and that there is no difference of opinion or not understanding where we are coming from.”
Roberts, who comes from a family of special effects fanatics, said he loves the creativity that goes into his craft and enjoys seeing his work on TV.
“It is a fun job and I wouldn’t quit doing it for the world,” Roberts said.
Jeff Marsh, a special effects coordinator in Van Nuys, who has worked on a number of Blockbuster hits such as Django Unchained, Star Wars and
The Hunger Games, said he loves teaching others about what he does almost as much as he loves doing it.
“What I like about the training program is that I get to talk to the guys that normally don’t see this stuff and educate them and give them some training and a chance to work with these elements,” said Marsh, who has helped conduct similar training programs in San Francisco, Oakland and San Diego. “So it helps them understand, but it also helps spread the word on how we do effects so they don’t think we are all looney tunes, and we are going to blow something up and hurt somebody.”
Marsh said it is important to educate those in the fire department about what they do because they play a vital role in making sure everyone is safe when accidents happen.
“The main purpose of having us out here is to show the inspectors out in the field what is being used out in the field so when they walk into a movie production or a theatrical production they will have an idea of what they are looking at instead of just walking in cold going ‘I don’t know what you’re doing, I have never seen this before.”’ Marsh said.
Jimmy Lorimer, a special effects supervisor at JBL Effects Inc. of Woodland Hills, said he gets a rush of euphoria every time he is near pyrotechnics and loves teaching others about the field.
“It is educational because it helps enlighten local fire departments what goes on during a film set so they know what to expect,” Lorimer said. “I
hope that they take away from it how to work safely with pyrotechnics and how to keep everybody safe on set.”
Thaine Morris, the owner of a pyro manufacturing firm in Van Nuys and has been in the special effects business for over 50 years, started work as a chemist after he graduated from college, and got into the pyrotechnic and special effects field after accepting a promotion that required a person who wasn’t afraid of explosives.
“Blowing up things is not a bad thing,” Morris said. “One of my favorite things about this industry is that they pay us a lot of money to be a little kid.”
Ray Figueroa, an engineer for the Porterville Fire Department, said the class helped him sharpen his knowledge, skills and abilities towards new atmospheres of fire safety and has given him a better understanding on not only what goes on a set of a movie, but also what steps to take to make certain that everyone can do their job without getting hurt.
“It is a great class, we take in a lot of knowledge as far as the expectations of a fire safety officer on the set of a movie, and it gives me the capability of what to do in such a case,” Figueroa said.
Alexandra Vander Poel, the deputy film commissioner for Tulare County, who was also a student in the class, said she enjoyed learning how to identify potential fire hazards on film sets and how to avoid potentially dangerous situations. She hopes the fire department holds more informational classes in the future.