Welcome to the third annual PyroJam Design Competition! This competition is free and open to all fireworks designers around the world. To join the competition, review all the details below and follow the steps in the How to Participate section. Don’t wait to get started – the show submission deadline is March 1, 2024. Following the submission deadline, three shows will be selected to be produced at PyroJam on Saturday, August 24, 2024. A panel of judges will score the live shows to determine 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, and the audience will cast their vote for the “People’s Choice” award.
You don’t need equipment. You don’t need manpower. You don’t even need to attend the event – but we hope you will anyway! All you need to do is design a show. That’s it! For more information about attending PyroJam, visit pyrojamusa.com.
If you haven’t purchased Finale 3D, you can request a free license for Pro version to participate in the competition. If you currently have Finale 3D Lite or Hobbyist, you can request a free upgrade. If you already have Pro, then you are all set, please skip these steps.
To activate a license, the Finale team needs the email address for your Finale 3D account.
To design a realistic, emotionally-impactful, pyromusical display, worthy of being fired at the third annual PyroJam festival.
Competition show design entries will be reviewed in March 2024 by a panel of judges. After careful consideration of all show designs, three shows will be selected to be produced at the PyroJam festival. The judging panel will score the live shows to determine 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, and the audience will vote to determine the winner of the “People’s Choice” award.
| Rank | Prize | Pyro Points | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Prize | $2,000 | +500 | ||
| Second Place | $1,500 | +400 | ||
| Third Place | $1,000 | +300 | ||
| People’s Choice | $500 | +150 | ||
| All participants will earn +50 Pyro Points for entering the competition. | ||||
1. Download the PyroJam show design template (.fin file)
2. Subscribe to the PyroJam competition effects catalog
3. Design a show following the competition rules
4. Use the Submission Form to submit your show.
• Does your show include a title and theme?
• Did you use the design template provided?
• Is your show between 9 and 10 minutes?
• Does your show include a music soundtrack?
• Are all of the products from the PyroJam catalog?
• Is your show within the budget of $25,000?
January 10, 2024 – Competition begins
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March 1, 2024 – Show submission deadline
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March 2024 – Show selection period
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April 2024 – Announcement of three finalist shows
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August 24, 2024 – Shooting of finalist shows, judging, and award presentation at PyroJam
Pick a theme for your show. The theme can be anything you like. When you submit your show, you will be asked to provide a show title and a description of your theme. There is no specific length requirement for the show description, it should simply be of sufficient length to introduce your show to the judges and the audience. For example, a show description could be a few sentences.
Shows must have a total length of 9 to 10 minutes. You may have silence at the beginning of your show, but it is not required.
Shows must be designed exclusively with effects contained in the PyroJam Competition catalog. These are real life products that will be used to produce your show at the PyroJam festival (if you are selected as one of the three competition finalists).
Please use the products as they are presented in the catalog. For example, individual shells from the catalog should be used individually in your show. Please do not create chains of shells or other effects on the timeline to conserve firing system equipment, or for any other reason. The PyroJam catalog also contains pre-made chains of shells. Please use pre-made chains in your show if desired, but please do not break apart the chains into individual shells. Please also do not break apart cakes.
To enable the PyroJam catalog in Finale 3D, login to finale3d.com then go to My Account > Supplier Catalog Settings.
Competition entries must be designed using the PyroJam Finale 3D design template. The template is available for download at the link below.
Download PyroJam 2024 Show Design Template
The show design template contains 5 rows of firing positions, as shown in the layout below. You may use as many or as few firing positions as you like, but please do not modify the firing position layout.
PyroJam firing position layout
Each row of positions can accommodate different kinds of effects. The table below defines the kinds of effects that can be used in each row of positions. For example, the “Front” row of positions can accommodate all kinds of Single Shot items and Cake-Slices.
Rows of firing positions, matching effects, angle restrictions
| Row | Position Names | Position Qty | Effect “Subtype” | Angle Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ➊ Prox | P-01…P-19 | 19 | Flame Pot, Fountain, Set Piece, SS Comet-CP, SS Mine-CP, Strobe Pot, Wheel | None |
| ➋ Front | F-01…F-19 | 19 | Ground, Roman Candle, SS Comet, SS Comet w/Mine, SS Comet-CP, SS Mine, SS Mine-CP, SS Shell, Cake-Slice | None |
| ➌ Cake | CK-1…CK-7 | 7 | Cake, Cake-Slice, Cake-Board | None |
| ➍ Shells | 2.5″ to 4″ Shells 1… | 5 | Shell-Ball, Shell-Chain, Shell-Cylinder (2.5″ to 4″) | Max 20°, see exception below |
| ➎ Shells | 5″ and 6″ Shells 1… | 3 | Shell-Ball, Shell-Chain, Shell-Cylinder (5″ & 6″) | Max 20° from vertical |
The firing angle restrictions are listed in the table above. The maximum firing angle for all shells is 20° from vertical, with the exception of specific soft breaking effects. These effects may be fired at a maximum angle of 40° when fired across the shoot site, or at a maximum angle of 20° when fired outward from the outside positions. To find shell effects that qualify for this exception, type “Soft Breaking” into the search box in the PyroJam catalog. The image below shows the maximum angles for these effects.
Maximum angles for “Soft Breaking” effects
A special set of effects can be fired horizontally from the row of “Prox” positions. You can find these effects in the PyroJam catalog by typing “Horizontal” into the search box. These effects can also be fired at other angles, but only these effects can be fired horizontally, and only from the “Prox” positions. If you decided to fire effects horizontally, the effects will be elevated if your show is produced in real life at PyroJam. Please do not elevate firing positions in Finale 3D or make any other changes to the position layout.
Shows may use up to $25,000 of product from the PyroJam catalog. Finale 3D will automatically calculate the total amount of product in real time as you add items to your show. The total amount is displayed in the lower-right corner of the design window, as shown in the screenshot below. Please make sure your show is not over budget!
Important: To ensure your show price total and used quantities are calculated correctly for chains, please confirm your Finale 3D user settings match the following.
A screenshot of the correctly configured user settings is below. Click on the image to enlarge.
In addition to the budget requirements, the quantity of each product in the PyroJam Competition catalog is limited to the amount shown in the “Available” column of the Finale 3D Effects window, as shown in the screenshot below. This is based on the real-life fireworks inventory that has been set aside for the competition. Please don’t use more of a product than is available!
There are no firing system or cue count limitations. Your job is to design the best possible show with no concern for the total number of modules or cues required!
The total duration of each show must be between 9 and 10 minutes. Each show must include a music soundtrack. You may pick any songs or music of your choice. There are no pre-selected songs and there is no list of songs from which you must choose.
| Category | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Impact | What was the overall impact of the show? Was the show interesting, engaging, compelling, moving, etc.? |
30% |
| Design / Script | Did the design include a variety of firing patterns? Was the show creative, containing new or innovative firing patterns/scene combinations? |
25% |
| Use of products | Did the size and use of effects match the feel and emotion of the music soundtrack? How was the use of color? Were the colors coordinated and complimentary within each scene? |
20% |
| Music score | Did the soundtrack help to convey the theme of the show? Was the soundtrack editing well executed? Were the transitions natural and seamless? Did the soundtrack include multiple tempos such as slow/fast, calm/energetic? |
20% |
| Title/Theme & Description | Did the show include a title or theme? Did the show include a description or synopsis? Was the theme evident and well depicted in the show? |
5% |
By participating in the competition, contestants agree to have their display setup and fired at PyroJam by Innovative Pyrotechnic Concepts, L.L.C. Contestants also agree to allow PyroJam and Finale Fireworks to use submitted content, in whole or in part, for marketing purposes. Finale Fireworks may further use submitted content, in whole or in part, for training, demonstration, and other purposes. Contestants’ names and company names (if applicable) will be listed publicly each time submission material is posted on YouTube or any of PyroJam’s social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn).