If you’re crazy about loud bangs and sparkling skies, become an autopyrotechnician
Invented over 2,000 years ago by the Chinese, fabulous fireworks displays are now the norm when there’s a celebration anywhere on the planet. From New Years through Olympics openings to royal weddings, pop concerts, saints’ days and local events, fortunes are spent on lighting up the skies with myriad colours, breathtaking designs and mighty explosions reminiscent of world wars. Everyone from nine years old to 90 loves a firework display!
Gone are the days of back-garden bonfires, sparklers and ‘light the blue touch paper and retire’ – finally killed off by ‘elf and safety’ – with pyrotechnics now big business, relying on computerised choreography with musical accompaniment. As an interesting career path, it’s challenging, fun and very rewarding, and needs a plethora of skills and qualifications. As well as being able to design, programme and run the show, the competent autopyrotechnician must understand the nature of explosives and how each individual firework behaves, requiring extensive studies of chemistry and physics.
In addition, courses in art and music need to be taken as a prerequisite to designing a show, and computer programming is an essential skill as the apps necessary for a major display need to be foolproof and agreed by health and safety officialdom, not an easy task. Aviation authorities may also need to be involved and coastal shows or those taking place on offshore vessels will involve the local coastguard authority. Paperwork and phone calls are the downside of this otherwise fun job!
Although a degree-level education isn’t formally required for the position, personal qualities include good communications skills, meticulous attention to detail and organisational abilities. This is a stressful job due to the risks involved in dealing with the quantities of explosives in modern fireworks, where even one mistake can result in serious injuries. A single show can involve thousands of individual ‘shells’ (fireworks), with each requiring its own ignition device, programmed in sequence and often with musical accompaniments – the 1812 Overture being a favourite!
The best way to get your foot in this fun door is to volunteer as part of a crew working for a display operating company. Most crews are composed of volunteers aiming to get enough experience to become licensed operators themselves, with 18 years the minimum age for workers. OK, you won’t get paid until you’re a licensed operator, but you get to watch the shows close-up and be trained in the basic skills for free. Once you’ve mastered these and combined your practical knowledge with your studies, becoming a licensed operator is straightforward.
Setting up an independent business is capital-intensive – you’ll need heavy transportation, a power source, funds to feed and house your crew during the event and, of course, the fireworks themselves, manufactured by specialist companies, the best of which, naturally, are located in Asia where it all started! You’ll also need to submit to a thorough background check by your local Fire and Explosives office and demonstrate your knowledge of local laws regarding explosives via a written exam. As an independent contractor, you’ll be paid show by show, so your final salary is up to your business acumen!
