if it used more adventurous effects we would be
doing extensive video tests to get client approval.
It may also require special launch systems and
rigging which are specific to the venue, not least for
safety, so that has an impact. However, in general
we normally have about a months’ notice, although
a few days is not that uncommon! Obviously
for something like the Olympics you have many
months’ notice, but those projects don’t crop up
very often!
HNICS
is not something suitable on the market,
and we feel it is about time professional
equipment was available.
HOW HAS THE INDUSTRY CHANGED
IN THE PAST TWO DECADES IN THE
HANDLING OF PYROTECHNICS,
ESPECIALLY WITH REGARDS TO
HEALTH AND SAFETY?
YOU’VE DEVELOPED VARIOUS
SMOKE AND WIND MACHINES. TELL
US MORE ABOUT THEM AND HOW
THIS CAME ABOUT?
When Artem started trading in 1988
we looked around for a lightweight mobile
smoke machine, and in the absence of one
existing we designed and built our own,
but that is no small undertaking so it
seemed sensible to produce it for sale. The
‘Artem’ has become the ‘Hoover’ of film
and TV sets. We have more recently been
developing other equipment, in particular
3 wind machines of various types, (small
and large electric, and a large petrol
machine), and again this is because there
The industry has changed fairly little
in my experience. There are more ‘off the
shelf’ pyrotechnics, which are both more
interesting and more varied, which allows
a more design-based approach. Computer
controlled firing systems have made
control much easier, particularly where
microseconds are needed between firing
to give a very controlled effect. Legislation
has tightened up a bit, which is a good
thing, but relevant training is pretty non-
existent. In fact, Artem have started doing
our own in-house formal training, and we
may expand that externally in the future.
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