Dynamite FX: Lockdown Projects

DYNAMITE FX: LOCKDOWN PROJECTS

Warwickshire special effects and pyrotechnics company, Dynamite FX reflects on a series of historic projects in lockdown…

With an unusual wealth of government-mandated time, Dynamite FX embarked on a series of dynamic lockdown projects, including Liverpool Football Club’s long-awaited Premier League trophy lift at Anfield and two Sam Fender shows at one of the UK’s first socially distanced music venues, the Virgin Money Unity Arena at Gosforth Park, Newcastle.

Dynamite FX was fast approaching what was set to be the company’s busiest year to date, with a series of touring and festival pitstops across Summer 2020. However, like the entire events industry, the Warwickshire special effects and pyrotechnics firm watched all the events, hires and sales disappear from the company calendar over a two-week period. “At the time the lockdown was being introduced, we were preparing for our first tour of the year with Sam Fender, and we were due to go into rehearsal on 17 March,” Dynamite FX Founder and Director, Joe Knight began. “We had two weeks of uncertainty and then got the news it was being postponed until September, which has now, of course, been moved again to Spring 2021.”

During the early part of lockdown, the company restructured its warehouse facility. “We began R&D on some new special effects that we hope to have built and ready for our return in 2021,” Knight reported. “As part of the #LightItBlue campaign, we were involved with a Thank You NHS event at one of the UK’s best event venues – Aynhoe Park, Oxfordshire – supplying laser and special effects to celebrate the wonderful and tireless work of the brilliant NHS, caregivers and key workers.”

In June, Dynamite FX was contracted by Liverpool Football Club and the team’s main sponsor, Standard Chartered, to create a visual spectacle for the club’s long awaited – 30 years to be exact – Premier League trophy lift at Anfield. With no fans allowed in the stadium for the event, the SFX specialist designed and produced a quarter of a tonne of personalised confetti embellished with over 100 fan tweets of congratulations, which were fired during the trophy lift.

“We supplied 200 bespoke LFC-branded handheld confetti cannons for each of the football players and their families, VIPs and sponsors, to use on the pitch, dressing rooms and player hampers,” Knight recalled. “We have produced SFX for many sporting events over the years. This job was unique in the sense that there was a strategy behind what we were doing

and had it not been for COVID-19, we would not have been producing fan tweets to shower down over the players as the crowd would have been in the stadium.”

Knight reflected on the ‘call to action’ of collating the tweets from fans, in order to design and deliver them in time for the televised show. “To ensure we got everything on time, we had to send one of our team to collect the personalised confetti and handheld confetti cannons from the manufacturer in Europe, due to us not being able rely on any of the couriers being able to guarantee delivery on time because of the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he commented. “It was so cool that we could use confetti to create a unique press angle that added meaning to the celebrations. Above all else, it was great be involved with the project; it kept us busy and it felt like things were back to normal.”

Following the LFC celebration, Dynamite FX received a request from Sam Fender’s tour management to put together an SFX package for two sell-out shows of a combined capacity of 5,000 people at one of the UK’s first socially distanced music venues, the Virgin Money Unity Arena at Gosforth Park, Newcastle.

“We have been supplying Sam Fender and his production team with various special effects and pyro packages since 2019. Following the cancellation of his tour, management wanted to go with a comprehensive package,” Knight explained. “However, we had to cut the pyro and confetti as these were not allowed on this particular site.”

In t he end, Dynamite FX supplied eight CO 2 Jets and 10 Sparkular effects, trigged by Senior SFX Technician, Liam Mace operating an MA Lighting grandMA2. “COVID-19 secure masks and gloves are worn during

job packing and de prep in the warehouse and equipment is cleaned with antibacterial spray. We have hand sanitiser stations in abundance, and minimal warehouse crew when packing and unpacking jobs to reduce the risk of contact,” Knight reported.

“On arrival to site at the Virgin Money Unity Arena, we signed up to a track and trace system. When working in the proximity of or on stage, crew wore masks and used hand sanitiser stations, which were located throughout the backstage area. All members of staff also received a COVID-19 safety briefing, with a limit to the number of staff that could work backstage or in the pit.”

For Knight and the Dynamite FX team, being back on site during an uncertain summer was an “incredible” experience. “These shows were the closest thing to being back on a huge stage. The working environment and morale of the crew and performing artists on site was incredible; we were so happy to be working again,” Knight enthused.

“We feel extremely privileged to have been able to work on the projects we have been involved with over these very unforeseen and testing times. Like everyone else in the events industry, we are ready to get back to where we left off as soon as it’s safe and viable to do so.”

With more exciting large-scale projects pencilled in for 2021, as well as several music videos and commercials along with several socially distanced events in Autumn, the Dynamite FX team proves that creativity often thrives under constraint – and lockdown is no exception. TPi Photos: Dynamite FX www.dynamitefx.com