NOVA News Minutes Virtual Fireworks
(running time 01:28)
Transcript
July 7, 2003
Narrator: A fireworks show over the U.S. Capitol building. But look carefully. This performance is "virtual." This program could make shows more precise and imaginative than ever. As shown on PBS's NOVA, the pyrotechnic symphonies of today owe everything to software that controls the launch of each firework with split-second timing. But no matter how precise the timing, a producer could only guess how things will actually look at show time.
Alberto Navarro (Infinity Visions): Before, I say, oh, this is okay, and let's shoot it and see how it looks. I hope it looks good.
Narrator: Navarro, who produces shows all over the world, improved the computer program so it would simulate displays in real time, from any angle.
Alberto Navarro (Infinity Visions): I press play and I see it. And I can move my camera and say let's see how it looks from down here.
Narrator: With a click of a mouse, he can change his shells and fire at will.
Alberto Navarro (Infinity Visions): It's gonna speed up the process of improvement of your own ideas.
Narrator: The result is a show that owes more to choice than chance.
Alberto Navarro (Infinity Visions): It gave me a great satisfaction. I had a different feeling watching this show this year than ever before. Because what I was seeing is what I had seen many times.
Narrator: A consumer version of the software has just been released. Navarro hopes it will inspire a new generation of firework designers. I'm Brad Kloza.
