About
Bloom is an independent pyrotechnic display design studio, founded in 2014, operating with a six-person design crew.
How we started
Bloom began with two designers scoring shell timing against music on graph paper, because the simulation software available at the time couldn’t model burst height accurately enough for the tight venues we were being asked to design for. We still score every display by hand before it goes into simulation.
Our approach
Every display starts with an in-person site survey, not a template. Wind patterns, fallout radius, and spectator sightlines shape shell selection before any choreography work begins — a display designed for the venue reads differently than one designed for the catalog.
What we won’t do
We don’t hand-light fuses on any show we run, regardless of scale — every display is electrically fired with a redundant control system. We don’t skip a site visit for a remote-only design, and we don’t quietly upgrade a display’s safety sign-off without the actual inspection happening.
The paper score comes before the fire.
Bloom started in 2014 with two people scoring shell timing against music on graph paper, because the software available at the time couldn't model burst height accurately enough for tight venues.
We still score every display by hand before it goes into simulation software — the geometry of a site matters more than any template, and a template-first process shows in the finished display.
- Six-person design crew, every shell timing scored by hand
- Licensed and insured in every jurisdiction we operate in
- No display goes to simulation until the paper score is signed off
From score to sky.
Every display goes through the same five stages before a single shell is loaded.
Walk the ground first
Wind patterns, fallout radius, spectator sightlines, and any overhead obstruction get mapped in person before any shell selection happens. A site survey can rule out an entire class of effect before design even starts.
Score against the music by hand
If the display is choreographed to music, timing is scored against the actual track on paper first — burst height and duration have to match the beat, not just look good in isolation.
Pick shells for the site, not the catalog
A shell that reads beautifully over open water can wash out completely against a lit stadium backdrop. Selection is driven by the survey data, not by which effects are newest.
Simulate before anything is loaded
The paper score goes into simulation software for a full timing and trajectory pass — this is where most last-minute changes happen, on screen, before any physical setup begins.
Electric firing, redundant checks
Every display is electrically fired with a redundant control system and a licensed crew on site — no hand-lit fuses on any show we run, regardless of scale.
Six people, every shell accounted for.
Every display carries the same licensed firing crew lead and safety sign-off, regardless of scale.
M. Alvarez
K. Sundberg
R. Nakamura
T. Boucher
J. Adeyemi
S. Kowalski
Planning a display for next season?
We book venues and dates up to a year out — earlier for anything requiring a custom shell order or a complex site survey.