Masters de Feu 2018: the competitors of the third edition

On 22 September 2018, the Compiègne racecourse hosted the third edition of Masters de Feu, the international event devoted to musical pyrotechnic art. For this round, three houses were in competition: Surex for Poland, Apogée for Canada, and Grand Final for France. Each faced the same artistic challenge: to create a show on the theme “The Emotions of Cinema,” an invitation to translate the great devices of the seventh art into fire, from tension to lyricism, from surprise to wonder.

This 2018 edition followed a clear progression: after the first victories awarded in previous years, the Compiègne winner was to advance to the next great showdown, designed to determine the winner of the Master d'Or. The competition therefore brought together teams seasoned in international festivals, capable of combining technical precision, musical storytelling, visual power, and mastery of rhythm. Alongside them, artEventia signed the opening and closing tableaux, out of competition, framing the evening in a spectacular setting.

An edition of 2018 set to the rhythm of cinema

The choice of the theme “The Emotions of Cinema” gave the pyrotechnicians a particularly rich playing field. A choreographed fireworks display is not limited to a succession of effects: it must build a dramatic arc, set an atmosphere, allow pauses, raise the intensity, then release the energy at exactly the right moment. Cinema, with its ability to evoke mental images and immediate sensations, offered an ideal guiding thread for judging the teams’ sensitivity.

In this type of competition, the challenge lies in finding the balance between virtuosity and clarity. Too many effects can blur the message; writing that is too restrained may lack impact. The 2018 competitors therefore had to demonstrate a dual skill: that of the pyrotechnician, guaranteeing safety, timing, and product quality, and that of the director, attentive to the sequence of colours, the height of the shots, silences, contrasts, and the intimate relationship between music and light.

Surex, the Polish school of musical pyrotechnics

For Poland, Surex was represented by Jaroslaw Suzdalewicz and Sebastian Cwajna. A family business founded in 1989, the house has established itself over the years as one of the recognised names in choreographed musical pyrotechnics. Its identity rests on an approach that is both technical and festive: creating shows that are easy for a broad audience to read, while maintaining a strong standard of synchronisation and visual variety.

Surex did not develop solely as a fireworks creation company. In 2008, with the municipal authorities of Szczecin, the team helped create the international PYROMAGIC festival, now one of Poland’s major pyrotechnic events. This experience as both organiser and competitor gives Surex a keen understanding of what a competition demands: capturing attention immediately, varying the tableaux, surprising without breaking overall coherence, and maintaining a recognisable signature.

In Compiègne, this culture of international competition made Surex a particularly strong contender. The Polish team arrived with the experience of major festivals, where every second counts and music gives the sky its breath. On an evening devoted to the emotions of cinema, it had the opportunity to deploy a pyrotechnic language built on contrasts, breadth, and finely articulated effects.

Apogée, Canadian precision in the service of the show

Canada was represented by Apogée, with Alain Carbonneau. Founded by him alongside experienced pyrotechnicians, the Quebec company has steadily risen to become one of the reference houses on the international scene. Its journey reflects a clear ambition: to offer a pyrotechnic style that can travel, adapt to very different contexts, and defend an artistic vision beyond Canadian borders.

Apogée has notably represented Canada at several major international events. In 2012, the company took part in events in Shanghai, Italy, Malta, and Germany, winning several distinctions. In 2016, it produced the opening show for the International des Feux Loto-Québec and also represented Canada in Rome. These experiences reflect mastery of large-scale formats, where shot precision must align with highly exposed scenography.

For Masters de Feu 2018, Apogée brought a North American sensibility, often attentive to the emotional power of the soundtrack and the narrative efficiency of the display. In a competition where the audience is part of the experience, this ability to build intensity, create surprises, and make aerial effects and music speak to one another was a major asset.

Grand Final, French creation in competition

France was represented by Grand Final, with Pierre Emmanuel Gelis. Founded in 2010 by Stéphane Bazoge and Pierre Emmanuel Gelis, the company specialises in the creation and production of outdoor and indoor pyrotechnic shows. From the outset, Grand Final has defended a scenic vision of fireworks: not merely a spectacular finale, but a complete writing, conceived as an act of staging.

This approach is based on a design and advisory unit dedicated to tailor-made projects. The challenge is to consider fire as a language: choice of colours, design of firing lines, verticality, close-range effects, sound accents, relationship to the site and to music. In a venue such as the Compiègne racecourse, where the audience embraces the sky on a grand scale, this reflection on space becomes essential.

In 2018, Grand Final therefore carried the French colours with an expected proposal. Faced with Surex and Apogée, the company had to convince through the coherence of its narrative and the precision of its writing. The edition ultimately crowned Grand Final, with the French house winning the 2018 Silver Master ahead of Surex and Apogée. This victory opened the way to the 2019 final of the Master d'Or.

artEventia, a spectacular frame out of competition

At the opening and closing of the evening, the public once again found artEventia, out of competition. Created a few years before the 2018 edition, the company became known for shows where emotion and synchronisation play a central role. Its role at Masters de Feu was special: to set the mood, establish the tone, then close the event with a final tableau conceived as a signature.

artEventia already had a noteworthy track record, in France and internationally. The company had notably taken part in the opening and closing ceremonies of Mons, European Capital of Culture in 2015, and had distinguished itself in prestigious competitions, with a jury prize at the Cannes International Festival of Pyrotechnic Art in 2016 and a bronze medal in Macao in 2015. All these experiences testify to a capacity to produce ambitious, precise, and legible pyrotechnic gestures.

Three visions, one shared international standard

The competitors at Masters de Feu 2018 illustrated the diversity of the global pyrotechnic scene. Surex brought Poland’s experience of major festivals and a strong culture of musical pyrotechnics. Apogée embodied Canadian know-how, shaped by international competitions and productions. Grand Final defended contemporary French writing, rooted in scenography and tailor-made design.

Beyond the final ranking, this edition confirmed the ambition of Masters de Feu: to make Compiègne a meeting place for top-tier pyrotechnic houses, a jury, an artistic theme, and a family audience. By bringing together five tableaux over a single evening, including three competitive shows, the event reminded everyone that fireworks are an art of precision as much as a popular art. A brief, intense, demanding art that turns the sky into a living screen and leaves behind a lasting emotion when the last star fades away.