The show was created to be a
multimedia presentation with fireworks, HD video and and music. The
complete show lasted about 30 minutes. Real Media's contribution was a
variety of HD footage shot around Kansas City including time lapse footage, KC
landmarks, fountains and people. The project was then edited and
delivered on HDCAM to be presented on the new Royals HD video boards. The
show was a huge success and the game was sold out. The Royals are talking
about making this a yearly tradition. Here is a press release in the KC
Star.
Royals add more fireworks, T-Bones want your mullets and do you remember the A’s?
Fireworks shows are a Friday night tradition at Kauffman Stadium, but the one scheduled this Friday could start a tradition of its own.
The show is being produced by Pyro Spectaculars of Rialto, Calif., which is used to large assignments. Pyro has done fireworks programs for the annual Macy’s Fourth of July Spectacular in New York, several Olympics, including the 2004 summer games in Greece, 10 of the last 13 Super Bowl shows, and the Statue of Liberty’s 100th anniversary.
The Sky Show will run five times longer than a normal fireworks display, and that’s just the start of it. It’s a nearly 30-minute story about the history and heritage of Kansas City that will be told through layers of visuals. Special effects on the field, images on the high-definition videoboard, and coordinated fountain displays will mesh with the shells exploding overhead and a musical score.
The Royals are saying it’s the biggest fireworks show ever attempted in Kansas City. There’s nothing on the record to suggest otherwise.
“We’re able to bring the technology we use in larger shows to the stadium and hopefully give the fans something they’ve never seen before,” said Ron Smith, Pyro’s director of marketing.
The Royals started using Pyro this season for all of their fireworks, and Smith has been to every Friday game this season to assist with the show. Smith said the company has experience with stadium shows, notably in San Diego.
That’s where Mark Tilson worked for 10 years in the Padres’ front office. He was named the Royals’ vice president of marketing and directing in 2007, and one of his goals was to stage a similar spectacular here.
“Not to sound presumptuous, but we probably have the best platform to do this type of show in the country,” he said. “We have a terrific audio system, the fountains, the world’s largest HD videoboard and as funny as it sounds, a big parking lot. What’s going to happen, maybe not now, but in future years, this event will draw crowds on its own, and tailgating will become a big part of it.”
The show became so popular in San Diego that Tilson said it and opening day became the only dates where a sell-out crowd was expected. He thinks a Sky Show night will become an annual big event here too. “Our goal is to get people exposed to it,” he said. “We really believe that based on that, it will create momentum for this event for years to come.”
Hy-Vee, Pepsi and 99.7 FM the Boulevard are co-sponsoring the Sky Show. The Boulevard came up with and will simulcast the music for the show, while Kansas City-based designer Don Schmidt and Real Media of Kansas City came up with the graphics and images for the videoboard.
The Sky Show isn’t the only major promotion this weekend. For the 6:10 p.m. game Saturday, the Royals are giving out the Alex Gordon bobblehead, and the 1:10 p.m. game Sunday is the annual “Salute to Negro Leagues Day” with a red replica Monarchs Cap going to the first 20,000 fans.
By the way, the Royals’ weekend foes are the San Francisco Giants. Both teams will wear throwback Negro Leagues jerseys Sunday.
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