Videoing Firework Displays

London 2010 New Years Firework Display

The recreational persuit of vidoeing firework displays has been popular since the 1980's, a decade that - as expected - immediately followed the previous one. The intention of the process is to capture the target firework display on an electronic visual media such as video tape, or in modern times flash memory, so that the display can be replayed and reenjoyed at a later date. The capture of display must be completed by an amateur on a non-professional product.

The result of the process of vidoeoing fireworks is famous for being the second least watched-back genre of video behind 'assembling garden sheds'.

History

Sydney 2000 New Year's celebrations can be relived again and again and again

Apprentice host and founder of electronics company Amstrad, Alan Sugar was the first man to attempt the videoing of firework display in 1981 with his company's E344 Tantrick Betamaximum. He chose an average to large display in convent garden, which had been put on to celebrate the 50th anniversary of irony. An excited and clearly aroused Sugar commented that the capture of the display had been an amazing experience: "I was just saying to my good-lady wife how we'll be able to relive this night again and again, night after night. Having a 19" Amstrad television at home means you are essentially looking at something very similar to the complete majesty of the sky."

Drop in popularity

By the mid-nineties, the leisure-pursuit of firework videoing had fallen out of favour with a fickle public who were now largely going 'bare-eye'. In a 1996 British survey, 81% of those that answered said that videoing firework displays was "Fucking Stupid", with 12% saying they were active display capturers and the remaining 7% having no or little opinion or even tongues with which to articulate them.

Resurgence

The record for the largest firework display consisted of 66,326 fireworks and was achieved by Macedo'S Pirotecnia Lda. in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, on 31 December 2006

92% of modern video captures of fireworks are performed using mobile phones (cell phones (mobile phones)). The additional of video cameras to the modern phone has meant that whilst firework displays themselves have declined because of 'time going faster when you get older', in the period 2005-2010, instances of videoing firework displays increased by 1200% over instances in the 2000-2004 period. "We are in the age of cunts with phones", electronics expert Philip Scofield commented.

Criticism

Over 60% of the human body is made up of cynicism, and thus even the videoing firework display hobby has attracted some negativity. Some say that rather than concentrating on videoing something that'll never be watched back, people at firework displays should live in the moment and experience the phenomena 'in the moment'. Enthusiasts counter that modern smartphones can capture fireworks in the 720p format at 30 frames-per-second and that, "no that isn't completely missing the point."

Pets

It has been found that whilst dogs and cats will hide away in fear at a nearby display, they have no such fear of watching fireworks on television displays under 42 inches.

Professor Benjumin Ferk, an expert in the subject of animal's reactions to loud noises, lots of colour and 'busy things' (known as fudging), wrote in the Daily Mail that, "watching amateur footage of firework displays on small to medium sized televisions has given the domestic pet an opportunity to enjoy a leisure activity previously unavailable to them." He further remarked that because of this, the modern cat is visibly happier in demeanor.