Derek, here's a (rather long) reply from the rec.video.production newsgroup a number of years ago but the advice given is still relevant today.

Mike


If your zebras are set at 100 IRE, you don't want to see much of them If
they're at 70-80, you want to set to them,or a bit above, then turn
the pattern off (it'll be annoying) but change nothing. Go with
tungsten preset - after all, the effects are combustion of metallic
compounds. Stay wide, and use a good fluid head tripod to smooth out
your follows.

Dont' forget audio - get a good outboard mic - or two for good stereo
separation. Nothing fancy, dynamics (think EV-535) work well for
pyro, as it's all transients, with the exeption of the occasional
crackle from the dragon's egg shells, or the whistle of tourbillions.
When you edit, if you do, pull the sound up to match the shell breaks.
It makes the finished tape much more "real" to viewers.

If yoiu're going to follow shells up from the gun, look for the time
fuse burning. You'll want to mis-set your VF to get a good look
(think turn down the contrast and goose the brightness _a_bit_ for
this!) Stay at least a few hundred feet back from the mortar line,
and watch for burning chunks of stuff - they can fall on you when
you're not expecting it! Safety is paramount here.

Skip filtration (star, fog, etc.) as it'll just grunge things up. Use
a protective glass, though - see "burning chunks" comments in the
above paragraph as to why.

To reiterate: Stay wide, stay back, stop down, good mics, be safe.
I've taped a lot of pyro in the last nine years, and that stuff ahs
worked for me. Oh, and if you have a second camera available, some
reactions from the crowd (think kids here...) are nice to edit in.
Just don't light them as that looks bad and will irritate them.

Be careful - you want to be a good distance away anyway (for
perspective - too close and you'll lose the edges of the shell breaks)
and having flaming chunks of shell casing fall out of the sky on you
might not be your cup of tea. All right, so it's kind of neat the
first time or two - gives you that "I can survive" feeling, but it
gets old. Also, just imagine what a flaming piece of casing will do
to your front lens element....

I've found the best setting is either tungsten preset (it's
combustion of metal salts that makes the display...) or white balance
a bit to the cool side of that - perhaps with a 1/8 daylight over the
lens.

Stay wide. You want to see the shells break and the pattern
develop. Also, you can wind up chasing all over the sky if you're in
tight and don't know where or when the shells are coming up.

Sound - just use the nose mic if that's what you have - it'll do
fine. Otherwise, use a good _dynamic_ mic and a windscreen. Leave
the 416 and boom rig at home. Oh yes, do one channel just slightly
(3-5db) lower than the other. If one is too hot the other will be
fine. Skip auto level here, obviously.

Skip auto iris as well. With my BVW-507, I get a good dark sky
and plenty of shell color at f4-f5.6. Some things, like lampblack or
charcoal shells (those lovely dim orange glowing ones) won't show up
well no matter what. Make sure your finder's in good tune as well,
and here's why:

Most shells display a bit of light from the time fuse to the break
charge on the way up. It goes away for the last second or two, as it
burns its way into the body of the shell towards the break charge,
then the shell breaks. If you can see this, just follow it up.
_Hold_onto_your_move_ as you see it go out and the break will be right
there for you! Obviously, the "rising tails" that have become popular
make this even easier!

Did I mention be careful? The closest I've been to a mortar line
is about 100 feet and the lift charges were quite loud at that
distance. A flowerpot would have been potentially hazardous, but we
were lucky. Shells shoot out stars that burn at temperatures over
1200 degrees, not to mention what a bit of black powder up close can
do! Safety is your best friend there and always!

If you're going to edit it for any purpose, do this: Make two
passes. Do the visuals and then go back in, time the interval from
the first shell break to the report, enter that offset, and then re-do
all your edits for sound to pull up the audio in time with the
picture. I learned this from reading an article written by an editor
who cut a lot of combat tape for network news. It works here too -
your ears and eyes get along when you're there but afterwards it looks
and sounds odd to hear shells breaking a second or two after the
visual.

Be careful - I just can't stress that enough!

Also get some B-roll.

* Fast food stands - Wild-eyed venue sellers. BIG dutch tilts moving in!

* Silhouettes of people -

* Any smoke with multicolor from lights passing through

* Close ups of Kids eyes and BIGGER kids!

* Tree lines being lit up

* Buildings getting reflects

* People's spectacles as reflects are pretty dramatic as too cars windscreens

* Banners of event

* People eating with mouths open

* Hands over ears! And gritting teeth!

All this ADDS to what CAN be pretty boring . .and I adore fireworks!!

Lots to do . .. have fun. Oh yes I lock off focus a a point further than I think the HIGHEST firework goes. Maybe a distant tree?

Grazie

IF...
You have a still camera nearby and with a tripod do some time exposures while you're at it.... Longer the better and it will look like the "busiest" fireworks show you ever saw. I used to do this, expose for several minutes with a film camera using cable release to hold "open". Be sure to be quite a distance away and let the whole sky fill your frame.
We have our shoot over water and the reflections can be just as "juicy" as the fireworks above. Nice touch over the ocean.

Happy 4th!

Teaktart

Best advice, come to Sydney on New Years Eve.

In ancient Rome they had gladiators, in Sydney we have fireworks.
And over the harbour and off the Coathanger (aka Sydney Harbour Bridge) they do look spectacular.

I'm certain there'd be some stock aerial footage available, from a chopper fireworks look great.

Bob.

WOW! To quote many of you on a really old post: Favorite features in VV6..."THIS FORUM." You guys are great. It will be nice to do something just for fun...no stress. :o) I've been taking the time to do more of that lately.

Thanks for the great tips Vic, taking the time to find that old post Mike, the great Grazie b-roll tips, I do have a nice Canon digi SLR teaktart so my girl can try your idea, and last of Bob...I fear my trip to Ausieland is going to get cancelled like every other time I was supposed to go. It seems as though "my boss" would lose money if we go there, so, no scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef for me. Damn. Thanks again and have a fun/safe 4th. Derek

A bit late. During the summer, alot events have great fireworks shows. Alot of good advice has been given, but a small warning about protecting the lens. You should put a protective glass filter over your lens, (also a try using star lens for event). Alot of smoke and particles are falling out of the sky and sometimes the wind can add to the problem of smoke and burning ashes.