UK - Le Maitre were called upon by United International Pictures/Nibbs Events to turn Leicester Square into an alien attack zone for the premiere of the new War of the Worlds movie on 19 June. A six-man crew of pyrotechnicians worked over two 12-hour days and used a range of different special effects on the set in the centre of Leicester Square. The park was turned into a dramatic bomb site for the stars and guests to walk through before entering the Odeon cinema though a tunnel.

The set was designed to look like the fall out from an alien attack, with piles of rubble, overturned cars, a demolished archway, broken lampposts, park benches and a phone box. Le Maitre used CO2 Jets in the craters on the ground, which fired throughout the show. The craters also held the Dragon gas flame effects, which spewed flames in random bursts. The Pyrotek Dragons were also used on the balconies on the front of the Odeon Cinema, creating 28ft of flame on either side. Dragon heads and some smaller flambeaux flame effects were used to simulate small fires around the park and in the wrecked cars.

The show began when Concussion effects were fired from the roof of the Odeon: this was the cue to fire pyrotechnics from the craters, including Stage Gerbs, Mines, Comets, Theatrical Flashes, Microdets and Robotics. The spooky atmosphere was created with smoke from a G300 and a Mini Mist, and with low-lying fog from the Freezefog.

(Lee Baldock)


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