I want you to picture fireworks in your head. Think about what they look like. What color. Think about what you associate with fireworks. For me, fireworks are big, in the air, loud, attention-grabbing, confident and always putting on a show. The colors are bright and the noise echoes through a night sky with every explosion being another SCREW YOU NEIGHBORS!
Each firework works with the next to create a symphony of color and light. Every firework serves as a very specific piece in the overall show being created. I would say there’s three types of firework the first being “The Focal Point.” The Focal Firework sets the scene for the other fireworks to decorate around. The Focal Firework is the largest of them all and always sets the mood. However seeing one firework in the sky can only be interesting for so long. The Second Firework is “The Glance Firework.” The Glance comes second and it’s either slightly left or right or behind the Focal. The Glance’s job is to complement the focal point and make it look as good as possible. Whatever the Focal Firework is doing the Glance is trying to make look better. The Third Firework is the “Peripheral Firework.” You know it’s there but you never need to look at it for more than a second. The peripheral weaves in and out, waiting on the sides trying to find moments that will really make the other fireworks stand out. Whether it’s the addition of movement in squiggly lines or the extra sound of high pitch tone the peripheral doesn’t want attention. It only tries to help. The show is great and the crowd loves it, women are throwing their tops and men are throwing their panties. Everyone is wild and hyped because of what they just saw. Then it fades away never to be done again.
Here’s the thing about fireworks. The show is great because of the careful prep. the aim, the packing, mixing the ingredients so that they explode at the right height and time. It’s all of the mistakes along the way. It’s starting over. It’s trying something new to push the craft. It’s everything we don’t see. The Mechanics of a firework are what make the show. Without solid mechanics, the show wouldn’t get off the ground.
If you missed it that was an analogy for improv. Boom.