6 replies to this topic

[lord_shadow_]

Hey guys I am looking at information about the UK pyro licences, I know their are 5 levels I am just wondering what each level lets you do and how much each one costs.

At the moment I am just looking at what I can do at each level as I am considering doing pyro work for a few bands.

[Arthur Brown]

UK Pyro Licences - there are none
5 levels - there is no licence so there can be no levels.

Statute Law says that you have to be 18 or older to handle explosives.
Commercial sense requires you to have insurance and insurers like you to have training and experience.
Suppliers will often require to see your insurance and storage documents. You may need licensed storage. You will need to understand MSER.

For band fx work the band's management may arrange all of the paperwork leaving you to do the firing or you may need to do everything and do the firing too.

The appropriate body is the Association of Stage Pyrotechnicians http://www.stage-pyro.org.uk Find a course near you do it, pass it, and you become a member. http://www.stage-pyr....php?readmore=5 is the list of courses. They tend to be £150 or so but the one in Brighton seems to be much cheaper according to where you live.

Your five levels could be a reference to the BECTU grading scheme, but as that is particularly directed towards Sfx in TV and cinema you may not get what you want from their scheme and courses and qualifications.

[lord_shadow_]

Thanks Arthur, I was just going on what my lecturer said so I guess its insurance levels for storage he mentioned.

Most of the bands I would be doing this for are all small ones so I guess I need to look into the storage side of things as well

[Arthur Brown]

If your work site for the band shoots, is a BECTU closed shop then you will need to do all the BECTU grades to get you into the place. Only you can tell that, ask someone on the crew!

Without some training you are uninsurable without some experience as well as training insurance will be silly prices.

Digger may organise a group from the forum to do the first BECTU trainiing course and that costs £450 ish plus beer for three days. There are more courses after that and you need logbooked experience too.

[Karl Mitchell-Shead]

Arthur, what do you reccomend as far as Special effects, movie, TV and HE are concerned?

[digger]

Thanks for the reminder Arthur

Please look in the training section of the forum. We hope to run an SFX course this summer. We only need a couple more people so that we can run the course.

So go on have a look at what we are offering.

[lord_shadow_]

cool thanks gusy I will look into that, now its just a case of finding the money for it.