Roman candles, fountains and comets burst through the sky every Fourth of July, creating a colorful displays that are staples to Independence Day celebrations everywhere.

Gary Caimano, choreographer and marketing director for Western Enterprises, the company contracted by the City of Norman for the city’s annual Fourth of July fireworks display at Reaves Park, said people mistakenly believe producers of fireworks shows only work on July 4.

“The process of doing a show takes so long that we’re constantly doing paperwork and production work that goes with it,” he said.

Generally, it takes three months to prepare for a show, Caimano said. Proposals are submitted in mid-winter for Independence Day celebrations. Once the sponsors agree on a budget and the contract is signed, the process of procuring the proper permits begins.

Applying for state, local and federal permits is time consuming, according to Caimano. There are many details associated with every single display, he said.

“Permission is required from the department of transportation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, as well as local jurisdiction,” he said.

After all the necessary requirements are satisfied, the show goes to the choreographer, who works with a music engineer to create a soundtrack to the show. For the Norman show, the choreographer began scripting in May, spending up to 20 hours a day creating the desired effects.

“It takes an hour to design every minute of a choreographed show,” Caimano said. “The effects are placed in the computer firing system, much like an actor on a stage.”

Caimano said he thinks of it as creating a picture from the ground up.

“You’re trying to make people feel the music and fire and on sensory level,” he said. “It’s primal.”

An average show lasts for 20 minutes and can be costly.

“A good fireworks show that’s coordinated and choreographed to music is about $2,000 a minute,” Caimano said.

Safety is the number one concern for Western Enterprises, Caimano said.

For a show like Reaves Park, shells measure from three to eight inches. An eight-inch shell requires an 800-foot radius of space free of people and structures around the firing zone.

In addition to precautions taken at the display site, Western Enterprises provides training to firefighters and fire departments during the off season.

“We train them on new products and what to watch for,” Caimano said. “You have to take care of people.”

Despite the long hours, difficult work and obvious danger, many love the service they provide, Caimano said.

Product is key, said Caimano. Without fireworks, there would be no show.

Although most fireworks come from China, Western Enterprises has the advantage of manufacturing some of their own locally at the Skyworks plant in Carrier, Okla.

Making fireworks is a complex process involving chemistry, physics, using various chemicals and precision — a long process of training and artistry, according to Caimano.

“The composition has to be precise because it’s being fired out of a mortar,” Caimano said. “It’s very explosive coming out of there, it’s very hot and it’s very powerful. It’s one of the last true artistic forms and it’s dying off across the nation. There aren’t too many people that want to carry on such a difficult, dangerous kind of craftsmanship.”

On July 4, the fireworks operators will be in a back field somewhere, shuffling around mortars and firing shells from a time-coded script, using a manual electronic system, Caimano said.

“No one sees us,” he said. “But that’s as it should be. We’re entertainers.”