Sixteen Years of Ultimate Team

Bespoke Pyrotechnics & Cake Explosion FX for EA Sports FC

MACHINESHOP executed the high-impact practical pyrotechnic special effects for the vibrant “Sixteen Years of Ultimate Team” global commercial campaign for EA Sports FC. Celebrating a massive sweet sixteen milestone for the legendary gaming franchise, the high-energy commercial centres around an elaborate birthday cake that ultimately meets a spectacular, messy end.

Our special effects crew worked directly on the soundstage to rig and manage the custom electronic firing systems, delivering a perfectly timed, controlled pyrotechnic explosion of a cake in-camera. The embedded project commercial and behind-the-scenes videos capture the meticulous technical testing, safety steps, and millisecond-precise timing required to execute this messy practical stunt flawlessly without damaging surrounding studio tracking cameras.

Advanced Pyrotechnic Rigging & Controlled Food Detonations

Executing a safe, visually spectacular food explosion on a dressed commercial set requires precise pneumatic or pyrotechnic micro-charge calculations, soft debris containment, and strict compliance with studio safety protocols:

• Bespoke Pyro Cake Detonation Rigging: Custom-engineering discrete practical micro-charges embedded securely within the core of the prop cake to trigger a high-velocity, outwards-facing blast radius on cue.
• Millisecond-Precise Firing Integration: Programming advanced electronic trigger matrices to synchronize the practical explosion perfectly with the high-speed camera tracking paths.
• Collaborative Art Department Coordination: Working hand-in-hand with production designer Max Lincoln to safely conceal all underlying charge lines, power distribution cabling, and electronic triggers completely inside the custom scenic base layer.