Hi,

I am directing a show that calls for snow to lightly fall from the sky. What is the best way to create a snow effect? I need the effect to last about 2 minutes, from the end of one song through the encore. Since it is at the end of the show, clean up is not a problem. I know I could rent a snow machine, but it is tad out of our budget. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Linda

Hi Oremus,

No problem with down jackets up here in the north country. The problem is the absence of a catwalk. Also, my stage manager might kill me if I had her chasing all those feathers after every show. I am still puzzling, if anyone has any other ideas.

Linda

You can buy artificial snow that looks really nice. I believe it's just small flakes of light plastic. I am not sure where you would get it, especially this time of year, easier to get around Christmas. You might want to check with your local craft store, or maybe some place that normally sells Christmas decorations. I'll have to take a look at the bags I have at my theater and see who makes it.

As for dispersing it there are a few choices. Here is a good way if you don't have a cat walk:

Take a piece of canvas about 2 feet wide, and as long as the area you want to cover with snow. Staple a piece of wood along each long edge. At a right angle to the long edges cut slits in the canvas an inch or two apart from each other. To set it up, affix one long edge to something over the stage (light grid for example), and attach the other edge to a rope the goes through some pullies to back stage. So the canvas will hang in a U shape with one edge fixed and the other edge free to move up and down with the rope. As you pull the rope up and down the slits will open and close letting the snow fall. You can control the rate of snow fall with the number of slits you put in and how fast you operate it.

Hope this helps

Dan

Hi Dan,

Thank you. That was a big help. I actually found a place to buy the snow on line and it is really inexpensive. Now all have to do is convince my stage manager that sweeping up snow can be fun!

Linda

The old snow machine that Dan has described, is the best way to go!

You can use bean bag beads as an alternative, like down feathers, they are light & move easily.

No matter what you use the SM will curse you, because believe it or not, you will still be finding them for some time later. A vacuum cleaner is the best method of cleaning them up.

Why not try one or two rotary lighting snow effect Gobo, attached to profile lamp, this will give a simulated effect, without the big clean up!

Also if you use a domestic pedestal oscillating fan, which are cheap enough to buy, this will give the effect of the breeze blowing the snow around.

"Why not try one or two rotary lighting snow effect Gobo, attached to profile lamp, this will give a simulated effect, without the big clean up!

Also if you use a domestic pedestal oscillating fan, which are cheap enough to buy, this will give the effect of the breeze blowing the snow around."

Gaafa, are these two separate methods?  Surely you don't mean to use them together..., right?  Are you using the fan with the bean bag beads?  We used confetti for snow three years ago and are still sweeping them up...but it's a nice reminder of the good time we had working on the show.

Yes Kathy use them together for more realism?

Snow flakes are the same as feather boas being used on stage, the feathers have a mind of there own and go everywhere & anywhere.

They become like theatre heirlooms, that make reappearance?s, in odd places & at will!

Rather than a pedestal fan, you can try a turbine type on the floor, they are found in old gas space heaters & you can assist with? waffers?, pieces of cardboard or ply wood to move the air about. This is a great effect, watching the performance of the SM getting apoplexy or at least mild stokes, chasing them down with vacuum cleaner in hand.