snow machines?
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Set Design and Construction
Forum Discription: Post your questions or suggestions about designing or building a set here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2125
Printed Date: 11/23/24 at 8:27pm
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Topic: snow machines?
Posted By: mattyjaco
Subject: snow machines?
Date Posted: 11/15/06 at 1:21am
| For the show im directing (a christmas story) in the final scene and during curtain call, I thought it would be cool for a snowfall onto the audience. I have no idea how well these artificial snow machines work, basically i have about 35 feet of proscenium that i would like a nice even snowfall to come from. any idea how wide these units cover or how many i might need? something like this http://www.123dj.com/lighting/fog/americandj/snowflurry.html - http://www.123dj.com/lighting/fog/americandj/snowflurry.html |
Replies:
Posted By: TimW
Date Posted: 11/16/06 at 8:29am
| The ones I have worked with work great. You can get good coverage by adding a fan to help blow it around. One drawback to them (at least the one I used) is they are louder than you would think. If you will have music to mask the noise, I would rent one first to try it out. Your coverage will also depend greatly on how high you place it. Higher is better. |
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 11/16/06 at 11:34pm
|
Looks like a great effect Matty! However over the punters, it may be an idea to add some UV [black light] flouros in the house to bounce off the vapoured snow particles for a better visual effect. I feel just shooting from the pro above the apron, on the beam light bar, would give the punters a better visual effect. Seeing the pros arch is 35? wide, you might have to rig up a flexi elephant hose manifold duct, to distribute evenly. There are duct hose inline fans available to assist the delivery.[used on air con duct systems] Also as suggested fixed or even oscillating fans, even using the house sweep fans, if they are installed, will assist to swirl the snow particles around, before they evaporate. ------------- Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house} |
Posted By: B-M-D
Date Posted: 12/13/06 at 10:02am
|
Snow or anything falling from above on the audience?! Great effect but not sure I'd appreciate it as an audience member. No I take that back...I definitely would not appreciate that as an audience member. ------------- BD 
"Dying is easy, comedy is hard." |
Posted By: tblan
Date Posted: 12/13/06 at 4:45pm
| I was talking with one of the touring light designers that came through my theater a while back about fluid based snow, and he said that they always end up covering everything in a sticky goo and don't look that realisitc. I don't think the audience would be thrilled about that. Perhaps blowing plastic fake snow out with fans? |
Posted By: Nanette
Date Posted: 12/13/06 at 6:22pm
|
I've never personally used a machine as such, but EPCOT uses them during their Candlelight Processional and it's really quite awesome. Perhaps someone knows a contact there?! ------------- In a world of margarine, be butter! |
Posted By: Aimee
Date Posted: 12/14/06 at 10:10pm
|
I've used snow machines. We just used one for a winter scene in a show.... God what a mess!
They do leave a nasty residue on things...like the floor and the lighting instruments. If you are aiming toward the audience....might not be a good thing. We mopped up the floor nightly and wiped the lights down after the show, more of a pain than anything.
BUT, the effect is awesome. We used two for roughly the same space and it filled the entire stage.
good luck! ------------- Aimee |
Posted By: mikepatterson
Date Posted: 12/14/06 at 10:36pm
|
We're using one for one short scene in Scrooge and Marley, it sounds like someone using an electric leafblower, the residue is a minor pain, and the fluid is $25 US per gallon. I think the only reason we're still using it is that the president of the theater (also co-director of the show) bought it and can't admit to herself how bad it is. On the other hand she also bought a follow spot and it's GREAT. |
Posted By: Joan54
Date Posted: 12/15/06 at 8:37am
|
Hey Mike......Has anyone tried to build a baffle for the snow blower to cut down on the noise? We bang together temporary ones when ever we work on a job where there is no power and we have to run generators all day. Make sure that the blower has a gap between the bottom of it and the floor....like a piece of rigid foam or a rubber mat. Then build a rough box around the machine with plywood lined with foam insualtion...it doesn't make it sound proof but it does cut way down on the noise. Check that you aren't interferring with vents or pulleys or whatever... ------------- "behind a thin wall of logic panic is waiting to stampede" |
Posted By: mikepatterson
Date Posted: 12/16/06 at 4:40pm
|
We've talked about it, but never have got around to doing it. Tomorrow is the last show so I doubt it will happen for this run... although after the show I might make a box for the next time... |
Posted By: Playwright
Date Posted: 12/26/06 at 11:14pm
|
Here's what we did to make a 'snow machine' that was simple and portable and easily made from set bulidling 'leftovers'.
- Use two 2 by 2's each what ever length you need to span.
( Ours was about 3' in length and hung above a window to give the impression of snow outside)
- staple a piece of vinyl between the two boards.
- put slits in the vinyl
- slitsshould be diaganol going in a direction between the boards.
- support the 2 by 2's with a 2 L frames
- have the 2 by 2's about 12 inches apart
- hang with a pulley system with a rope that goes to where an ASM can reach it and pull it on cue. Gentle consistent pulls on the rope make the snow gently fall out of the slits in the vinyl
- for snow we bought 'dry' snow from a place. Snow cost about $50.00 for a large box but the snow went a long way.
- on the floor below where the snow fell we had a large cardboard box which caught most of the snow so we could recycle.
Sorry if this doesn't make sense. I'm not god at describing stuff like this. I can put you in touch with the guy who made it (he's my hubby) who could describe the process much better than I have done.
|
Posted By: Techiemama
Date Posted: 1/02/07 at 8:29am
| We used a snow machine for Wizard of Oz, and we attached it to a fly bar with a tube shaped box with insulation around it. It did make noise, but not as much with the music loud and baffle on it. The effect on our little poppies going to sleep in the snow was beautiful. |
Posted By: toomuchdama
Date Posted: 3/17/07 at 10:27am
| When we did "Fiddler", during Far from the Home I Love, we made it snow. I built a trough out of furring strips and cardboard that was about twelve feet long, six inches wide and six inches deep. I attatched a dowel to the side about eight feet long. I cut holes in the bottom about one inch in diameter and filled it with dry synthetic snow. This contraption was suspended about a foot above the curtain and operated from a step ladder just off stage to the one side. By gently adgitating the box at the begining of the song, a light snowfall was acheived. At the end of the song when Tevye tells his daughter to stay warm, a full on blizzard was raging overhead. It was quite a nice effect and received many comments after the show. The best part was that a quick pass or two with a dustmop and the "snow" was collected backstage and recycled for future performances. No sticky mess to deal with and very economical. |