Had a thought while the shop's "Confetti Storms" were being prepped for a show. (You know a plastic trash bag simply ain't going to hold the confetti inside. Easiest just to blow them off in a confined space and sweep up afterwards. Way too much mess to be fun to prep for a show. Much less, every time they are used, the confetti type is changed. Something like 12 different styles of confetti in
stock in addition to confetti with name brands on it and never the same stuff blown out - pain in the rear to prep the things. Much to be avoided in digging out the sometimes
fog soaked confetti and adding the new.)
Be it cofetti
cannon (one time use) or confetti storm, you could simply blow out the snow especially if in the case of the storm when on a
dimmer. Motors are not good for dimmers but in this case it should be a low enough
power. The storm uses if I remember right a Black and Decker leaf blower engine inside of a box that stores far too much confetti to ever be used. It's output tube is able to accept a 4" dryer hose or similar fittings for distribution of the outlets. There is more than enough
power to remotely locate such things.
Biggest problem with a storm which would certainly blow out snow is that it's very loud and second without either electronic
circuit board static protection or more simply static guard, the snow will stick to everything. This beyond the concept of the snow when forced out going everywhere. Direct the snow well thus the other above ideas on sprinkled snow bags or tubes in making life easier. Given a extension tube to a remotely located
unit this volume that goes everywhere on the confetti storm should be reduced some however sufficient for
stage usage.
On snow machines:
Our shop also has some older models of
CITC snow machines. Pain in the rear. Need a storage tub under them to catch the leaks from the machine in addition to it being vacuum cleaner loud. The things require new
bubble bags, airraters and hoses just about every time they are used - no matter if you clean them or not short of a huge amount of PM directly after the production and even than the snow fluid is only good for about a year before it goes bad. Very expensive
system to use. In renting such units expect that some snow machines will have a blizzard of snow out of them, others will trickle it out unless the prep crew spent a lot of effort in changing out for new parts. Even than you have to adjust the air flow which is not really that well designed to do in this
unit.
Hopefully their more improved "quiet" snow machines are more user friendly because it's a major chore to prep these units I as the only one qualified have to. Every year it's a question of throwing out the old stuff and buying new verses labor and parts. Avoid the older model of this
fixture. Other brands and the new quiet
CITC snow machines no doubt are much better but if who you rent the stuff from has the old snow machines, avoid them.
Constantly replacing pump blowers for them also in addition to the soap blown out of them being first slippery on the
stage, than sticky as if a can of coke exploded on
stage - same sticky. Such snow machines in this no matter the brand are a factor. It's not snow, it's more minute bubbles from a
bubble machine. Once the bag/sock drys up say on a month long production, you get less volume with the design I am familior with. Given old snow fluid
etc. you are just as stuck.
Hopefully snow machines in general have been improved, but given my experience with them, I would go with the fake snow flakes and avoid the snow machines.
Vaccume up the flakes after the show. Somehow
screen them to seperate the dirt and dust from the flake than re-use them or buy lots of new, but go with the flakes. As I remember my
Rosco Samples, there is two types of flakes available.
)
