Wizard of Oz snow

[Jon Majors]

We'd like snow for a very short scene in the show. A snow cradle would require cleanup, and most snow machines I've experienced are just way too loud!! What machines have you used that are very low db, or how have you creatively done the poppy/snow scene?

Thanks,
Jon

 

[MRW Lights]

Is projection an option for you?

 

[cbrandt]

We've had very good success with Ultratec's Silent Storm machines. They can get pretty loud when you turn the fans all the way up. But if you turn that down, and mount them as high as you can in the grid, you get a really nice even snow effect, without the noise. The higher you can get it, the better.

 

[tjrobb]

Stick with the classic - asbestos.

 

[jtweigandt]

I build some box enclosures lined in styrofoam for our foam/snow machines. That got the noise down to "tolerable"
but of course needed orchestra cover.. would never do for a more silent scene.

 

[gafftaper]

In my experience snow machines create slippery wet floors. So I suggest going with a snow cradle or skipping it.

 

[RonHebbard]

In my experience snow machines create slippery wet floors. So I suggest going with a snow cradle or skipping it.

Dry ice is once and done; buy more dry ice. It also hugs the deck and accumulates from the deck up.
A snow bag / snow cradle falls from above at a rate determined by the operator AND, if you purchase static / cling-free snow, may be swept up, sifted / filtered to remove debris and hazardous objects which plummet rather than float, reloaded in the bag and reused.

Two different looks for two different effects at two different price points.

Snow from a snow bag will accumulate on surfaces of your set with somewhat of a realistic appearance.
Dry ice sublimates directly from a solid state to a noxious gas which MAY accumulate in your orchestra pit and kill/suffocate your musicians.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[Jay Ashworth]

Ah, who cares about the pit musicians...

 

[RonHebbard]

Ah, who cares about the pit musicians...

There's a reason musicians are relegated / confined to pits; which reminds me:

In the 1970's, a pit full of AF of M'ers were touring with the annual Christmas through New Years Nutcracker.
Stop after stop, in spite of their IA touring Prop Man providing 3 LARGE garbage pails, they left the pit a disgusting mess of partially full coffee cups, some used as ashtrays, beer bottles, remnants of food, and spit from the spit traps of various brass instruments which their Prop Man had to clean up and bag post each venue's stop.

One year when one of their trucks backed into our dock, they opened the doors and six very full garbage bags spilled out. We were about to bin them when IA 58 Prop Master Neil Pennel stopped us and mentioned they had a special purpose; where upon he had several of us tote them to the DS edge of our stage where he, one by one, emptied the contents of all six bags into the pit, all over their chairs and empty music stands.
When the muso's arrived, Neil hollered down to them: "This is how you've left the last two pits; if that's how you like it, I'm happy to oblige".

I wonder how they left the pit at their next stop?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[Jay Ashworth]

I keep sayin' there's a book here.

Uncharacteristically for me, I don't have a title yet.

 

[Starr T.]

There's a reason musicians are relegated / confined to pits; which reminds me:

In the 1970's, a pit full of AF of M'ers were touring with the annual Christmas through New Years Nutcracker.
Stop after stop, in spite of their IA touring Prop Man providing 3 LARGE garbage pails, they left the pit a disgusting mess of partially full coffee cups, some used as ashtrays, beer bottles, remnants of food, and spit from the spit traps of various brass instruments which their Prop Man had to clean up and bag post each venue's stop.

One year when one of their trucks backed into our dock, they opened the doors and six very full garbage bags spilled out. We were about to bin them when IA 58 Prop Master Neil Pennel stopped us and mentioned they had a special purpose; where upon he had several of us tote them to the DS edge of our stage where he, one by one, emptied the contents of all six bags into the pit, all over their chairs and empty music stands.
When the muso's arrived, Neil hollered down to them: "This is how you've left the last two pits; if that's how you like it, I'm happy to oblige".

I wonder how they left the pit at their next stop?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

Yeah, don't mess with us quirky Props Peeps... we can think of so MANY creative ways to "Get things done!" : }