Creating Snow

I need to create a snow effect for a scene in a musical. Is this possible to do with lights? if not how can we create such an effect? will we need to use projectors? Thanks!

You could use a patterned gobo to give the light texture. do you have moving lights? im actually not in lighting so im afraid i cant offer much more than that. Could you use paper confetti instead? lynn

On a black stage with a white screen you could project a pretty snow effect, however you are going to have lights on which will wash out any effect you create, so I would have to say you are unlikely to get a good effect with lights.The "snowbag" with paper works well and over the next 10 years most of it will disappear,[it gets everywhere]There are "snow machines" which blow out foam blobs which look quite good but they sound like vacuum cleaners and build up a sticky mess.I have yet to see a simple and good snow effect.

but it is snowing in Prague today :)

while i was studying multimedia at tafe... i used a bunch of animation programs... and was bored one day and stubbled across a tutorial on how to get a snowflake falling effect using flash... if u have macromedia flash... i reccomend looking for the tutorial and giving it a go... because it does work.. and looks pretty kool and can be made into a flash movie... anyways just thought id put in my opinion... have a good one and good luck...XxxPeaceOutxxX

Well, the Met in NY use confetti Although it is larger than normal confetti... Try and get hold of the DVD of their broadcast of Verdi's Macca. In the close ups during "Patria oppressa" you get a really good view of what they use... But then again they have HOW MANY STAGE CREW to quickly clean it up afterwards!!! But it does look very effective, especially in Act 3 of their La Boheme. You are in Sydney, yes? Ring Opera Australia and see if you can talk to one of their Tech people and see how THEY do it...

I recently saw an electrician create a snow effect by mounting a disco ball in a horizontal configuration, and hitting it with a series of four lights. As the disco ball rotated the light was visible on the cyclorama upstage. I also believe that he removed some of the mirrors to create a more random pattern. It worked. However, the designer decided not to use it because the disco ball moved quite fast, and she wanted a slower more gentle snow.

I went to see Edward Scissorhands and they used a scrim and projected onto it. I'm not a lighting expert or anything so I can't give much detail. I think they had made a clip of falling snow or rain or something, then the scrim was right at the front of the stage and the actors behind it so they actually looked like they were in the snow, it wasn't just falling behind them on a backdrop. It was really effective. "I have two giraffes... the State requires me to learn the Harmonica..."

I've done something similar to a Mirror Ball! I had a mirrored Long Cylinder made (So like a mirror ball but long - and without so many mirror pieces)there were 5 of them, they were then fixed onto a Rotissery like mechanism. This was hung upstage just behind the curtain. Fresnels were shuttered in and hung down stage facing the cylinders. As did not have controls for the Rotissery we had to leave them on for the duration of the show, but only brought the lights up when we needed the show effect. This also works for rain effect.

So long and thanks for all the fish.