The
Absolute Facts on Fake Snow Machines
Every Wonder Why There's No History That Can Be Found on Artificial Snow Machine Effects for the Entertainment Industry?
Snow Machine Effects "The History".
Changing what you think and know about theatrical fake Snow Machine effects;
The prevailing idea about snow machines effects is that you have many companies to choose different snow machines from in the states and these machines work differently depending on the company selected. This assumption is wrong and here's why.
When renting snow machines ask about the snow machine brand Snowmasters, SNOWboy, Universal Effects, Consumer Machines) and ask to see the photos of the machines on line. If they don't show the machines on the web site or if they don't have different machines for different applications your not going to gain professional results. We have 16 machines options and some companies don't even show a photo or talk about the machines they use. Its always the most important fact, what level of machine that you are buying into.
Fact 1- When you're comparing snow machines you first and foremost must know that the Global Special Effects Snowmasters (SnowMasters grew into Global Special Effects, a vast umbrella corporation with multiple smaller subsidiaries besides SnowMasters) brand of globalspecialeffects.com/ is a U.S. based manufacturer that invented and owns U.S. patented design rights and has the licensing rights to the refined Evaporative Snow ™ machine spraying technology. These snow machines effects are the most widely used and seen in general public events, entertainment industry for theater stage productions, malls events, TV commercials, corporate holiday parties here in the states but are also used worldwide. So if you're going to rent artificial snow machines for any of these applications your choices are either a professional high performance Snowmasters model or consumer standard or low performance model (any numbers of brand names) and you will pay about the same. Your choice since you're buying machine performance, read more on the difference.
You will see others claiming that they created artificial snow system installations "Using special effects adopted direct adopted from Hollywood movie sets or from Hollywood special effects designers", it's not their company that is the special effect designer, as it's Fran Guerra of Snowmasters which is the Special Effects Expert of snow machines that is the designer which they reference to the invention of this technology.
Special Effects experts like Zigmont is utilized by the theme park industry (Disney, Universal Studios, Seaworld, Paramount Studios, Legoland, Silver Springs, Busch Gardens) and that a good indication of his qualifications and expertise of his work. We have 14 divisions of special effects that we provide. Snow being one division. We have the largest inventory of professional snow machine rentals with over a dozen machine options. Plus our fleet of snow machines are up kept to operate like new.
Fact 2 - You will find companies that will either offer Snowmasters Professional brand line of snow machines or use consumer machine standards like CITC Little Blizzard or Silent Storm or even lower performance consumers models such as Chauvet, Antari, Flurry, (any numbers of brand names), The Santa, True North. The differences in machines are in how realistic the snowflakes look, the number of different size snow flakes (clusters of bubbles) made, the performance of the machine in regards to volume and range of the snow. As well as the snow spraying a light weight particle that will quickly dry from the water content to float in the air. Very few companies in the world have all the category of snow machines that effectspecialist.com has to offer for rent or hired service.
Many use the Snowmasters brand slogan which is snow machines that are used in Hollywood Movies and bait and switch it with Consumers models instead, that's why they use the word adopted, as they are not the same machine and are a lesser machine. If they don't use Evaporative Snow ™ Patented Technology its not a Hollywood working machine.
Note; Machine noise level from lowest to highest; Snow Tour 64DBs, Snow Tube 67 DBsT 1600 and SnowBOY stage Whisper at 68DB, T 1100 74 DBs- T 1500 75 DBs, T 1000 (artctic snow as well, silent Storm) 79DBs, SnowBOY SP 81 DBS, T 5000 - 84 DBs
Fact 3 - Their also a small numbers of other company's who offer professional commercial studio snow machines outside the United States, as this is a small specialized industry, for movies, film and studio and with professionals FX Artist like Harry Stokes of SNOWboy fame. These other models of commercial snow machines are designed and operate differently in the physical mechanics of operation and spray an intense snow effect, but used mostly for movie studio environments as they consume a large amount of snow fluid and needs to be controlled by FX professionals. Preferred machine for film, television and Studio.
Before Snowmasters, before the internet was around you had Phillip Stokes, an experienced special effects supervisor and entrepreneur of Enterprises Unlimited UK who invented and produced the very first foam based fluid snow generator called the SNOWboy MK1 in 1987 to present day is know as the finest machine ever produced. These machines the staple of the movie industry which has a very high volume line of commercial performance snow machine. The U.S. really didn't hear of SNOWboy brand until 1999, which is when the U.K. Snow Business Company worldwide experts in snow opened a franchise in Hollywood California called Snow Business Hollywood, they have used SNOWboy snow machines in productions outside the U.S. for years. Snow Business is SNOWboy dealer is USA. Now in 2010 there is a new technology of snow machines with Universal-Effects of France which is the third FX manufacturer in the Professional Snow Machine Market.
Zigmont Magic FX Start to provided snow in 1995 and we have provided snow effects longer than any other company, that's 16 years experience. We are a special effects company longer than we provided snow effects. When Magician David Copperfield started to snow theaters with the help of Francisco Guerra a slew of magicians copied and some even says they invented the effect.
In the U.S. Warnerbros Studios Prop House used their Snofoam© & Snofoam© Generators or Jetex to make snow. Snowmasters snow machines were employed a great number of movies in the past 25 years. In the recent years few other companies in other parts of the world employs these other systems of snow machines that generate great volume and range for movies productions outside USA.
Fun Fact - The largest snow event in the USA was at Walt Disney World's MGM Studios, using Sixty-six of Professional Series Snowmasters brand snow machines and 100 gallons of snow fluid are used to create a flurry of snowflakes. While Disney Famous Main Street USA used 72 T-1000's to do there snow event 2000- 2009. To date Disney Main-Street USA uses 26 T-1500 Max's.
Fun Fact - Snow Business U.K. holds the Guinness world record for the largest area ever covered with artificial falling World Record (2006) achieved the world record for artificial falling snow over the largest area, when producing snow for a high end shopping street in London.
Fact 4 - Snowmasters Special Effects Manufacturer is the world leader in evaporative refined dry snow spray technology advancements, standards and the predominant model used to create falling snow in the USA in any environment. Universal Effects the leading European Special Effects Manufacturer provides mega snow machine that creates a flocking snow spray. Place on roof tops it will dry out and accumulate.
Fact 5 - Snow machines were used mostly for movies productions, corporate industrials and theatrical shows until 2000 when Disney Theme Parks installed snow machines at Main Street USA and that started the popularity of snow events at Malls properties and Cities events. We help Disney with their snow showers.
Watch the Snowfall of 8 - T 1600's at Sea World Texas Test for Sesame Street Christmas Snow
It is very difficult to compare identically priced snow events from different sources as snow machines all do the same basic function, make millions of cluster of bubbles at an event, with snowmasters machines that's 10's of thousands of bubbles (per machine) per minute other consumer brands have much less output per minute and much larger less realistic looking snowflakes. While some snow machines look alike and they all have a basic design of operation which is pumping fluid and blowing and spraying fake snowflakes. But when renting snow machines, the machines are not made equal in performance and features, they don't all have the same standards of excellence from one machine to another. Knowing The machine is knowing the results.
-
Professional
Grade Modern Designed Snow Machines
The category differences between the three classes of snow machines types Consumer, Professional, Commercial.
The
20 Year Old Designed Consumer Machines is not as Apparent
to Compare as you would think.
Commercial
Grade and Studio Designed Snow Machines
Fact 6 - The Evaporative Snow ™ machine American made models that are the Snowmasters refined dry snow spray technology Evaporative Snow ® Patented technologywas invented, designed, developed, US Patent no 6,868,691, and all machine of this type is controlled by Snowmasters Special Effects (Francisco Guerra). Fran Guerra (known as The Snowman) was just out of High School when he needed a snow effect to end his Magic Show which was first booked at the Enchanted Forest then the Magic Village Entertainment Center Miami and developed the snow machine to make his vision come true. Everyone else is following his lead and using his machines.
Fact 7 - Snow History versus Company Promo - CITC did created a type of ground snow called snowbiz, but his inventiveness didn't led him to design a falling snow machines that could cause the snow to evaporate when falling. He perhaps in 1992 redesigned the snow machine that does convert liquid into a foam, separate the foam and throw a distance to cause particles of snow flakes to fall like snow, only after seeing the Snowmasters machines before it was patented. The patent took 10 years to obtain, but the that's a whole different story. CITC extended the blower and made a snowflake paddle. I don't believe it is American made and is an import and tweaked at the shop. This style and type of snow machine is a Snowmasters design and invention.
Ever Wonder Why Some Snow Fall Events Looks Different and Some Better Than Others?
The Right Snow Machine Makes all the Difference for the Best Results!
The Right Evaporative Snow® Solution makes the Difference.
Our All Weather Machines
Consumer Machines with The Poorest Performance
Other Machines
Anatomy of Snowmasters
It began in 1990 when the very first newly invented evaporative snow machine in the USA (these models are still being sold and used by others companies at present time) were seen by tens of thousands of people at Enchanted Forest. These weren't evaporative machines in today's standards for dry (foam) snow machine technology, while the snow did disappear (like bubbles do) but could remain for some time on the ground before dissolving away. We employed a number of these Antari machines plus Reel EFX Fans from 1994 - 2000 for Stage and Touring Shows. We know the results from first hand knowledge of this history.
The first Snowmasters design (made in 1990) were available on the market to the entertainment industry in 1991-92 when the Miami based Antari Company made the first units for Fran of Snowmasters (The magic of Francisco) under the Antari name, which was the first licensed given to produce the machine. These machine became very popular worldwide, as it was the first machine available for sale in the States. Just a few short years later in 1994-95 Snowmasters had advanced the machines to intended High Volume/High Range and called these machines the T-1000 and T-5000 which were labeled Made By "The Magic of Francisco Guerra". In 1994-95 these original Antari models once used by professionals in early 90's were outdated compared to the first prototype, today's versions of Snowmasters machines, the 1999 rollout of machines for sale or even the 1995 Snowmasters models built to order, and were considered consumer machine brands in 1999 for economical use for local community theaters and church's.
Note---- Hollywood Invented a New Type Of Fake Snow To Film It's a Wonderful Life in 1946
The Frank Capra classic isn't known for its special effects. But since It's a Wonderful Life was shot in the sweltering heat of June and July of 1946, the filmmakers had to develop a new type of artificial snow.
LIFE has a great collection of never before seen photos from the film's set, detailing the technical challenges of making Bedford Falls look like a winter wonderland. Before It's a Wonderful Life, fake movie snow was mostly made from cornflakes painted white. And it was so loud when stepped on that any snow filled scenes with dialogue had to be re-dubbed afterwards.
So, working with Russel Sherman—RKO studio's head of special effects—director Frank Capra developed his own type of quiet fake snow. Mixing foamite—a material used in fire extinguishers—with sugar, water, and even soap flakes, a sprayable version of artificial snow was created that could be quickly blasted over set pieces. A little disconcerting, though, are reports that asbestos was also used to dress some of the sets. While the material doesn't make life any less wonderful, at the time they didn't realize it had the potential to make it drastically shorter.
The You Tube video below is an example of the first 1990 prototype of a high output high range snow machine that Fran developed when located in Miami Florida. The Antari's snow machine was modeled after this unit, but always lacked the original Power, Volume and Range. It wasn't unit Snowmasters started to produce these snow machines did the full potential of the machines were seen and the consumer status started on the Antari machines. Seen here in on a 2003 trade show floor.
I was working on some snow machines at a theme park and found that they had T 1000's, first generation built by Snowmasters in the mid 90's. They are built in ata cases. They are still working.
So if a company is not offering the Snowmasters Brand they have the 1990 consumer models such as Chauvet, Antari, Flurry, True North snow machines. These are not used in Hollywood by Special Effect Experts. Only Snowmasters are high performance Evaporative Snow ™ machines that uses Evaporative Snow ® Patented Technology fluid (FAQ) which can claim that it evaporates dry in 30 to 90 second or moments after it hits a surface. Also the fluid is safe around food (lab report) and Biodegradable certified. Snowmasters Brand are modernized design in a family of special effects Snow Machines used for years in Theme Parks, Movie Productions, Theatres, Malls, and Presentations. These futuristic modeled “work-horse” sprays evaporative snow are out from its nozzle section and creates a realistic snowfall effect without residue or cold air and you can control the intensity.
As the Evaporative Snow ® Patented Technology Patent holder Global Special Effects Snowmasters licenses over 12 other brands of snow machines manufactured under other companies names. These other brand name snow machines are made in factories in China/Hong Kong and are imported, these are 20 year old Chauvet/Antari/Flurry/True North snow machine. These are first generation technology now considered Consumer Grade are not true evaporative snow machines to 2010 standards. Only Snowmasters machines are weather proof designed for the elements.
The High Performance Evaporative Snow ™ Machine models that use the Snowmasters Evaporative Snow ® Patented Dry snow from foam fluid based spray technology that was offered in 1999 is now recognized worldwide for the direst falling snow for the floating snow over audiences. Very Realistic Looking Snow.
Pictured above and below is the first T-1500 model released in the 1999 after 3 years of development, as the movie industry bought 100's of the T-1000's, its wasn't until 1999 did Snowmasters open there own factory and advertise to sell to the the entire industry. The older metal housing version was made up of the T - 1000 blower and customer control. Before that they were a service oriented company doing Movies, Corporate Events, Malls, custom project and machines made to order.
Only Snowmasters has advance proprietary features command control 512 DMX and has 99 steps of evaporative DMX flake control as well as the ability of hooking up to a lighting console while being quieter. While Consumer Brands do have a limited DMX, which you can daisy chain machines to allow the wired tendered remote to turn machines on - off and control 5 levels of volume control. They do not have DMX command control features. A low performance machine is louder machine, less control of volume, which will make wetter (difficulty in dissipation) snow with inconsistently in flake size which clump together with low volume of snow while spraying short distances. The snow volume output difference of consumer made snow machines and Professional Grade video demo.
Steve Zigmont is a Snow Special Effect Specialist and a Snowmasters Authorized Factory Trained Master Technician / Installer, Technical Training Course Lecturer and product dealer. The details on this page are the real facts and history on fake snow machine industry. We have been providing snow services since 1995 which one of the longest established snow providers in the world today with 15 years experience. Snowmasters is having its 20th anniversary in 2010.
Zigmont Magic FX Inc 813 689 6269 zigmont@zigmont.com
Our competitors are still pushing the 1st generation, antiquated 1990's consumer models and claiming that they are good for all applications and never telling you the machines name and brand. Plus they push these as used in Hollywood and Movie sets. We are offering you choices and solutions to fit of your exact needs. Instead of forcing a client to cope with one model and making his event work around its capacities, we tailor the capacities to the event. We design with many machine options. We understand that each client seeks to provide a unique snow experience — only through our varied line of Snowmasters Snow Machines do you have choices and this can be truly achieved. The 10 snow machine options and models we have to rent allowing you to get the machines that suits your needs.
Which brings us to the Facts; If its not Snowmasters Brand its not a Professional High Volume High Range snow machine with DMX command control. A well informed consumer is our best customer. See our Snow Machine Rental Options Click Here. As for the other Brands of Professional Commercial Snow Machines like SNOWboy are for professional use only.
Evaporative Snow ™ Trademark Snow, Results Are Known and Can be Seen Worldwide
It's not just now much snow is produced on the sock, but the range of sizes of the snow flakes and only Snowmasters has the realistic range of snow Flakes.
Anatomy of A Snowmasters Snow Machine
Advanced Features On Snowmasters Brand Machines;
22- New modern custom design fan & motor, the most powerful design and the air intake is wide open, with a quite metal impeller fan motor that is foam insulated. A Consumer brand does not.
21- New custom blower nozzle mount - Allows high range high volume of snow to blow due to the design of the air flow, this is what blows the snow off the sock. A Consumer brand has a standard loud blower.
23- Sock - Allow control over volume and size of flakes many styles and types for different machines and applications. The snow fluid ( very "dry" bubble fluid) is blown through a fabric "sock" to create thousands of tiny bubbles. These bubbles clusters together and float gently to the ground, creating a realistic looking snow that disappears after a few seconds.
4- Snow Fluid Pump - With 4 style of custom pumps, like our super pump, the command and controlled by the DMX circuit board. DMX Software that allows the control of the 99 steps of snow flake size options, which is the key to make the "flakes" disintegrate more rapidly. The "flake size" control varies the speed of the pump, and therefore the amount of fluid sprayed. While the ML/min rate of the pump is important what more important is the air flow mixing with the fluid to gain volume and distance and the right sock to distribute the snow.
12- Circuit board - True DMX command and control features - Total DMX flake control, DMX 512, DMX Cycle timers, 99 of DMX steps of flake control. Controlling The Flake The flakes size and travel time makes the snow evaporates on cue. Our smaller fills the air with more snowflakes and floats longer in the air and evaporates magically in 30 to 90 seconds. A Consumer brand does not. Snowmasters 99 Step of control works with a Thumb Dial like this;
10ft use 3/16 inch flake to make snow evaporates on cue DMX Dial 825
20ft use 1/8 - 1/4 inch flake to make snow evaporates on cue DMX Dial 850
30ft use 1/4 - 1/2 inch flake - to make snow evaporates on cue DMX Dial 888
Only our professional grade snow machines have these abilities.
16 - Reset Button - Resets DMX System.
Consumer Brand- standard blower low range plastic impeller, one basic style sock, old 1990 style pump, basic circuit board.
No We Don't Provide Real Snow Machines, While it looks like the output of our Artificial Snow its not the device.
Occasionally, we get a customer who mistakenly thinks that our Snow Machine works on the same principle as the snowmaking machines used to add snow the ski trails at large resorts. While the output of both devices may look similar, the two machines are actually putting out very different substances. Snow on the ground is tonnage of chipped and chopped ice.
The large snow making machines that are used at ski resorts shoot very cold, atomized water into the air, where it freezes into something like actual snowflakes and falls back to the ground. The machines used to make real snow are very big, very noisy and very expensive, as well as needing 500 gal large air compressors and a big water source, small orifice to crystallize water droplets. You would need temperatures of 27 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
Look for the snowmasters label to make sure you have the snow machine of choice, pictured is a T 1000
The High Volume snow of two T 1000 Snow Machine 25 ft apart.
We use only the world's best commercial snowfall machines, the professional series of Snowmasters brand snow machines made in the USA at the Snowmasters Factory because these machines are far superior to all those other licensed off name brands (chauvet/antari/flurry/true north/Silent Storm snow machines) names machines. Snowmasters professional grade Evaporative Snow ™ machines for those who want the best snow falling effect.
Snowmasters has eight current models and they all look different and have different features than one another and all have latest custom design nozzles (airflow of up to 3000 cubic feet per minute), all with true Evaporative Snow ™ that evaporates on cue with never needs any concern or any cleaning up. With consumer brands you have larger flakes and they disappear only when the water dry's which can take a few minutes or longer indoors. Snowmasters controls the specification of each licence machine so we know what the machines are capable of, Snowmasters entitles his brand to have the best performance and features like, custom nozzles, custom pumps, total DMX Control, quiet in operation, cycle timers, 99 steps flake controls through the Thumb Dial, high volume and long distance snow. Our snow dry's in the air in 30 - 90 seconds of air hang time.
Snowing outside Hard Rock Orlando Video
Video Clip Snow at an outside event @ Hard Rock Live
Please remember to compare snow machines brand on proposal quotes. A chauvet/antari/flurry/true north/Silent Storm snow machines should not be compared to a Snowmasters brand, one Snowmasters snow machines sprays 3 - 4 times more output volume and is higher in range machine than non snowmasters brand. Some of our machines shoot 50 - 80 feet out, that long range with high output. You would need 18 consumer model to snowmasters 6 T 1500's, so if you get a proposal and starts off with 18 machines your getting the 250.00 consumer brand machines and not much in real valve. We own and operate Snowmasters Evaporative Snow ™ machines and Evaporative Snow ® Patented Technology with evaporates in 30 to 90 second or moments after it hits a surface. Demand the best like all the theme parks do.
Our Snow at Sea World Texas, using T 1600 snow machines with professional results, how let talk what we can do for YOU!
Although it is important to compare estimates of proposed material content, machine caliber and size of the snow machine to be used, it is equally important to consider the quality of the snow machine and snow fluid and the expertise and enthusiasm of the install operators.
Snow Becomes Popular
This is a photo of the Snow Machine used by Illusionist David Copperfield make it snow in theters the model was a T- 5000 which sprays snow 80 ft x 30 ft wide. Copperfield revolutionize the entertainment industry he made it snow in a huge space which was never seen by the general public before. The only snow machine available was the Antari machine and Copperfield had a 8 snow machine which could cover the largest of Performing Art Centers. It would of taken over 50 Antari machines.
The fact here is that Francisco Guerra was performing snow in theater's and ballroom around the world at that time as the only person who had this capability before he allowed Copperfield to obtain his custom gear. The machine seen here and designed used was the analog T-5000 in 1995. I can tell because the sock is below the blower and angled up and that was the 1995 design. The T-5000 snow machine design today has the sock on the top point straight out and is command control DMX, I prefer the analog T 5000's they make a beautiful snow. You can find one of these on the top shelves of Snowmasters factory.
The snow from hands which David Copperfield Performed on TV and his theater shows was a T-2000 with has a blower that was separated 100 ft from the nozzle and sock. The machine below was available in the 1999 and was used in a very clever manor by Fran and Copperfield team. Many magicians tried to copy his routine with commercially available inferior consumer snow machines with little success of Copperfield experience.
All companies that do Snow Events are following in the footsteps of Francisco Guerra president/owner of Snowmasters who paved the path of making it snow inside Ballrooms, Theatres, Malls, Motion Picture Movies, in the 90's, plus made the landmark snow at Disney Main Street USA in 2000. At one point in time he was the only one in the world doing snow events. I know two other US companies claiming to invent or develop this snow system which is just not true. Francisco personally trained me and I am representing Fran and Snowmasters in the field as the Top Snow Specialist.
Snow At Disney's Parks
Once word got about the snow falling on Main Street USA, Disneyland saw a healthy surge in attendance for that holiday season. And every year since, I might add. According to Disneyland’s own internal surveys, while Haunted Mansion Holiday, “it’s a small world” holiday, the Believe in Holiday Magic fireworks, Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle and A Christmas Fantasy Parade are all wildly popular with Guests … When asked what their favorite part of the Holidays at Disneyland was, most survey participants reportedly say that it was standing with their family members on Main Street USA and listening to “White Christmas” as the snow fell down on them from above.
Snow Nightly at DisneyWorld Theme Park
The T-1000 snow machine and the Flag Ship machine of Snowmasters and been a staple at Disney Main Street USA for the past 10 years. Photo above is Francisco Guerra on top of Disney Roofs Installing The T 1000's for the most famous snowfall of them all. This year Disney is changing to T 1500's max.
Snow Nightly at Disneyzworld Theme Park.
The T 1000 at Work Above and Below.
Remember we are a full service special effects company that works an services the major Theme Parks Studios.
The T 1600 at Work Below
Zigmont Magic FX supply's services to Disney, Universal Studios, and Sea World Texas (photo above) with these very same machines we rent.
Sea World Texas Snow Machine Test for Sesame Street Christmas Snow
The T-1500 Mini Was developed for a Movie Production for Ronnie Howard called "How The movie Grinch Stole Christmas". The T 1500 at that time was called the Directors Fan Model, After director Ron Howard. Director Ronnie Howard used the T 1500 mini " Directors Fan" machine to pitch and described the scope of the movie and to excite people about the project.
My T 1500 Analog Directors Fan Model Snow Machine at a private event, a 35,000 Bubbles Per Minute Machine.
We offer snow machine rentals and full turn-key production services for events countrywide. You can use the very same snow machines as Disney Theme Parks, Disney Cruise Ships, MGM Studios, Universal Studios, Paramount Kings Island, Sea World Texas & Florida along with Hollywood Movie Studios.
If fact you can get the same tech that provides tech services to Disney, Universal and Sea world 2009. Not any tech But "The Effect Specialist Zigmont". Besides offering conceptualize design for their specific applications considering aesthetics, technical feasibility, proper machine placement, movement, snow flake size configuration selection and budget.
Snow at Sea World for Sesame Street Christmas 2009
Zigmont offers onsite services that no one else or company can provide, complete corrective inspections, placement corrections, complete installs, fine tuning machine performance and output, on site machine repair and technical knowledge in all aspects of snow machines as a Snowmasters authorized factory Technician. As we just performed for Sea World Texas.
If your renting, buying or long term leasing we offer a premium level of customer service. In fact our premier technical services are used by the manufacturer Snowmasters Special Effects as there lead out source vendor.
Our winter wonderland snowfall events are beautiful to experience and entertaining for all of the participants. T 1000's in photo above and below.
One T-1000 snow machine installed at Central Park Atlantic Station Ga, it's 12 foot off the ground hanging on a lamp post, producing tons of snow! We had 10 snow machines in the 60ft X 80ft area.
We offer full service snowfall events and snow machine rentals.
Ever wonder why some snow fall events look different and better than others?
Evaporative Snow ™ Patented Technology sets us aside from anyone who says; "I can make it snow".
The difference is in the true Evaporative Snow ™ machines and Evaporative Snow ® fluid used and the smaller flake size we can generate. Our system uses Evaporative Snow ® Patented Technology (US patent no. 6,868,691) devices and fluid for realistic simulated snowflakes for snowfall events both indoor and outdoor that can run continuously.
The professional series snow machine has a built-in blower which blows the aerated snow fluid off the modulating sock at high velocity (flakes are dispersed by a sock by a airflow of 500-3000 cubic feet per minute), which creates 4 different sizes of light and airy snowflakes off the modulating sock. All is blown out of the front of the machine as flakes and the "flake size" control varies the speed of the pump, and therefore the amount of fluid reaching the sock. We control the fluid pump to regulate the flake size so that the snow evaporates just as the snow hits the ground.
4 T-1000 Snow machines at Pentagon Row snow event 2009 filling the air with a snow blizzard
If you look closely at the "snow" produced by an evaporative snow machine, you will notice the flakes are essentially small clusters of tiny bubbles, like very fine soap suds. Bearing this in mind, let's take a closer look at the internal workings of a snow machine.
All snow machines are essentially made up of several basic parts. The snow starts as a "snow fluid" in a reservoir or bottle usually found at the back of the machine. A small plastic "feed tube" takes the fluid from the reservoir to a small Cloth "sock" at the front of the machine by means of a pump. The sock is mounted to the front end of a high output blower. The material is a very finely woven mesh, which acts like hundreds of very tiny bubble wands producing the "flakes" you see. The "flake size" control varies the speed of the pump, and therefore the amount of fluid reaching the sock. More fluid results in more and larger clusters of bubbles.
The 99 steps of flake size is the key to making any evaporative snow truly evaporating snow and becoming residue free with moisture, foam or any accumulation on the ground. Ideally you want to set the flake size so that the snow evaporates just as the snow hits the ground.
Snow event at USF Tampa
We have the safest and most realistic snowfall effects available on the market. If it's not Evaporative Snow ™ trademark, it is not truly going to be dissolve dry upon contact and it will leave a residue.
WHY NO MESSY RESIDUE & NON SLIPPERY
We have the best fluid in the snow industry which the snow doesn't just dissipates it totally evaporates leaving no slippery residue or stains. Our Patented evaporated fluid is a laboratory formulated base solution that makes the brightest looking evaporative snow that is 99% water and 1% surfactants. The solution in our machines create a realist looking snowfall. The solution is aerated at 1/10,000. The water starts to evaporate within seconds making the flakes smaller and lighter until they disappear dry because the surfactants chemicals becomes microscopic particles. The surfactants used in our fluid formulation are of the highest cosmetic grade.
Our artificial snow is bio-degradable and can be applied to any area outdoors or indoors.
Static Coefficient of Friction Slip Test
Surface Slip Test Results
Biodegradable
Biodegradable Certified Fluid
Safe Around Food
Safe Around Foods Certified
We are the only snow provider that tests snow fluid for wetness - slippage on various floor surfaces, a coefficient of friction meter test. We have had several independent tests recently with major theme park clients and passed with flying colors. We also can provide coefficients of friction measurement slip tests for our clients when requested.
A 0.50 COF or above has been recognized as providing non-hazardous walkways surfaces which is accepted industry standards as adopted by UL, ASTM and OSHA. These agencies set many requirements for floor safety under 29 CFR-1910 referring to providing floors of anti-slip surfaces or maintaining surfaces in non slip conditions in commercial building. It is generally considered in the industry that a walkway surface with a coefficient of friction higher than 0.50 is non-hazardous. In all cases, the coefficient of friction value increased after running hours of falling snow with Snowmasters Evaporative Snow® fluid brand.
Our snow fluid test results found that floor surfaces are rated drier by 0.20+ after we ran snow for a long duration cycles over time and tested the same surfaces when dry. No particle accumulated weigh on the surface either. That why you only see Evaporative Snow ™ machines and Evaporative Snow® fluid brand only used in theme parks would wide.
Our artificial snowflake keeps it shape, lasts longer and is dry to the touch when is disappears. For years we have been making it snow on millions of visitors and we never received one compliant of staining.
Our snow machines used poolside at Hard Rock Casino Las Vegas Rehab, yes right by the Pool. Flake control is the key.
Flake Control and Machine Options make the difference.
With our high volume, long range snow making machines with superior output for both indoor and outdoors snow displays. From slickest streamlined machine on the scene today to the quietest snow machine in the world, both can make fluid last 2 1/2 hours on 60 % volume with our DMX flake control. The newest marvel is a mini version of the snow machine with it's blower nozzle in the middle of a 16 inch fan impeller for outdoor malls, indoor stage productions, low ceiling rooms, and ballroom entrance ways. We offer superior technology with 3 snow machine options, designed for stage, movies, and live performances where noise makes the difference (68db from 3ft away). Another snow machine we offer is the Mega machine; this is the most powerful snow machine created. This unit was designed for indoor mega-large venues. Designed to make the snow below and float long distances, and like all evaporative snow it will disappear before it hits the ground.
All snow will disappear but make sure it disappears Quickly and DRY without residue.
Fake snow machines installed at Central Park Atlantic Station Ga.
This is so Important
With Zigmont Magic FX and the gear we employ with True Evaporating Snow Machines and Evaporative Snow® fluid; You are Guaranteed never to leave wet residue. We have 99 steps adjustments on our flake size (DMX) which is the key to making any snow event truly a dry flake and residue free. Snow from Magic FX machines evaporates before or just after it strikes the ground. Our flakes truly disappear on cue dry.
Control The Flake - Control Drying Time
The flakes size and travel time makes the snow evaporates on cue. Our smaller fills the air with more snowflakes and floats longer in the air and evaporates magically in 30 to 90 seconds.
10ft use 3/16 inch flake to make snow evaporates on cue
20ft use 1/8 - 1/4 inch flake to make snow evaporates on cue
30ft use 1/4 - 1/2 inch flake - to make snow evaporates on cue
Only our professional grade snow machines have these abilities.
Call Us @ 813 689 6269
The right machine makes all the difference for the right results!
Rent fake snow machines for the effect of snow falling. Contact the special effects experts from effectspecialist.com to rent or purchase artificial snow machines today.
Tools of the Trade, The Snowmasters Line of Professional Series Snow Machines
-
A
sample of the Professional series Grade High Range - High Volume weather
proof Evaporative Snow® machines we employ. Our snowmasters snow machines
out perform 3-1 any other snow company that uses any other snow machines
(listed below) A T 1100 is 74DB at 9 ft.
The ZIG Rotator demo
Motorized Rotating Mount Called The Zig Oscillator
The Zig Oscillator unit was developed on The Universal Studios Harry Potter Project. Designed to increase the disbursement of snow generated by a single snow machine. It will increase the spray pattern from one machine to three machines. Rotates one snow Machine product between two programmable show positions: max rotation 180 degrees. Five Speeds available via DMX plus travel direction. Includes Snow Machine mount and truss attachment via dual C-Clamp. It’s rotating angle is 180 degrees of oscillation. This oscillating unit has the capacity of 250 pounds of hanging weight. This unit can be used with any of our snow machines. The Zig Rotator named after Zigmont.
DMX snow machine controller and DMX Controller Module or relay packs for analog snow machines.
The all new Sub Zero- Now You can have snow in any weather.
This machine is designed to be used in freezing or below temperatures. It uses the proven work horse , the T-1100 snow machine, to produce snow in the most frigid temperatures. In these temperatures, our evaporative snow actually turns into real snow that is very eco-friendly. It can run up to 10 hours on a 5 gallon fluid container.
The Sub Zero Is being used at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center for a frosty snow fall.
The Mega snow machine that shoots snow 80 - 100 feet, The same Machine David Copperfield used to snow entire Theaters. The Rock Band Arrowsmith used use one to snow the stage and audience on their last tour.
We have to the left our custom digital timer, next is a Zig-Rotator, the pumping station and tripods of varying heights.
Want to make one to look like 3 machines our Zig Rotator is the answer
On the left a oscillating rotator disc and center a wireless control right Weather Resistant Cover.
We use a number of different effect fans and and blowers.
Our All Weather Machines
The only snow machines which are weather proof and can stay outside in the elements!
You can't just box or make a custom tower box with to hide machines from the eye or weather. These machines need air intake to operate 100%. Lack of power or air intake will have machine blow less, meaning less snow. Machines in boxes are prone to overheating and parts failing giving you issues during your run.
Snowmasters machines are designed to have weather covers.
Weather covers allow the air flow that the blower needs while covering the machine for the elements. Our machines are designed to be used in conjunction of weather covers. The machines air intake was design so the covers themselves won't effect the air and have the machine spray less do to lack of air intake. The covers are shown on the photo above, allow the machine to be weather resistant. All snowmasters models are designed to have the air intake in the rear like the T 1600 & T 1500's, bottom on the T-1000 and rear & side T 1100 and doesn't lose a but of performance.
Facts on Weather Covers
All consumer brands have side and top intakes which doesn't allow for weather covers, Some make a wooden decor (dog house) box with air vents to house a consumer machine and other are advised to use a Rubbermaid tote box upside down over the machine. We have calls from people who done either method with consumer brand machines and wonder why the snow lost it ability to spray or travel, the reason is machines are not getting enough air intake. The machine needs to get the air from the sides at a certain flow.
The machine's blower when enclosed will heat up (blowing hot air) and stops blowing efficiency and blows less. The Older CITC machine said in the instructions, to look for this and shut down the machine for 15 minutes when the blower gets hot. The snow machine even under or with-in a Rubbermaid tote box which will keep the heat within as its restricting the air flow, which will cause parts go bad to be replace (the blower and pump). My Client at Channelside Tampa had this problem before I sold him T 1100's which made more snow than 12 consumer brand machines. But the main reason this is a bad idea is it stops the machines from spraying as far as it could. Run away as fast as you can from company offering this as a solution.
I seen snow machines in a decor gift box with vents shoot six feet and have calls from people wondering why there machines are not sprays as advertised. With that being said they weren't design to be covered in any fashion and need open air all around the machine.
Pail Mounting Bracket in Yellow outline for holding 5 gal of fluid.
Need the quietest snow machine in the world, it was designed for the Nutcracker Ballet! Used in Sea Worlds Texas in Sesame Street Christmas Show
Sea World Texas Snow Machine Test for Sesame Street Christmas Snow
This is the quietest snow machine in the world. The T-1600 quiet snow machine was designed for stage, movies and performances where noise makes the difference. 68 db @ 3 feet. This evaporative snow machine is perfect for musicians, Theatre shows, sound stages, and amusement parks. This machine can come with a great traveling road case if necessary. This snow machine throws evaporative snow 25 to 35 feet out and eight to fifteen feet across (wide). This nearly silent snow machine weighs 60 pounds (70 pounds with fluid) and measures 44 inches long, 16 inches wide, and 23 inches tall.
Seen above is a T-1500 at work with a 4750 CFM fan, these machines will out perform 3-1 ratio any other snow company machines that uses any other brand of snow machine. Note we are pointing the snow machine upward and able to get 55 ft of height of coverage and distances of 50 ft outward.
Magic F/X Snowologist, synonymous with quality, and high standards of excellence.
Let us Execute our Snowfall Event This Season.
Often Imitated But Never Duplicated!
Ever wonder why some snow fall events looks different and better than others? Training !
With Zigmont Magic FX you're hiring a Trained Special Effect Specialist that is a Certified *Snowmasters Master Technician, Authorized Factory and Field Trained, Dealer Representative and who is Snowmasters # 1 top installer of snow events for movies, them parks, entertainment venues and retail shopping centers nationwide. We are covered with a Million Dollar Public liability policy for all special effects.
Our expertise is used by Snowmasters as we teach their Snow Training Seminars and our work can be seen at major theme parks. We have taken Francisco Guerra place in the field as the top field expert.
We are Certified by Francisco Guerra president of Snowmasters, the creator, inventor, and US patent holder of the one and only system of falling snow delivery. As well as the innovator of the modern day, state of the art Evaporative Snow ™ machines and Evaporative Snow ® fluid. All other brands of snow machines are licensed through snowmasters and are either older technology or others incorporate a Flake Size Adjuster that still produces flakes that are to large in size.
When Francisco Guerra needed Special Effects at his wedding (2006) which included Falling Snow he called upon Zigmont Magic FX to make it happen. We also supplied Fireworks and Pyrotechnics.
Consumer Grade Snow Machines and Professional Grade Snow Machines Difference
Only Snowmasters can claim residue free, won't stain, no moisture and has no slippery properties; others can't say "Residue Free", these claims about the flakes disappearing on cue or on contact is not accurate and misleading as you need Evaporative Snow® fluid to do so. Making sure your snow event doesn't leave the event with stains, spots on the floor, glasses, clothes and the surfaces with slippery spots. If the fluid is not Evaporative Snow ™ trademark and the the snow machine is not a Evaporative Snow® Machine, it is not going to truly dissolve dry upon contact and it will leave a residue.That's why Disney, Universal Studios, Paramount Studios and Sea World all use snowmasters snow machines.
Our USA made machines has all the bells and whistles including UL Approved
Just a handful of companies that offer snow machine services and rentals in the country, our snow machines are so vastly different that it would be a crime to lump them into the same category as the others. You have commercial models professional models and consumer models and you must know what the model your going to use, rent or buying. Snowmasters invented and patent the design, he licenses machines to other manufactures as brand names that are made in factories in China. Snowmasters brand machines are superior to all those other machine name brands. He entitles his Snowmasters brand to have the best performance and features. There only one brand of professional snow machines and that's the Snowmasters Brand, one of the largest supplier of special effects in the world today.
Zigmont Magic F/X is the largest rental house of snow machines in the country and together is a winning combination.
Consumer Brand Names
The right snow machine makes all the difference and many snow machines look alike, but they don't perform the same as snowmasters brand. The machines listed below are Low range - Low output 900 flakes per min or less NON (not) EVAPORATING (meaning foamy wetter snow) Consumer Grade (china made) 1990 designed brand machines, Don't be fooled by sales hype of these models. Your not getting the special effects machines adopted direct from Hollywood Movie Sets and the Standard of Theme Parks.
Consumer Machines with The Low Performance
Chauvet : Antari : Vivid : Flurry : Snow Flurry : 2008 & older Silent Storm : True North : Evolution : Soundlab : Skytec : Starlight and Magic Pro : Omnisistem : The Dragon : Snow Jet : Elation : The Santa : The Professional Motion Picture Snow Machine/aka Antari : Santa ;
Their Are Three Types of Snow Machines; Consumer, Professional, Commercial
If a machine is under $ 1000.00 its a consumer brand. These range from $ 189.00 - $ 900.00. if these dependable why wouldn't these machine have a life time warranty like Snowmasters? Snowmasters cost $ 1500.00 - $6500.00 depending on model. These other snow machines have a great tendency to produce larger agglomerates, which in turn lead to excessive moisture buildup in the surrounding area while the larger flakes looking more like soap suds falling. Plus they don't get much distance.
Last year Dec 2009, I received a call from a Dance Company doing the Nut Cracker and had 2 True North Machines, they wanted to know how to make the stage less slippery from the snow (don't have this problem with Snowmasters Machines) This was due to the True North Fluid, making a foamy mess when the crew moped the stage deck to clean. We did tell them how to neutralized the floor for foam, as well as suggesting that using Snowmasters fluid would be a first step in stopping this (QUOTE) hazard condition for the dancers. Second step a snowmasters machine to control the flake size.
Other Consumer Machines with Better Performance
Consumer Machines with Best Performance
CITC Little Blizzard and 2008 Le Maitre Silent Storm are Industry Standards for Consumers Machine within this class.
The CITC Little Blizzard and Le Maitre Silent Storm are the better consumers machines as they are 4 amps higher 9-10 Amp Compared to 5 amp in power. These machines sprays cluster of bubbles that look more like or foam particulars. The better class of machine line the professional series, studio series or commercial series have the more realistic snow look. Can be found at stage equipment rental houses.
The Silent Storm throws artificial snowflakes - whose size can be varied - between 9.6 - 19 ft, Per advertisements. It has a built-in two-channel DMX for both fan speed and flow control. They changed in 2008 and advertised 70 % more output, which really shows the low performance in earlier models.
CITC Spraying about 15 ft and never advertises the the specs of range, really none of the consumer class machine does.
CITC Little Blizzard SP snow machine is the consumer model class Standard. All other CITC are Consumer Models like the Santa. The CITC little blizzard 3000 flakes per min snow machine has very little flake control and make larger flakes. The snow fluid is a formula that dissolves the flakes as the snow flakes are floating in the air, its a is self dissolving flake (flakes get smaller and smaller to the naked eye). So the flake needs to start out large and that is not a natural looking snow. Plus you can't get a high volume or long range of snow produced as compared to the Professional series Snowmasters brand.
Even with their blower modification and more powerful in amps (9 amps Compared to 5 amps) than other consumer model. It appears that the sound proofing restricts air flow for making the machine quieter. The round opening which was design for increases output by 20%, is not allowing air flow to expand with the flake size paddle. These machines have a 3 year life span in my opinion and experience with these for 15 years, if used for heavy duty runs of rentals. The snow fluid is a Alkanolamines chemical family, that is a type of solvent with amino (Ammonia) which is the self dissolving formula. I have used and owned Little Blizzards from 2001 and this is from my history and use of these units The older Little Blizzard in the 90's was a superior machine with less foam insulation and modifications.
You compare the volume of these machines. Shown (below) is the photos below with two little blizzards volume of snow with help with a hurricane fan at 30 ft high.
Photos above are CITC snow machines producing flakes that are too large, flake paddle is on small and the blower set to max or small.
Only Snowmasters Snow Machines sets the bench mark standards for Snow Machines with 8,000 - 25,000 flakes per minute in the standard line of snowmasters label. Which are used 100 % in Movie Studios Theme Park as Snowmasters Brand invented the snow machine and devolved machines for particular projects such as Disney. If its not snowmasters machines it will not look not as real as mother nature snow.
FYI; I work for companies that hire me (snow expert) to do snow events with there machine inventory. My methods, ability of tweaking machines, positioning techniques and experience allows me to make any event look good. These photos was such an event.
Consumer rated Silent Storm above and Professional rated T-1000 below.
Look at the output of the T 1000 Professional Series Volume and distance and compare to photos of consumer machines above
Snowmasters T 1000 compared to the Photos above is the difference
Above is one Snowmasters T-1000 14 ft high, if compared to the 1 or 2 little blizzard (above) T-1000 has more volume 12,000 flakes per min more snow and a realistic looking smaller flake.
We know the spec's of these (above) overseas made machines, we know how the blower and pump is configured and how they operate and perform. The advertising of these many of these machines claim performance only snowmasters offers, If it not The Snowmasters Brand its not top-of-the-line snow generators representing the latest in quality snow production technology. Snowmasters is Made In America Brand.
Even those who sell these consumer grade machines make statements which reads as the follows "Leaves a barely perceptible no-slip residue" or "snow that evaporates within a few seconds of touching the floor, leaving almost no residue at all behind". These other snow machines have a great tendency to produce larger agglomerates, which in turn lead to excessive moisture buildup in the surrounding area while the larger flakes looking more like soap suds falling. Plus they don't get much distance.
The Superior features of snowmasters snow machine are high volume 8000 - 100,000 flakes per minute (consumer brand 900 flakes per min)- long distance throw with quality pumps and blowers, and true DMX flake control, engineered custom designed quiet nozzles and many sock options.
You will only find Snowmasters Machines producing this much snow from the Sock
Check what brand machines your hiring or booking this season as some lighting companies, other snow companies, staging event planners, on line rentals and other FX companies offer the listed above consumer machines.
So many offer the cheaper 250.00 snow machine model for top dollar professional brand machines and some advertise them as what hollywood uses, or say the cadillac of snow machines or their very own and created a system of snow machines. Snowmasters owns the snow blowing technology and if its now snowmasters brand its inferior 1990 models. Some paint the machine to take off the consumer brand name and may even silk screen a name. These inferior Consumer Grade are slanted in the front and will make a larger foamy snow.
The Chauvet consumer machine has 900 snowflakes per min compared to 8000 - 25,000 and even to 100,000 Snow Flakes per minute with Snowmasters label.
A Antari consumer snow machine that some on line companies mistakenly are calling a professional high performance machine and renting these low performance machines for 250.00 an event which is only 149.00 more than the rental price to purchase new, selling at 399.00 Retail. These machine should rental at 50.00 and these machines are not designed for outdoor use, so don't be fooled. Our Snowmasters line of true professional T-1000 snow machine rents (with weather cover) for 275.00 and cost to buy 1625.00.
The snow volume output difference of consumer made snow machines and Professional Grade video demo
First, our machines produce the only truly evaporative effects out on the Market. Conventional snow machines lack the tried and tested technology that allows our effect to be completely evaporative.
For example the Chauvet consumer grade snow machine (pictured above) has the same basic looks as most snow machines, but it doesn't perform the same as a Snowmasters Professional Grade Machine. These consumer grade commercially available machines are inferior and have a great tendency to produce larger agglomerates, which in turn lead to excessive moisture buildup in the surrounding area while the larger flakes looking more like large soap suds falling.
You may not know how good your snow event can look until you see one of our snow falling displays.
We could never get the results we do with any of these listed above consumer grade snow machines, the results as seen in our video demos. Plus these machines do not hold a UL rating and your insurance company will want a UL Listed Machine on your property.
These consumer (Chauvet and Antari) grade brand machines that are made in Hong Kong can overheat(they needs to be turn off in 10-15 minutes),are louder, using 45 minutes of fluid a Gallon flow rate, spraying foam snow shorter distances rated at 12- 15' and 6 - 8' wide while only costing a few hundred dollars. All of these machines like Chauvet and Antari are snowmasters 1990 old technology and are the first snow machines invented. Antari was the first company commissioned by Francisco Guerra to manufacture snow machines and make them available commercially back in the early 90's.
These early machines that still are sold today spray snow flakes that are more moist with no evaporating properties yet the disappear as bubbles do, so the flakes are bigger and heavier so they won't fly and stay in the air like snowmasters brand of machines. Our snowmasters machines spray a High Volume - High Ranger yet dry light snow traveling 35- 80 ft that will evaporate before it hits the ground when adjusted correctly by flake size.
Each internal part of the snowmasters snow machines are improved and updated/upgraded each year, from the pump to the modulating sock to the blower, to give better performance.
For some they think they are saving money doing snowfall events themselves, two seasons ago I received a call from a larger Florida City which bought 30 consumer grade fake snow machines (the brand is listed above) and had city workers set the machines up for a city holiday event. On testing the snow machines they were very unhappy with the results of these machines and the snowfall not looking like realistic snowflakes (large clusters of foam), calling us days before the event to and pleaded us to come down and do the event with our gear.
Rigging snow machines at a event is not a plug and play job, staging a professional snowfall you'll need a experienced company that has more equipment than just the snow machines to make it all work right.
The Right Evaporative Snow® Solution makes the difference.
The simulated snowflake size, as well as using a patented Evaporative Snow ™ solution foam flakes, which is the key that makes the Snow dry in 90 seconds. We provide an Evaporative Snow ® that truly evaporates upon impact, residue free. Ideally you want to set the flake size (99 flake size steps) to the height of the machine so that the snow evaporates just as it hits the ground. The further up the bigger the flake. The air pressure in the snowflake is greater than the surrounding air pressure, which keeps the Flake inflated, much like a child's balloon. Don't accept anything less than Evaporative Snow ™ fluid trademark.
Assuming air currents keep it aloft and no one breaks it, it will remain intact until enough water evaporates from its surface, and the film can no longer maintain surface cohesion then the bubble's internal air pressure causes it to burst. In other words, it dries out. As it does so, the walls get thinner until they are not strong enough to contain the pressure, and the "balloon" pops. While evaporative snow liquid does contain water, it also contains evaporative elements to make the "flakes" disintegrate more rapidly. This setting produces a very aesthetically pleasing and moderate snowfall.
Duration of snow per gallon: approximately 1-1½ hours per gallon of continuous use (depending on flake size)
A snow storm in Tampa Florida with our Special Effect Falling Snow that lasted two hours
How Many Snow Machines
On an average snow effect job we use 2- 4 show machines for a one day holiday event, and 8 - 10 - 16 machines for a roof top Mall or Retail Center on extended runs. Let's talk a bit about coverage, and getting the most out of your snow effect. The thing to remember when creating a snow effect on stage is that it doesn't need to snow over the entire set of area or the entire courtyard. Snow will blow, fall and move around from one place to another in any given location.
On stage usually, a "curtain" of snow along the front of the scene is enough for stage shows without a fan, one machine will create a "cone" pattern of snow that is about 20' wide by about 35' long with the unit hung at 20 feet high.
For Malls and Retail Shopping Centers more coverage is needed for outdoor malls than inside courtyards and the staging of multiple machine grouping is suggested with our high volume high power machines along with our signature Snowman. Let us propose a plan based on your budget. Daily cost can run just as little as live entertainment a mall would hire for the christmas season. Plus some shopping centers see increased sales every time it "snows."
Lighting Snow make a difference
One of the biggest challenges, and most often overlooked factor when using snow, is proper lighting. Back lighting, and to some extent side lighting, are vital to the audience being able to see a snow effect well. If lit from the front only, the effect's visibility will be poor at best. Lighting can be especially challenging in a ballroom or other "total environment" setting or venue, when your audience will be viewing the snow from multiple angles and positions in the room. Ideally, you want your lighting to come from above, yet below the snow machines, like hiding the snow machines in the dark above the light sources. By hiding the source of the snow, you add to the sense of wonder this effect often has on an audience.
You can see from the photo on the left without lighting its hard to see snow, but seconds later the same scene has tons of snow. With a flick of a switch the stage light comes on as seen on the right.
The guests look surprised and happy as it snows in this 150 x 130 Marriott ballroom.
We can make it snow at any venue.
Snow for Fridays Corp On Disney Property Florida
Call Magic F/X 813.689.6269 Brandon Florida
Every Wonder Why There's No History That Can Be Found on Artificial Snow Machine Effects for the Entertainment Industry?
Snow Machine Effects "The History".
Changing what you think and know about theatrical fake Snow Machine effects;
The prevailing idea about snow machines effects is that you have many companies to choose different snow machines from in the states and these machines work differently depending on the company selected. This assumption is wrong and here's why.
When renting snow machines ask about the snow machine brand Snowmasters, SNOWboy, Universal Effects, Consumer Machines) and ask to see the photos of the machines on line. If they don't show the machines on the web site or if they don't have different machines for different applications your not going to gain professional results. We have 16 machines options and some companies don't even show a photo or talk about the machines they use. Its always the most important fact, what level of machine that you are buying into.
Fact 1- When you're comparing snow machines you first and foremost must know that the Global Special Effects Snowmasters (SnowMasters grew into Global Special Effects, a vast umbrella corporation with multiple smaller subsidiaries besides SnowMasters) brand of globalspecialeffects.com/ is a U.S. based manufacturer that invented and owns U.S. patented design rights and has the licensing rights to the refined Evaporative Snow ™ machine spraying technology. These snow machines effects are the most widely used and seen in general public events, entertainment industry for theater stage productions, malls events, TV commercials, corporate holiday parties here in the states but are also used worldwide. So if you're going to rent artificial snow machines for any of these applications your choices are either a professional high performance Snowmasters model or consumer standard or low performance model (any numbers of brand names) and you will pay about the same. Your choice since you're buying machine performance, read more on the difference.
You will see others claiming that they created artificial snow system installations "Using special effects adopted direct adopted from Hollywood movie sets or from Hollywood special effects designers", it's not their company that is the special effect designer, as it's Fran Guerra of Snowmasters which is the Special Effects Expert of snow machines that is the designer which they reference to the invention of this technology.
Special Effects experts like Zigmont is utilized by the theme park industry (Disney, Universal Studios, Seaworld, Paramount Studios, Legoland, Silver Springs, Busch Gardens) and that a good indication of his qualifications and expertise of his work. We have 14 divisions of special effects that we provide. Snow being one division. We have the largest inventory of professional snow machine rentals with over a dozen machine options. Plus our fleet of snow machines are up kept to operate like new.
Fact 2 - You will find companies that will either offer Snowmasters Professional brand line of snow machines or use consumer machine standards like CITC Little Blizzard or Silent Storm or even lower performance consumers models such as Chauvet, Antari, Flurry, (any numbers of brand names), The Santa, True North. The differences in machines are in how realistic the snowflakes look, the number of different size snow flakes (clusters of bubbles) made, the performance of the machine in regards to volume and range of the snow. As well as the snow spraying a light weight particle that will quickly dry from the water content to float in the air. Very few companies in the world have all the category of snow machines that effectspecialist.com has to offer for rent or hired service.
Many use the Snowmasters brand slogan which is snow machines that are used in Hollywood Movies and bait and switch it with Consumers models instead, that's why they use the word adopted, as they are not the same machine and are a lesser machine. If they don't use Evaporative Snow ™ Patented Technology its not a Hollywood working machine.
Note; Machine noise level from lowest to highest; Snow Tour 64DBs, Snow Tube 67 DBsT 1600 and SnowBOY stage Whisper at 68DB, T 1100 74 DBs- T 1500 75 DBs, T 1000 (artctic snow as well, silent Storm) 79DBs, SnowBOY SP 81 DBS, T 5000 - 84 DBs
Fact 3 - Their also a small numbers of other company's who offer professional commercial studio snow machines outside the United States, as this is a small specialized industry, for movies, film and studio and with professionals FX Artist like Harry Stokes of SNOWboy fame. These other models of commercial snow machines are designed and operate differently in the physical mechanics of operation and spray an intense snow effect, but used mostly for movie studio environments as they consume a large amount of snow fluid and needs to be controlled by FX professionals. Preferred machine for film, television and Studio.
Before Snowmasters, before the internet was around you had Phillip Stokes, an experienced special effects supervisor and entrepreneur of Enterprises Unlimited UK who invented and produced the very first foam based fluid snow generator called the SNOWboy MK1 in 1987 to present day is know as the finest machine ever produced. These machines the staple of the movie industry which has a very high volume line of commercial performance snow machine. The U.S. really didn't hear of SNOWboy brand until 1999, which is when the U.K. Snow Business Company worldwide experts in snow opened a franchise in Hollywood California called Snow Business Hollywood, they have used SNOWboy snow machines in productions outside the U.S. for years. Snow Business is SNOWboy dealer is USA. Now in 2010 there is a new technology of snow machines with Universal-Effects of France which is the third FX manufacturer in the Professional Snow Machine Market.
Zigmont Magic FX Start to provided snow in 1995 and we have provided snow effects longer than any other company, that's 16 years experience. We are a special effects company longer than we provided snow effects. When Magician David Copperfield started to snow theaters with the help of Francisco Guerra a slew of magicians copied and some even says they invented the effect.
In the U.S. Warnerbros Studios Prop House used their Snofoam© & Snofoam© Generators or Jetex to make snow. Snowmasters snow machines were employed a great number of movies in the past 25 years. In the recent years few other companies in other parts of the world employs these other systems of snow machines that generate great volume and range for movies productions outside USA.
Fun Fact - The largest snow event in the USA was at Walt Disney World's MGM Studios, using Sixty-six of Professional Series Snowmasters brand snow machines and 100 gallons of snow fluid are used to create a flurry of snowflakes. While Disney Famous Main Street USA used 72 T-1000's to do there snow event 2000- 2009. To date Disney Main-Street USA uses 26 T-1500 Max's.
Fun Fact - Snow Business U.K. holds the Guinness world record for the largest area ever covered with artificial falling World Record (2006) achieved the world record for artificial falling snow over the largest area, when producing snow for a high end shopping street in London.
Fact 4 - Snowmasters Special Effects Manufacturer is the world leader in evaporative refined dry snow spray technology advancements, standards and the predominant model used to create falling snow in the USA in any environment. Universal Effects the leading European Special Effects Manufacturer provides mega snow machine that creates a flocking snow spray. Place on roof tops it will dry out and accumulate.
Fact 5 - Snow machines were used mostly for movies productions, corporate industrials and theatrical shows until 2000 when Disney Theme Parks installed snow machines at Main Street USA and that started the popularity of snow events at Malls properties and Cities events. We help Disney with their snow showers.
Watch the Snowfall of 8 - T 1600's at Sea World Texas Test for Sesame Street Christmas Snow
It is very difficult to compare identically priced snow events from different sources as snow machines all do the same basic function, make millions of cluster of bubbles at an event, with snowmasters machines that's 10's of thousands of bubbles (per machine) per minute other consumer brands have much less output per minute and much larger less realistic looking snowflakes. While some snow machines look alike and they all have a basic design of operation which is pumping fluid and blowing and spraying fake snowflakes. But when renting snow machines, the machines are not made equal in performance and features, they don't all have the same standards of excellence from one machine to another. Knowing The machine is knowing the results.
-Professional
Grade Modern Designed Snow Machines The category differences between the three classes of snow machines types Consumer, Professional, Commercial.
The
20 Year Old Designed Consumer Machines is not as Apparent
to Compare as you would think. Commercial
Grade and Studio Designed Snow Machines Fact 6 - The Evaporative Snow ™ machine American made models that are the Snowmasters refined dry snow spray technology Evaporative Snow ® Patented technologywas invented, designed, developed, US Patent no 6,868,691, and all machine of this type is controlled by Snowmasters Special Effects (Francisco Guerra). Fran Guerra (known as The Snowman) was just out of High School when he needed a snow effect to end his Magic Show which was first booked at the Enchanted Forest then the Magic Village Entertainment Center Miami and developed the snow machine to make his vision come true. Everyone else is following his lead and using his machines.
Fact 7 - Snow History versus Company Promo - CITC did created a type of ground snow called snowbiz, but his inventiveness didn't led him to design a falling snow machines that could cause the snow to evaporate when falling. He perhaps in 1992 redesigned the snow machine that does convert liquid into a foam, separate the foam and throw a distance to cause particles of snow flakes to fall like snow, only after seeing the Snowmasters machines before it was patented. The patent took 10 years to obtain, but the that's a whole different story. CITC extended the blower and made a snowflake paddle. I don't believe it is American made and is an import and tweaked at the shop. This style and type of snow machine is a Snowmasters design and invention.
Ever Wonder Why Some Snow Fall Events Looks Different and Some Better Than Others?
The Right Snow Machine Makes all the Difference for the Best Results!
The Right Evaporative Snow® Solution makes the Difference.
Our All Weather Machines
Consumer Machines with The Poorest Performance
Other Machines
Anatomy of Snowmasters
It began in 1990 when the very first newly invented evaporative snow machine in the USA (these models are still being sold and used by others companies at present time) were seen by tens of thousands of people at Enchanted Forest. These weren't evaporative machines in today's standards for dry (foam) snow machine technology, while the snow did disappear (like bubbles do) but could remain for some time on the ground before dissolving away. We employed a number of these Antari machines plus Reel EFX Fans from 1994 - 2000 for Stage and Touring Shows. We know the results from first hand knowledge of this history.
The first Snowmasters design (made in 1990) were available on the market to the entertainment industry in 1991-92 when the Miami based Antari Company made the first units for Fran of Snowmasters (The magic of Francisco) under the Antari name, which was the first licensed given to produce the machine. These machine became very popular worldwide, as it was the first machine available for sale in the States. Just a few short years later in 1994-95 Snowmasters had advanced the machines to intended High Volume/High Range and called these machines the T-1000 and T-5000 which were labeled Made By "The Magic of Francisco Guerra". In 1994-95 these original Antari models once used by professionals in early 90's were outdated compared to the first prototype, today's versions of Snowmasters machines, the 1999 rollout of machines for sale or even the 1995 Snowmasters models built to order, and were considered consumer machine brands in 1999 for economical use for local community theaters and church's.
Note---- Hollywood Invented a New Type Of Fake Snow To Film It's a Wonderful Life in 1946
The Frank Capra classic isn't known for its special effects. But since It's a Wonderful Life was shot in the sweltering heat of June and July of 1946, the filmmakers had to develop a new type of artificial snow.
LIFE has a great collection of never before seen photos from the film's set, detailing the technical challenges of making Bedford Falls look like a winter wonderland. Before It's a Wonderful Life, fake movie snow was mostly made from cornflakes painted white. And it was so loud when stepped on that any snow filled scenes with dialogue had to be re-dubbed afterwards.
So, working with Russel Sherman—RKO studio's head of special effects—director Frank Capra developed his own type of quiet fake snow. Mixing foamite—a material used in fire extinguishers—with sugar, water, and even soap flakes, a sprayable version of artificial snow was created that could be quickly blasted over set pieces. A little disconcerting, though, are reports that asbestos was also used to dress some of the sets. While the material doesn't make life any less wonderful, at the time they didn't realize it had the potential to make it drastically shorter.
The You Tube video below is an example of the first 1990 prototype of a high output high range snow machine that Fran developed when located in Miami Florida. The Antari's snow machine was modeled after this unit, but always lacked the original Power, Volume and Range. It wasn't unit Snowmasters started to produce these snow machines did the full potential of the machines were seen and the consumer status started on the Antari machines. Seen here in on a 2003 trade show floor.
I was working on some snow machines at a theme park and found that they had T 1000's, first generation built by Snowmasters in the mid 90's. They are built in ata cases. They are still working.
So if a company is not offering the Snowmasters Brand they have the 1990 consumer models such as Chauvet, Antari, Flurry, True North snow machines. These are not used in Hollywood by Special Effect Experts. Only Snowmasters are high performance Evaporative Snow ™ machines that uses Evaporative Snow ® Patented Technology fluid (FAQ) which can claim that it evaporates dry in 30 to 90 second or moments after it hits a surface. Also the fluid is safe around food (lab report) and Biodegradable certified. Snowmasters Brand are modernized design in a family of special effects Snow Machines used for years in Theme Parks, Movie Productions, Theatres, Malls, and Presentations. These futuristic modeled “work-horse” sprays evaporative snow are out from its nozzle section and creates a realistic snowfall effect without residue or cold air and you can control the intensity.
As the Evaporative Snow ® Patented Technology Patent holder Global Special Effects Snowmasters licenses over 12 other brands of snow machines manufactured under other companies names. These other brand name snow machines are made in factories in China/Hong Kong and are imported, these are 20 year old Chauvet/Antari/Flurry/True North snow machine. These are first generation technology now considered Consumer Grade are not true evaporative snow machines to 2010 standards. Only Snowmasters machines are weather proof designed for the elements.
The High Performance Evaporative Snow ™ Machine models that use the Snowmasters Evaporative Snow ® Patented Dry snow from foam fluid based spray technology that was offered in 1999 is now recognized worldwide for the direst falling snow for the floating snow over audiences. Very Realistic Looking Snow.
Pictured above and below is the first T-1500 model released in the 1999 after 3 years of development, as the movie industry bought 100's of the T-1000's, its wasn't until 1999 did Snowmasters open there own factory and advertise to sell to the the entire industry. The older metal housing version was made up of the T - 1000 blower and customer control. Before that they were a service oriented company doing Movies, Corporate Events, Malls, custom project and machines made to order.
Only Snowmasters has advance proprietary features command control 512 DMX and has 99 steps of evaporative DMX flake control as well as the ability of hooking up to a lighting console while being quieter. While Consumer Brands do have a limited DMX, which you can daisy chain machines to allow the wired tendered remote to turn machines on - off and control 5 levels of volume control. They do not have DMX command control features. A low performance machine is louder machine, less control of volume, which will make wetter (difficulty in dissipation) snow with inconsistently in flake size which clump together with low volume of snow while spraying short distances. The snow volume output difference of consumer made snow machines and Professional Grade video demo.
Steve Zigmont is a Snow Special Effect Specialist and a Snowmasters Authorized Factory Trained Master Technician / Installer, Technical Training Course Lecturer and product dealer. The details on this page are the real facts and history on fake snow machine industry. We have been providing snow services since 1995 which one of the longest established snow providers in the world today with 15 years experience. Snowmasters is having its 20th anniversary in 2010.
Zigmont Magic FX Inc 813 689 6269 zigmont@zigmont.com
Our competitors are still pushing the 1st generation, antiquated 1990's consumer models and claiming that they are good for all applications and never telling you the machines name and brand. Plus they push these as used in Hollywood and Movie sets. We are offering you choices and solutions to fit of your exact needs. Instead of forcing a client to cope with one model and making his event work around its capacities, we tailor the capacities to the event. We design with many machine options. We understand that each client seeks to provide a unique snow experience — only through our varied line of Snowmasters Snow Machines do you have choices and this can be truly achieved. The 10 snow machine options and models we have to rent allowing you to get the machines that suits your needs.
Which brings us to the Facts; If its not Snowmasters Brand its not a Professional High Volume High Range snow machine with DMX command control. A well informed consumer is our best customer. See our Snow Machine Rental Options Click Here. As for the other Brands of Professional Commercial Snow Machines like SNOWboy are for professional use only.
Evaporative Snow ™ Trademark Snow, Results Are Known and Can be Seen Worldwide
It's not just now much snow is produced on the sock, but the range of sizes of the snow flakes and only Snowmasters has the realistic range of snow Flakes.
Anatomy of A Snowmasters Snow Machine
Advanced Features On Snowmasters Brand Machines;
22- New modern custom design fan & motor, the most powerful design and the air intake is wide open, with a quite metal impeller fan motor that is foam insulated. A Consumer brand does not.
21- New custom blower nozzle mount - Allows high range high volume of snow to blow due to the design of the air flow, this is what blows the snow off the sock. A Consumer brand has a standard loud blower.
23- Sock - Allow control over volume and size of flakes many styles and types for different machines and applications. The snow fluid ( very "dry" bubble fluid) is blown through a fabric "sock" to create thousands of tiny bubbles. These bubbles clusters together and float gently to the ground, creating a realistic looking snow that disappears after a few seconds.
4- Snow Fluid Pump - With 4 style of custom pumps, like our super pump, the command and controlled by the DMX circuit board. DMX Software that allows the control of the 99 steps of snow flake size options, which is the key to make the "flakes" disintegrate more rapidly. The "flake size" control varies the speed of the pump, and therefore the amount of fluid sprayed. While the ML/min rate of the pump is important what more important is the air flow mixing with the fluid to gain volume and distance and the right sock to distribute the snow.
12- Circuit board - True DMX command and control features - Total DMX flake control, DMX 512, DMX Cycle timers, 99 of DMX steps of flake control. Controlling The Flake The flakes size and travel time makes the snow evaporates on cue. Our smaller fills the air with more snowflakes and floats longer in the air and evaporates magically in 30 to 90 seconds. A Consumer brand does not. Snowmasters 99 Step of control works with a Thumb Dial like this;
10ft use 3/16 inch flake to make snow evaporates on cue DMX Dial 825
20ft use 1/8 - 1/4 inch flake to make snow evaporates on cue DMX Dial 850
30ft use 1/4 - 1/2 inch flake - to make snow evaporates on cue DMX Dial 888
Only our professional grade snow machines have these abilities.
16 - Reset Button - Resets DMX System.
Consumer Brand- standard blower low range plastic impeller, one basic style sock, old 1990 style pump, basic circuit board.
No We Don't Provide Real Snow Machines, While it looks like the output of our Artificial Snow its not the device.
Occasionally, we get a customer who mistakenly thinks that our Snow Machine works on the same principle as the snowmaking machines used to add snow the ski trails at large resorts. While the output of both devices may look similar, the two machines are actually putting out very different substances. Snow on the ground is tonnage of chipped and chopped ice.
The large snow making machines that are used at ski resorts shoot very cold, atomized water into the air, where it freezes into something like actual snowflakes and falls back to the ground. The machines used to make real snow are very big, very noisy and very expensive, as well as needing 500 gal large air compressors and a big water source, small orifice to crystallize water droplets. You would need temperatures of 27 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
Look for the snowmasters label to make sure you have the snow machine of choice, pictured is a T 1000
The High Volume snow of two T 1000 Snow Machine 25 ft apart.
We use only the world's best commercial snowfall machines, the professional series of Snowmasters brand snow machines made in the USA at the Snowmasters Factory because these machines are far superior to all those other licensed off name brands (chauvet/antari/flurry/true north/Silent Storm snow machines) names machines. Snowmasters professional grade Evaporative Snow ™ machines for those who want the best snow falling effect.
Snowmasters has eight current models and they all look different and have different features than one another and all have latest custom design nozzles (airflow of up to 3000 cubic feet per minute), all with true Evaporative Snow ™ that evaporates on cue with never needs any concern or any cleaning up. With consumer brands you have larger flakes and they disappear only when the water dry's which can take a few minutes or longer indoors. Snowmasters controls the specification of each licence machine so we know what the machines are capable of, Snowmasters entitles his brand to have the best performance and features like, custom nozzles, custom pumps, total DMX Control, quiet in operation, cycle timers, 99 steps flake controls through the Thumb Dial, high volume and long distance snow. Our snow dry's in the air in 30 - 90 seconds of air hang time.
Snowing outside Hard Rock Orlando Video
Video Clip Snow at an outside event @ Hard Rock Live
Please remember to compare snow machines brand on proposal quotes. A chauvet/antari/flurry/true north/Silent Storm snow machines should not be compared to a Snowmasters brand, one Snowmasters snow machines sprays 3 - 4 times more output volume and is higher in range machine than non snowmasters brand. Some of our machines shoot 50 - 80 feet out, that long range with high output. You would need 18 consumer model to snowmasters 6 T 1500's, so if you get a proposal and starts off with 18 machines your getting the 250.00 consumer brand machines and not much in real valve. We own and operate Snowmasters Evaporative Snow ™ machines and Evaporative Snow ® Patented Technology with evaporates in 30 to 90 second or moments after it hits a surface. Demand the best like all the theme parks do.
Our Snow at Sea World Texas, using T 1600 snow machines with professional results, how let talk what we can do for YOU!
Although it is important to compare estimates of proposed material content, machine caliber and size of the snow machine to be used, it is equally important to consider the quality of the snow machine and snow fluid and the expertise and enthusiasm of the install operators.
Snow Becomes Popular
This is a photo of the Snow Machine used by Illusionist David Copperfield make it snow in theters the model was a T- 5000 which sprays snow 80 ft x 30 ft wide. Copperfield revolutionize the entertainment industry he made it snow in a huge space which was never seen by the general public before. The only snow machine available was the Antari machine and Copperfield had a 8 snow machine which could cover the largest of Performing Art Centers. It would of taken over 50 Antari machines.
The fact here is that Francisco Guerra was performing snow in theater's and ballroom around the world at that time as the only person who had this capability before he allowed Copperfield to obtain his custom gear. The machine seen here and designed used was the analog T-5000 in 1995. I can tell because the sock is below the blower and angled up and that was the 1995 design. The T-5000 snow machine design today has the sock on the top point straight out and is command control DMX, I prefer the analog T 5000's they make a beautiful snow. You can find one of these on the top shelves of Snowmasters factory.
The snow from hands which David Copperfield Performed on TV and his theater shows was a T-2000 with has a blower that was separated 100 ft from the nozzle and sock. The machine below was available in the 1999 and was used in a very clever manor by Fran and Copperfield team. Many magicians tried to copy his routine with commercially available inferior consumer snow machines with little success of Copperfield experience.
All companies that do Snow Events are following in the footsteps of Francisco Guerra president/owner of Snowmasters who paved the path of making it snow inside Ballrooms, Theatres, Malls, Motion Picture Movies, in the 90's, plus made the landmark snow at Disney Main Street USA in 2000. At one point in time he was the only one in the world doing snow events. I know two other US companies claiming to invent or develop this snow system which is just not true. Francisco personally trained me and I am representing Fran and Snowmasters in the field as the Top Snow Specialist.
Snow At Disney's Parks
Once word got about the snow falling on Main Street USA, Disneyland saw a healthy surge in attendance for that holiday season. And every year since, I might add. According to Disneyland’s own internal surveys, while Haunted Mansion Holiday, “it’s a small world” holiday, the Believe in Holiday Magic fireworks, Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle and A Christmas Fantasy Parade are all wildly popular with Guests … When asked what their favorite part of the Holidays at Disneyland was, most survey participants reportedly say that it was standing with their family members on Main Street USA and listening to “White Christmas” as the snow fell down on them from above.
Snow Nightly at DisneyWorld Theme Park
The T-1000 snow machine and the Flag Ship machine of Snowmasters and been a staple at Disney Main Street USA for the past 10 years. Photo above is Francisco Guerra on top of Disney Roofs Installing The T 1000's for the most famous snowfall of them all. This year Disney is changing to T 1500's max.
Snow Nightly at Disneyzworld Theme Park.
The T 1000 at Work Above and Below.
Remember we are a full service special effects company that works an services the major Theme Parks Studios.
The T 1600 at Work Below
Zigmont Magic FX supply's services to Disney, Universal Studios, and Sea World Texas (photo above) with these very same machines we rent.
Sea World Texas Snow Machine Test for Sesame Street Christmas Snow
The T-1500 Mini Was developed for a Movie Production for Ronnie Howard called "How The movie Grinch Stole Christmas". The T 1500 at that time was called the Directors Fan Model, After director Ron Howard. Director Ronnie Howard used the T 1500 mini " Directors Fan" machine to pitch and described the scope of the movie and to excite people about the project.
My T 1500 Analog Directors Fan Model Snow Machine at a private event, a 35,000 Bubbles Per Minute Machine.
We offer snow machine rentals and full turn-key production services for events countrywide. You can use the very same snow machines as Disney Theme Parks, Disney Cruise Ships, MGM Studios, Universal Studios, Paramount Kings Island, Sea World Texas & Florida along with Hollywood Movie Studios.
If fact you can get the same tech that provides tech services to Disney, Universal and Sea world 2009. Not any tech But "The Effect Specialist Zigmont". Besides offering conceptualize design for their specific applications considering aesthetics, technical feasibility, proper machine placement, movement, snow flake size configuration selection and budget.
Snow at Sea World for Sesame Street Christmas 2009
Zigmont offers onsite services that no one else or company can provide, complete corrective inspections, placement corrections, complete installs, fine tuning machine performance and output, on site machine repair and technical knowledge in all aspects of snow machines as a Snowmasters authorized factory Technician. As we just performed for Sea World Texas.
If your renting, buying or long term leasing we offer a premium level of customer service. In fact our premier technical services are used by the manufacturer Snowmasters Special Effects as there lead out source vendor.
Our winter wonderland snowfall events are beautiful to experience and entertaining for all of the participants. T 1000's in photo above and below.
One T-1000 snow machine installed at Central Park Atlantic Station Ga, it's 12 foot off the ground hanging on a lamp post, producing tons of snow! We had 10 snow machines in the 60ft X 80ft area.
We offer full service snowfall events and snow machine rentals.
Ever wonder why some snow fall events look different and better than others?
Evaporative Snow ™ Patented Technology sets us aside from anyone who says; "I can make it snow".
The difference is in the true Evaporative Snow ™ machines and Evaporative Snow ® fluid used and the smaller flake size we can generate. Our system uses Evaporative Snow ® Patented Technology (US patent no. 6,868,691) devices and fluid for realistic simulated snowflakes for snowfall events both indoor and outdoor that can run continuously.
The professional series snow machine has a built-in blower which blows the aerated snow fluid off the modulating sock at high velocity (flakes are dispersed by a sock by a airflow of 500-3000 cubic feet per minute), which creates 4 different sizes of light and airy snowflakes off the modulating sock. All is blown out of the front of the machine as flakes and the "flake size" control varies the speed of the pump, and therefore the amount of fluid reaching the sock. We control the fluid pump to regulate the flake size so that the snow evaporates just as the snow hits the ground.
4 T-1000 Snow machines at Pentagon Row snow event 2009 filling the air with a snow blizzard
If you look closely at the "snow" produced by an evaporative snow machine, you will notice the flakes are essentially small clusters of tiny bubbles, like very fine soap suds. Bearing this in mind, let's take a closer look at the internal workings of a snow machine.
All snow machines are essentially made up of several basic parts. The snow starts as a "snow fluid" in a reservoir or bottle usually found at the back of the machine. A small plastic "feed tube" takes the fluid from the reservoir to a small Cloth "sock" at the front of the machine by means of a pump. The sock is mounted to the front end of a high output blower. The material is a very finely woven mesh, which acts like hundreds of very tiny bubble wands producing the "flakes" you see. The "flake size" control varies the speed of the pump, and therefore the amount of fluid reaching the sock. More fluid results in more and larger clusters of bubbles.
The 99 steps of flake size is the key to making any evaporative snow truly evaporating snow and becoming residue free with moisture, foam or any accumulation on the ground. Ideally you want to set the flake size so that the snow evaporates just as the snow hits the ground.
Snow event at USF Tampa
We have the safest and most realistic snowfall effects available on the market. If it's not Evaporative Snow ™ trademark, it is not truly going to be dissolve dry upon contact and it will leave a residue.
WHY NO MESSY RESIDUE & NON SLIPPERY
We have the best fluid in the snow industry which the snow doesn't just dissipates it totally evaporates leaving no slippery residue or stains. Our Patented evaporated fluid is a laboratory formulated base solution that makes the brightest looking evaporative snow that is 99% water and 1% surfactants. The solution in our machines create a realist looking snowfall. The solution is aerated at 1/10,000. The water starts to evaporate within seconds making the flakes smaller and lighter until they disappear dry because the surfactants chemicals becomes microscopic particles. The surfactants used in our fluid formulation are of the highest cosmetic grade.
Our artificial snow is bio-degradable and can be applied to any area outdoors or indoors.
Static Coefficient of Friction Slip Test
Surface Slip Test Results
Biodegradable
Biodegradable Certified Fluid
Safe Around Food
Safe Around Foods Certified
We are the only snow provider that tests snow fluid for wetness - slippage on various floor surfaces, a coefficient of friction meter test. We have had several independent tests recently with major theme park clients and passed with flying colors. We also can provide coefficients of friction measurement slip tests for our clients when requested.
A 0.50 COF or above has been recognized as providing non-hazardous walkways surfaces which is accepted industry standards as adopted by UL, ASTM and OSHA. These agencies set many requirements for floor safety under 29 CFR-1910 referring to providing floors of anti-slip surfaces or maintaining surfaces in non slip conditions in commercial building. It is generally considered in the industry that a walkway surface with a coefficient of friction higher than 0.50 is non-hazardous. In all cases, the coefficient of friction value increased after running hours of falling snow with Snowmasters Evaporative Snow® fluid brand.
Our snow fluid test results found that floor surfaces are rated drier by 0.20+ after we ran snow for a long duration cycles over time and tested the same surfaces when dry. No particle accumulated weigh on the surface either. That why you only see Evaporative Snow ™ machines and Evaporative Snow® fluid brand only used in theme parks would wide.
Our artificial snowflake keeps it shape, lasts longer and is dry to the touch when is disappears. For years we have been making it snow on millions of visitors and we never received one compliant of staining.
Our snow machines used poolside at Hard Rock Casino Las Vegas Rehab, yes right by the Pool. Flake control is the key.
Flake Control and Machine Options make the difference.
With our high volume, long range snow making machines with superior output for both indoor and outdoors snow displays. From slickest streamlined machine on the scene today to the quietest snow machine in the world, both can make fluid last 2 1/2 hours on 60 % volume with our DMX flake control. The newest marvel is a mini version of the snow machine with it's blower nozzle in the middle of a 16 inch fan impeller for outdoor malls, indoor stage productions, low ceiling rooms, and ballroom entrance ways. We offer superior technology with 3 snow machine options, designed for stage, movies, and live performances where noise makes the difference (68db from 3ft away). Another snow machine we offer is the Mega machine; this is the most powerful snow machine created. This unit was designed for indoor mega-large venues. Designed to make the snow below and float long distances, and like all evaporative snow it will disappear before it hits the ground.
All snow will disappear but make sure it disappears Quickly and DRY without residue.
Fake snow machines installed at Central Park Atlantic Station Ga.
This is so Important
With Zigmont Magic FX and the gear we employ with True Evaporating Snow Machines and Evaporative Snow® fluid; You are Guaranteed never to leave wet residue. We have 99 steps adjustments on our flake size (DMX) which is the key to making any snow event truly a dry flake and residue free. Snow from Magic FX machines evaporates before or just after it strikes the ground. Our flakes truly disappear on cue dry.
Control The Flake - Control Drying Time
The flakes size and travel time makes the snow evaporates on cue. Our smaller fills the air with more snowflakes and floats longer in the air and evaporates magically in 30 to 90 seconds.
10ft use 3/16 inch flake to make snow evaporates on cue
20ft use 1/8 - 1/4 inch flake to make snow evaporates on cue
30ft use 1/4 - 1/2 inch flake - to make snow evaporates on cue
Only our professional grade snow machines have these abilities.
Call Us @ 813 689 6269
The right machine makes all the difference for the right results!
Rent fake snow machines for the effect of snow falling. Contact the special effects experts from effectspecialist.com to rent or purchase artificial snow machines today.
Tools of the Trade, The Snowmasters Line of Professional Series Snow Machines
-
A
T 1000 is 15,000 flakes per minute/ T 1600 has 12,000 flakes per min/ T
1500 Mini 20K per min / Max is 25K per min and a T1100 is 8,000 Flakes per
min (the driest machine)/ T 5000 30K flakes per min
The ZIG Rotator demo
Motorized Rotating Mount Called The Zig Oscillator
The Zig Oscillator unit was developed on The Universal Studios Harry Potter Project. Designed to increase the disbursement of snow generated by a single snow machine. It will increase the spray pattern from one machine to three machines. Rotates one snow Machine product between two programmable show positions: max rotation 180 degrees. Five Speeds available via DMX plus travel direction. Includes Snow Machine mount and truss attachment via dual C-Clamp. It’s rotating angle is 180 degrees of oscillation. This oscillating unit has the capacity of 250 pounds of hanging weight. This unit can be used with any of our snow machines. The Zig Rotator named after Zigmont.
DMX snow machine controller and DMX Controller Module or relay packs for analog snow machines.
The all new Sub Zero- Now You can have snow in any weather.
This machine is designed to be used in freezing or below temperatures. It uses the proven work horse , the T-1100 snow machine, to produce snow in the most frigid temperatures. In these temperatures, our evaporative snow actually turns into real snow that is very eco-friendly. It can run up to 10 hours on a 5 gallon fluid container.
The Sub Zero Is being used at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center for a frosty snow fall.
The Mega snow machine that shoots snow 80 - 100 feet, The same Machine David Copperfield used to snow entire Theaters. The Rock Band Arrowsmith used use one to snow the stage and audience on their last tour.
We have to the left our custom digital timer, next is a Zig-Rotator, the pumping station and tripods of varying heights.
Want to make one to look like 3 machines our Zig Rotator is the answer
On the left a oscillating rotator disc and center a wireless control right Weather Resistant Cover.
We use a number of different effect fans and and blowers.
Our All Weather Machines
The only snow machines which are weather proof and can stay outside in the elements!
You can't just box or make a custom tower box with to hide machines from the eye or weather. These machines need air intake to operate 100%. Lack of power or air intake will have machine blow less, meaning less snow. Machines in boxes are prone to overheating and parts failing giving you issues during your run.
Snowmasters machines are designed to have weather covers.
Weather covers allow the air flow that the blower needs while covering the machine for the elements. Our machines are designed to be used in conjunction of weather covers. The machines air intake was design so the covers themselves won't effect the air and have the machine spray less do to lack of air intake. The covers are shown on the photo above, allow the machine to be weather resistant. All snowmasters models are designed to have the air intake in the rear like the T 1600 & T 1500's, bottom on the T-1000 and rear & side T 1100 and doesn't lose a but of performance.
Facts on Weather Covers
All consumer brands have side and top intakes which doesn't allow for weather covers, Some make a wooden decor (dog house) box with air vents to house a consumer machine and other are advised to use a Rubbermaid tote box upside down over the machine. We have calls from people who done either method with consumer brand machines and wonder why the snow lost it ability to spray or travel, the reason is machines are not getting enough air intake. The machine needs to get the air from the sides at a certain flow.
The machine's blower when enclosed will heat up (blowing hot air) and stops blowing efficiency and blows less. The Older CITC machine said in the instructions, to look for this and shut down the machine for 15 minutes when the blower gets hot. The snow machine even under or with-in a Rubbermaid tote box which will keep the heat within as its restricting the air flow, which will cause parts go bad to be replace (the blower and pump). My Client at Channelside Tampa had this problem before I sold him T 1100's which made more snow than 12 consumer brand machines. But the main reason this is a bad idea is it stops the machines from spraying as far as it could. Run away as fast as you can from company offering this as a solution.
I seen snow machines in a decor gift box with vents shoot six feet and have calls from people wondering why there machines are not sprays as advertised. With that being said they weren't design to be covered in any fashion and need open air all around the machine.
Pail Mounting Bracket in Yellow outline for holding 5 gal of fluid.
Need the quietest snow machine in the world, it was designed for the Nutcracker Ballet! Used in Sea Worlds Texas in Sesame Street Christmas Show
Sea World Texas Snow Machine Test for Sesame Street Christmas Snow
This is the quietest snow machine in the world. The T-1600 quiet snow machine was designed for stage, movies and performances where noise makes the difference. 68 db @ 3 feet. This evaporative snow machine is perfect for musicians, Theatre shows, sound stages, and amusement parks. This machine can come with a great traveling road case if necessary. This snow machine throws evaporative snow 25 to 35 feet out and eight to fifteen feet across (wide). This nearly silent snow machine weighs 60 pounds (70 pounds with fluid) and measures 44 inches long, 16 inches wide, and 23 inches tall.
Seen above is a T-1500 at work with a 4750 CFM fan, these machines will out perform 3-1 ratio any other snow company machines that uses any other brand of snow machine. Note we are pointing the snow machine upward and able to get 55 ft of height of coverage and distances of 50 ft outward.
Magic F/X Snowologist, synonymous with quality, and high standards of excellence.
Let us Execute our Snowfall Event This Season.
Often Imitated But Never Duplicated!
Ever wonder why some snow fall events looks different and better than others? Training !
With Zigmont Magic FX you're hiring a Trained Special Effect Specialist that is a Certified *Snowmasters Master Technician, Authorized Factory and Field Trained, Dealer Representative and who is Snowmasters # 1 top installer of snow events for movies, them parks, entertainment venues and retail shopping centers nationwide. We are covered with a Million Dollar Public liability policy for all special effects.
Our expertise is used by Snowmasters as we teach their Snow Training Seminars and our work can be seen at major theme parks. We have taken Francisco Guerra place in the field as the top field expert.
We are Certified by Francisco Guerra president of Snowmasters, the creator, inventor, and US patent holder of the one and only system of falling snow delivery. As well as the innovator of the modern day, state of the art Evaporative Snow ™ machines and Evaporative Snow ® fluid. All other brands of snow machines are licensed through snowmasters and are either older technology or others incorporate a Flake Size Adjuster that still produces flakes that are to large in size.
When Francisco Guerra needed Special Effects at his wedding (2006) which included Falling Snow he called upon Zigmont Magic FX to make it happen. We also supplied Fireworks and Pyrotechnics.
Consumer Grade Snow Machines and Professional Grade Snow Machines Difference
Only Snowmasters can claim residue free, won't stain, no moisture and has no slippery properties; others can't say "Residue Free", these claims about the flakes disappearing on cue or on contact is not accurate and misleading as you need Evaporative Snow® fluid to do so. Making sure your snow event doesn't leave the event with stains, spots on the floor, glasses, clothes and the surfaces with slippery spots. If the fluid is not Evaporative Snow ™ trademark and the the snow machine is not a Evaporative Snow® Machine, it is not going to truly dissolve dry upon contact and it will leave a residue.That's why Disney, Universal Studios, Paramount Studios and Sea World all use snowmasters snow machines.
Our USA made machines has all the bells and whistles including UL Approved
Just a handful of companies that offer snow machine services and rentals in the country, our snow machines are so vastly different that it would be a crime to lump them into the same category as the others. You have commercial models professional models and consumer models and you must know what the model your going to use, rent or buying. Snowmasters invented and patent the design, he licenses machines to other manufactures as brand names that are made in factories in China. Snowmasters brand machines are superior to all those other machine name brands. He entitles his Snowmasters brand to have the best performance and features. There only one brand of professional snow machines and that's the Snowmasters Brand, one of the largest supplier of special effects in the world today.
Zigmont Magic F/X is the largest rental house of snow machines in the country and together is a winning combination.
Consumer Brand Names
The right snow machine makes all the difference and many snow machines look alike, but they don't perform the same as snowmasters brand. The machines listed below are Low range - Low output 900 flakes per min or less NON (not) EVAPORATING (meaning foamy wetter snow) Consumer Grade (china made) 1990 designed brand machines, Don't be fooled by sales hype of these models. Your not getting the special effects machines adopted direct from Hollywood Movie Sets and the Standard of Theme Parks.
Consumer Machines with The Low Performance
Chauvet : Antari : Vivid : Flurry : Snow Flurry : 2008 & older Silent Storm : True North : Evolution : Soundlab : Skytec : Starlight and Magic Pro : Omnisistem : The Dragon : Snow Jet : Elation : The Santa : The Professional Motion Picture Snow Machine/aka Antari : Santa ;
Their Are Three Types of Snow Machines; Consumer, Professional, Commercial
If a machine is under $ 1000.00 its a consumer brand. These range from $ 189.00 - $ 900.00. if these dependable why wouldn't these machine have a life time warranty like Snowmasters? Snowmasters cost $ 1500.00 - $6500.00 depending on model. These other snow machines have a great tendency to produce larger agglomerates, which in turn lead to excessive moisture buildup in the surrounding area while the larger flakes looking more like soap suds falling. Plus they don't get much distance.
Last year Dec 2009, I received a call from a Dance Company doing the Nut Cracker and had 2 True North Machines, they wanted to know how to make the stage less slippery from the snow (don't have this problem with Snowmasters Machines) This was due to the True North Fluid, making a foamy mess when the crew moped the stage deck to clean. We did tell them how to neutralized the floor for foam, as well as suggesting that using Snowmasters fluid would be a first step in stopping this (QUOTE) hazard condition for the dancers. Second step a snowmasters machine to control the flake size.
Other Consumer Machines with Better Performance
Consumer Machines with Best Performance
CITC Little Blizzard and 2008 Le Maitre Silent Storm are Industry Standards for Consumers Machine within this class.
The CITC Little Blizzard and Le Maitre Silent Storm are the better consumers machines as they are 4 amps higher 9-10 Amp Compared to 5 amp in power. These machines sprays cluster of bubbles that look more like or foam particulars. The better class of machine line the professional series, studio series or commercial series have the more realistic snow look. Can be found at stage equipment rental houses.
The Silent Storm throws artificial snowflakes - whose size can be varied - between 9.6 - 19 ft, Per advertisements. It has a built-in two-channel DMX for both fan speed and flow control. They changed in 2008 and advertised 70 % more output, which really shows the low performance in earlier models.
CITC Spraying about 15 ft and never advertises the the specs of range, really none of the consumer class machine does.
CITC Little Blizzard SP snow machine is the consumer model class Standard. All other CITC are Consumer Models like the Santa. The CITC little blizzard 3000 flakes per min snow machine has very little flake control and make larger flakes. The snow fluid is a formula that dissolves the flakes as the snow flakes are floating in the air, its a is self dissolving flake (flakes get smaller and smaller to the naked eye). So the flake needs to start out large and that is not a natural looking snow. Plus you can't get a high volume or long range of snow produced as compared to the Professional series Snowmasters brand.
Even with their blower modification and more powerful in amps (9 amps Compared to 5 amps) than other consumer model. It appears that the sound proofing restricts air flow for making the machine quieter. The round opening which was design for increases output by 20%, is not allowing air flow to expand with the flake size paddle. These machines have a 3 year life span in my opinion and experience with these for 15 years, if used for heavy duty runs of rentals. The snow fluid is a Alkanolamines chemical family, that is a type of solvent with amino (Ammonia) which is the self dissolving formula. I have used and owned Little Blizzards from 2001 and this is from my history and use of these units The older Little Blizzard in the 90's was a superior machine with less foam insulation and modifications.
You compare the volume of these machines. Shown (below) is the photos below with two little blizzards volume of snow with help with a hurricane fan at 30 ft high.
Photos above are CITC snow machines producing flakes that are too large, flake paddle is on small and the blower set to max or small.
Only Snowmasters Snow Machines sets the bench mark standards for Snow Machines with 8,000 - 25,000 flakes per minute in the standard line of snowmasters label. Which are used 100 % in Movie Studios Theme Park as Snowmasters Brand invented the snow machine and devolved machines for particular projects such as Disney. If its not snowmasters machines it will not look not as real as mother nature snow.
FYI; I work for companies that hire me (snow expert) to do snow events with there machine inventory. My methods, ability of tweaking machines, positioning techniques and experience allows me to make any event look good. These photos was such an event.
Consumer rated Silent Storm above and Professional rated T-1000 below.
Look at the output of the T 1000 Professional Series Volume and distance and compare to photos of consumer machines above
Snowmasters T 1000 compared to the Photos above is the difference
Above is one Snowmasters T-1000 14 ft high, if compared to the 1 or 2 little blizzard (above) T-1000 has more volume 12,000 flakes per min more snow and a realistic looking smaller flake.
We know the spec's of these (above) overseas made machines, we know how the blower and pump is configured and how they operate and perform. The advertising of these many of these machines claim performance only snowmasters offers, If it not The Snowmasters Brand its not top-of-the-line snow generators representing the latest in quality snow production technology. Snowmasters is Made In America Brand.
Even those who sell these consumer grade machines make statements which reads as the follows "Leaves a barely perceptible no-slip residue" or "snow that evaporates within a few seconds of touching the floor, leaving almost no residue at all behind". These other snow machines have a great tendency to produce larger agglomerates, which in turn lead to excessive moisture buildup in the surrounding area while the larger flakes looking more like soap suds falling. Plus they don't get much distance.
The Superior features of snowmasters snow machine are high volume 8000 - 100,000 flakes per minute (consumer brand 900 flakes per min)- long distance throw with quality pumps and blowers, and true DMX flake control, engineered custom designed quiet nozzles and many sock options.
You will only find Snowmasters Machines producing this much snow from the Sock
Check what brand machines your hiring or booking this season as some lighting companies, other snow companies, staging event planners, on line rentals and other FX companies offer the listed above consumer machines.
So many offer the cheaper 250.00 snow machine model for top dollar professional brand machines and some advertise them as what hollywood uses, or say the cadillac of snow machines or their very own and created a system of snow machines. Snowmasters owns the snow blowing technology and if its now snowmasters brand its inferior 1990 models. Some paint the machine to take off the consumer brand name and may even silk screen a name. These inferior Consumer Grade are slanted in the front and will make a larger foamy snow.
The Chauvet consumer machine has 900 snowflakes per min compared to 8000 - 25,000 and even to 100,000 Snow Flakes per minute with Snowmasters label.
A Antari consumer snow machine that some on line companies mistakenly are calling a professional high performance machine and renting these low performance machines for 250.00 an event which is only 149.00 more than the rental price to purchase new, selling at 399.00 Retail. These machine should rental at 50.00 and these machines are not designed for outdoor use, so don't be fooled. Our Snowmasters line of true professional T-1000 snow machine rents (with weather cover) for 275.00 and cost to buy 1625.00.
The snow volume output difference of consumer made snow machines and Professional Grade video demo
First, our machines produce the only truly evaporative effects out on the Market. Conventional snow machines lack the tried and tested technology that allows our effect to be completely evaporative.
For example the Chauvet consumer grade snow machine (pictured above) has the same basic looks as most snow machines, but it doesn't perform the same as a Snowmasters Professional Grade Machine. These consumer grade commercially available machines are inferior and have a great tendency to produce larger agglomerates, which in turn lead to excessive moisture buildup in the surrounding area while the larger flakes looking more like large soap suds falling.
You may not know how good your snow event can look until you see one of our snow falling displays.
We could never get the results we do with any of these listed above consumer grade snow machines, the results as seen in our video demos. Plus these machines do not hold a UL rating and your insurance company will want a UL Listed Machine on your property.
These consumer (Chauvet and Antari) grade brand machines that are made in Hong Kong can overheat(they needs to be turn off in 10-15 minutes),are louder, using 45 minutes of fluid a Gallon flow rate, spraying foam snow shorter distances rated at 12- 15' and 6 - 8' wide while only costing a few hundred dollars. All of these machines like Chauvet and Antari are snowmasters 1990 old technology and are the first snow machines invented. Antari was the first company commissioned by Francisco Guerra to manufacture snow machines and make them available commercially back in the early 90's.
These early machines that still are sold today spray snow flakes that are more moist with no evaporating properties yet the disappear as bubbles do, so the flakes are bigger and heavier so they won't fly and stay in the air like snowmasters brand of machines. Our snowmasters machines spray a High Volume - High Ranger yet dry light snow traveling 35- 80 ft that will evaporate before it hits the ground when adjusted correctly by flake size.
Each internal part of the snowmasters snow machines are improved and updated/upgraded each year, from the pump to the modulating sock to the blower, to give better performance.
Just
because a machine can spray foam a good distance that doesn't equate to
a great snowfall. The Giglio Moroder Production Snow Machines from Italy
generates a good deal pf volume, but it spraying wet foam that will accumulates
on the ground easy which is not evaporative snow. While the volume of snow
off the sock looks huge, the blower which looks like a huge hair dryer,
doesn't allow the snow to travel and drift and float in the air. So the
snow falls down more like rain with bigger Surfactants that are not elastic
chemicals that makes the hollow flakes which are light weight which is the
key. The snow flakes don't have the variety of many different sizes.
The
blower creates a noise factor generated from the machine which is 80 dB
+ and the foam spray is too watery and concentrated. Look how narrow of
area that is being sprayed and how it drops.
With
the snow too wet and and some snow falling more like rain or mist which
is heavy, doesn't allow the snow to float and fly in the air and acting
like real snow and the results is not light weight hollowed bubble clusters
drifting and flying like real snow would.
For
some they think they are saving money doing it themselvesFor some they think they are saving money doing snowfall events themselves, two seasons ago I received a call from a larger Florida City which bought 30 consumer grade fake snow machines (the brand is listed above) and had city workers set the machines up for a city holiday event. On testing the snow machines they were very unhappy with the results of these machines and the snowfall not looking like realistic snowflakes (large clusters of foam), calling us days before the event to and pleaded us to come down and do the event with our gear.
Rigging snow machines at a event is not a plug and play job, staging a professional snowfall you'll need a experienced company that has more equipment than just the snow machines to make it all work right.
The Right Evaporative Snow® Solution makes the difference.
The simulated snowflake size, as well as using a patented Evaporative Snow ™ solution foam flakes, which is the key that makes the Snow dry in 90 seconds. We provide an Evaporative Snow ® that truly evaporates upon impact, residue free. Ideally you want to set the flake size (99 flake size steps) to the height of the machine so that the snow evaporates just as it hits the ground. The further up the bigger the flake. The air pressure in the snowflake is greater than the surrounding air pressure, which keeps the Flake inflated, much like a child's balloon. Don't accept anything less than Evaporative Snow ™ fluid trademark.
Assuming air currents keep it aloft and no one breaks it, it will remain intact until enough water evaporates from its surface, and the film can no longer maintain surface cohesion then the bubble's internal air pressure causes it to burst. In other words, it dries out. As it does so, the walls get thinner until they are not strong enough to contain the pressure, and the "balloon" pops. While evaporative snow liquid does contain water, it also contains evaporative elements to make the "flakes" disintegrate more rapidly. This setting produces a very aesthetically pleasing and moderate snowfall.
Duration of snow per gallon: approximately 1-1½ hours per gallon of continuous use (depending on flake size)
A snow storm in Tampa Florida with our Special Effect Falling Snow that lasted two hours
How Many Snow Machines
On an average snow effect job we use 2- 4 show machines for a one day holiday event, and 8 - 10 - 16 machines for a roof top Mall or Retail Center on extended runs. Let's talk a bit about coverage, and getting the most out of your snow effect. The thing to remember when creating a snow effect on stage is that it doesn't need to snow over the entire set of area or the entire courtyard. Snow will blow, fall and move around from one place to another in any given location.
On stage usually, a "curtain" of snow along the front of the scene is enough for stage shows without a fan, one machine will create a "cone" pattern of snow that is about 20' wide by about 35' long with the unit hung at 20 feet high.
For Malls and Retail Shopping Centers more coverage is needed for outdoor malls than inside courtyards and the staging of multiple machine grouping is suggested with our high volume high power machines along with our signature Snowman. Let us propose a plan based on your budget. Daily cost can run just as little as live entertainment a mall would hire for the christmas season. Plus some shopping centers see increased sales every time it "snows."
Lighting Snow make a difference
One of the biggest challenges, and most often overlooked factor when using snow, is proper lighting. Back lighting, and to some extent side lighting, are vital to the audience being able to see a snow effect well. If lit from the front only, the effect's visibility will be poor at best. Lighting can be especially challenging in a ballroom or other "total environment" setting or venue, when your audience will be viewing the snow from multiple angles and positions in the room. Ideally, you want your lighting to come from above, yet below the snow machines, like hiding the snow machines in the dark above the light sources. By hiding the source of the snow, you add to the sense of wonder this effect often has on an audience.
You can see from the photo on the left without lighting its hard to see snow, but seconds later the same scene has tons of snow. With a flick of a switch the stage light comes on as seen on the right.
The guests look surprised and happy as it snows in this 150 x 130 Marriott ballroom.
We can make it snow at any venue.
Snow for Fridays Corp On Disney Property Florida
Call Magic F/X 813.689.6269 Brandon Florida
No comments:
Post a Comment