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Is
it a single snowflake you need or a terrifying avalanche?
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| Christmas
movies are the most popular at having snow in their settings,
but what if it is not snowing on the day of the shoot
and the day will be ruined if you do not have snow on
the set? What do you do? |
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| If
the snow cannot come to you--be like Jack Frost and
make it yourself. |
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| There
are over one hundred types of artificial snow and a wide range
of frosts and ices that can be used to create a snow or winter
scene. Generally six or seven different products are used to
create the right look and action effect for the camera. |
| At
the top of the list are Plastic snows. They come in a
variety of forms and are good for small-scale work where
the budget requires limited hand dressing. |
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At
number two is Starch snow. It is a biodegradable product
for use on locations. It's excellent for use as falling
snow in wild-land areas, outside the window looks, and
it's really, really cheap! Beware of the pitfalls. When
used on paving or steps they pose a serious slip hazard,
especially when exposed to water. After the slip phase
it becomes a sticky mess. |
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number three is Paper snow. Paper snow has a varied particle
size which gives excellent depth, it is very versatile
in that it can be used for the lightest snowfall to a
raging blizzard. |
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number four is the old tissue snow, which has a slower
rate of fall. It's a great dust free material but is not
fireproof. |
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number five: Foam. It is fast to lay down and very cheap.
It is good for deeper snow and background dressing. (Warning
- Care must be exercised where it is used with animals). |
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| Bringing
up the rear is C90. C90 is fast to lay, easy to clear,
very eco-friendly and relatively inexpensive. It's great
for detail dressing. Snow machines are also great. A small
portable snow machine is the Snowboy. The Snowboy is an
electric machine about the size of a kettle that can be
hand-held or hung off lighting gantries. The motor makes
noise as loud as a hair dryer, which may create sound
problems. |
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| The
main factors that affect price are: the area to be covered,
the depth of snow required and the length of the shoot. Remember:
what comes down must be cleaned up, so pick your snowflakes
carefully, and try not to get a cold. |
