How is everyone?

I am trying to get my hands on some confetti. But the usual confetti (snowstorm packets) have perfectly square shaped confetti. I am looking for something less shapely, more round maybe. I do not want to cut us tissue myself so I am looking to purchase a product like this. It would be great if there were a website someone knew about that had many different types and sizes of confetti. It doesn't have to be a snowstorm packet, but something purchasable that I could possibly wrap in tissue myself and make my own snowstorm.

Thanks for your help,

DJ

Hey DJ:

I can understand your thoughts here but I am wondering if by chance you might be falling into a trap of overthinking this a bit. Nothing personal at all by any means. Let me try and explain. In all the shows I have performed and seen, Every time I have seen a snowstorm type effect, the confetti from the audience all looks the same. The shape really can not be seen well when it is flying around as it does. It all looks the same in the mind of the audience. The only thing that can be seen is color of the confetti. This is more where you can get original as color can be seen easily from the audience and I have seen great success with mylar ones to red ones etc, for different effects.

I am just thinking that if you spend the time on a different shape, people may not be able to tell any ways and I would hate to see you spend so much effort to do this. Just some thoughts is all.

Kyle

There is a science to behind using square shapes as well. Myself and other magicians have tried triangle shapes, rectangle shapes, and circles. Squares work the best. The look the most line snowflakes and stay in the air longer. It takes them longer to flutter down. The triangle and circular snowpackets didn't stay in the air at all. The rectangle shapes did stay in the air long but looked really fun on stage, they didn't look like snowflakes. Usually there is a reason ver everything. Hope this helps.

Matt

Thanks Matt for chiming in here with your thoughts. I think they are dead on and I would have to agree. I have noticed in my own tests that the square ones always did have a much greater "hang time" in the area just due to surface area.

Kyle

Just out of curiosity, did the rectangle stay in the air longer than the square? Thanks

Rectangles did seem to take longer to flutter down. But, they didn't spread very high or wide. The height they did gain was beautiful. Plus from the audience they actually look like huge rectangles, not like snowflakes.
Matt

There was an article in a recent New Scientist Magazine about the science behind what size and shape bits of paper produce the best imitation snow effect. (I think it was in the christmas or end of year 2006 issue)

I think it was research done by magician and scientist Richard Wiseman with the help of a few circus clowns.

It was an interesting read and if my memory serves me correctly (which is always a dubious statement for me) the results showed that the size and shape that the clowns had been using for years worked best. They were rectangular and much bigger than 'snowstorm' confetti that you buy. Then again I think they were looking at confetti dropped from a height... maybe confetti projected up 1st in order to float down is different! I can feel another reseach grant application being filled in as I type.

Neal

Mate if you want round confetti all you need do is get a hole punch! Get a hole punch, punch some sheets of paper and you will have loads!

Best wishes,

Luke