Does anyone on here know if 'snow' would be considered a big set piece(expensive) for a company wanting something relatively low budget?

I just wonder if snow effects can be done mostly digital now....and if it shouldn't be used in a low-bud project.

If it's a Christmas story, I think the company plans on being able to do some snow.

Sleigh bells ring, aren't ya listening?

Snow's a pretty big deal.  Obviously it depends what's going on in the scene, and where the scene is set, but I'd avoid it if you can.

Past the obvious issue of generating it, snow is also problematic for continuity in a number of ways and makes for long reset times and slow days.

My snowstorm is sort'a a catalyst for the last half of the story ....forces my girl/guy under the same roof...

Just wondered how 'expensive' it really is.  :)

And yes...sleigh bells ring...I have them all over my house ;) remember I was a carriage operator for 8 years! No snow in Georgia/Florida though(not the parts I'm from)!!

Quoted from Heretic Snow's a pretty big deal.  Obviously it depends what's going on in the scene, and where the scene is set, but I'd avoid it if you can. Past the obvious issue of generating it, snow is also problematic for continuity in a number of ways and makes for long reset times and slow days.

Ouch...that was my worry. Hmmm I can fix with maybe roads icing over. Thanks tons, Chris! ;)

Instead of snow, I'd recommend using cocaine...wait for it...hold on...cuz you can substitute baby powder and that's really cheap.

;D ;D ;D ;D

Already have a shrink writing his own scripts ....an antedote to his shitty life...don't think cocaine would fix in the mix.

Now if the story was about this guy named Rosco who skied into this group of sexy snow bunnies down with a lil partying in the hot tub...then maybe the powder would work...until one of them snorted BABY Powder! .... who knows :)

I rewrote Dark Side of Man into a feature and it was rewritten by a friend of mine. He posted it at InkTip. All the exterior scenes were in snowy environment. A company in Poland liked it and wanted to purchase it, but they wanted it -the snow because they couldn't guarantee snow. My friend rewrote it without the snow. In other words, in that particular case, the snow was not something they could recreate digitally.

Thanks Pia...I may nix the snow...even though I really liked it ;) I guess that is because I haven't lived in it! ;)

Quoted from Pale Yellow Thanks Pia...I may nix the snow...even though I really liked it ;) I guess that is because I haven't lived in it! ;)

Once you live in it, you write it.

How about a hurricane instead?  O maybe a tornado?  Or...you could go with a volcano?

How to make fake snow.  Yo.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryhowtoguide/ht/fakesnow.htm

Just pass me the Jaeger, Jeff.

Quoted from M.Alexander How to make fake snow.  Yo. http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryhowtoguide/ht/fakesnow.htm

Very nice, but don't quite work for vast forested areas where people are running through the snow. If they can afford that kind of CGI....well...

Quoted from Pale Yellow Just pass me the Jaeger, Jeff.

It's Jager, for the 93 and 1/2 time!!!!!   :D :D

Shooot. I always get it wrong!

I honestly think it's just Nyquil in a pretty glass bottle!

Just write the snow storm into the script.   If the story is good then for the reason you supplied it can always be changed before production to a hurricane, dust storm, wildfire -- something less frozen.  

Hi Dena,

Just film it in a snowstorm !!!!!  Cheaper
Get a dog sleigh and head North !!!! Hee Hee

Rosco, Rosco, Rosco be careful Rosco is sensitive.

Logline: A guy named Jeff, with a split personality, becomes Rosco, a man with multiple straws up his nose. He logs onto SS and disguises himself as a screenwritter.

May be a great read.

Sorry Dena for hijacking your thread.

Hey Dena,

If you have lots of exteriors, that gets costly.
But showing snow and ice on windows for your interiors, much less costly.

If you're going to set it in snow...
I highly recommend using Michigan as an environment.
They have awesome tax credits that will help the budget. ;D

Good luck!

Regards,
E.D.

I'm not shooting anything. Just writing...someone liked the first 30 of a seasonal rom/com I wrote and they want the rest of the script. They want low budget so reworking some of the snow scenes...

Gonna do what you suggested Brett and use snowfalling(seen from a window) etc so there are no big snowy EXTs.

Thanks for all the good advice.

Quoted from Pale Yellow I'm not shooting anything. Just writing...someone liked the first 30 of a seasonal rom/com I wrote and they want the rest of the script. They want low budget so reworking some of the snow scenes... Gonna do what you suggested Brett and use snowfalling(seen from a window) etc so there are no big snowy EXTs. Thanks for all the good advice.

I know you're not shooting...
But producers know that MI has suberb tax credits.

I've even been asked to set scripts in states with high tax credits by producers.

Regards,
E.D.

Maybe you can show snow through the windows in interior shots, as Brett suggested, and shoot exterior shots at another location.

It depends largely on what locations the filmmakers have available to them. I live in Oregon, a few hours from Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood where Kubrick shot some of the exterior shots for The Shining. Sometimes there's snow there all the way into July.