Fun FAQs & Helpful Hints

Choosing the Perfect Confetti

We're a month closer to December 31 since the last time I wrote about New Year's celebrations, and many groups have already contacted us about their upcoming New Year's events. While most of our customers don't have much trouble choosing a confetti cannon, a lot of folks get confused when it comes time to pick out confetti. So I thought I'd take some time this week to talk about the different types of confetti Theatre Effects offers, and the pros and cons of each.

The least expensive paper confetti we carry is the Traditional Confetti. This product is similar to the confetti you might find in a party supply store. It's punched from cardstock, is irregular in shape, and is available in multi-color or white. Traditional Confetti is good for throwing or for loading into snow bags; it's also the best confetti product for use in our Confetti Spreader. Since it's punched from heavy paper, Traditional Confetti falls much faster than tissue paper confetti. Also, the small size of the individual confetti pieces can make the effect somewhat harder to see from a distance.

A bit more expensive than the Traditional Confetti is Aerofetti™. Aerofetti™ is a tissue paper confetti with pieces cut to about 1.5" square. Since all the pieces of Aerofetti are the same size and shape, we sell it in stacks as well as in bulk (loose in bag). Stacked Aerofetti™ will fly farther from a cannon before breaking up into individual pieces of confetti. Aerofetti™ is a great economical load for cannons, and it can also be loaded into snow bags. Standard color options are multi-color or red, white and blue blends. Solid color bags of Aerofetti can be special ordered. While there's no extra charge for the solid-color bags, they are non-returnable. One product in which Aerofetti will not work is the Confetti Spreader, as the pieces are too large and will clog the Confetti Spreader's hopper.

Turbofetti™, a tissue-paper confetti that is cut to 5/8" by about 1.5" in size, may be considered our "high-end" confetti. The rectangular shape of the Turbofetti™ causes it to catch the air, spinning and fluttering as it falls. Turbofetti™ fired from a confetti cannon will hang in the air longer, spread farther from the cannon, and generally "look bigger" than other types of confetti fired from the same cannon. Like Aerofetti™, Turbofetti™ is available in multi-color, red white and blue, and special ordered solid-color bags; and Turbofetti is also sold in stacks as well as bulk. The only drawback to using Turbofetti™ is that it can be quite expensive when compared to Traditional Confetti or Aerofetti™. For some effects, however, the look justifies the price.

In addition to offering Turbofetti™ as a tissue paper confetti, we also have it in mylar. Mylar is a shiny, metallic film that reflects light and can add excitement to almost any confetti effect. You often see mylar confetti effects at fashion shows or rock concerts. Because of its impressive appearance, many designers try to use mylar Turbofetti™ for any confetti shots they do. Mylar Turbofetti™ is more expensive than paper Turbofetti, and the pieces of Mylar can be difficult to clean up, but nothing else looks quite like it.

As you can see, the "best" confetti could -- and most likely will -- change from designer to designer and from show to show. An effect that works on Broadway may be too expensive for a regional theatre, and an effect that requires special equipment may not be possible in a space lacking that equipment. Think about the look that you want to achieve, the hardware you' ll use to get that look, and the amount of money you have to spend on the overall effect. Those three concerns, in that order, should help you pick the perfect confetti for your job!

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Theatre Effects Customer Service Department
service@theatrefx.com
www.theatrefx.com
Theatre Effects, 642 Frederick St., Hagerstown, MD 21740
Phone: 1-800-791-7646 or 301-791-7646 Fax: 301-791-7719 *********************************************
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