Eight ADJ Entour Snow machines were used to fill downtown Paramount, CA with a flurry of synthetic snowflakes for the city’s annual Christmas tree lighting celebration. The event, which also featured a five-hour program of entertainment and live musical performances, was also illuminated by a variety of ADJ lighting fixtures. Luminaires, including Focus Spot 7Z automated fixtures, were used to light the performers on stage as well as to create atmospheric color washes and aerial beam effects.
A holiday traditional which started over a quarter of a century ago, the City of Paramount’s annual tree lighting celebration has become one of the biggest events on the local community calendar. This year’s festivities attracted over 10,000 people who enjoyed musical performances from local high school bands, church groups and professional entertainers. For the third consecutive year, providing the audio, visual and effects equipment for the event was the responsibility of Ambient Pro, LLC, with the company’s principal, Victor Nava, serving as Production Manager.
One of the key requirements of the project was to magically create a festive flurry of snow on cue. To achieve this, Victor and his team constructed three 10’ truss towers which were spaced out throughout the crowd area. Each tower was used to rig a pair of Entour Snow units, one pointing to the left and the other to the right. A final pair of machines were then rigged to the front of the stage structure, making for a grand total of eight units (two more than the previous year). The Entour Snow is a professional-grade 1250-Watt snow machine with a fluid tank capacity of 5.6 Liters. It features a variable angle bracket and, when mounted horizontally, is capable of shooting synthetic snow over a distance of up to 12 meters (40 feet). In addition, it can be used to shoot snow up to 10 meters (32 feet) directly upwards. Used in this way, a very natural falling snow effect can be created.
“Making it snow at the moment the tree lights up is at the very heart of this production,” explains Victor. “Last year the effect looked great, but this year was even better! Not only did we add two extra Entour Snow machines, we also adjusted the settings on all the units to achieve the perfect output. Last year we ran the machines at full capacity, this year we dialed them down, which meant they were able to run for longer and also that the consistency of the snow was finer. This made for a more festive effect – we didn’t need a blizzard! – that also travelled further. The client was very happy, but wants to do something even bigger next year. They were talking about doubling to 16 machines!”
Victor and his team deployed a stage lighting package which utilized a variety of different ADJ fixture types, including the Focus Spot 7Z automated luminaire, which is a recent addition to Ambient Pro’s inventory. This powerful and feature-packed moving head spot luminaire features an efficient 420W LED light engine, allowing it to deliver an impressive output of 20,000 Lumens. The fixture’s superior optics allow it to deliver crisp and even projections, while its extensive collection of integrated beam-shaping tools provide immense creative potential. These include full CMY + CTO color mixing; an animation wheel; motorized zoom (6° ~ 48°), focus and iris; as well as twin GOBO wheels, two rotating prisms and two frost filters.
“The Focus Spot 7Z was a new addition to our inventory for 2024, and I have been very impressed,” comments Victor. “It is a noticeable step up in brightness from the 6Z and a very versatile fixture. With an impressive zoom range, it can generate nice, wide GOBO projections as well as tight beams. It is packed with features; I particularly like some of the supplied GOBO options as well as the prisms, which are great for generating impressive aerial effects.”
For the Paramount tree lighting, six Focus Spot 7Z fixtures were deployed in three pairs spread across the upstage truss, which were used to project GOBO patterns onto the stage as well as to generate aerial effects shooting down into the crowd. These were complemented by an additional six Focus Spot 6Z units, which were positioned on the back of the stage to shoot beams up behind the performers. Offering a little less output and a few less features, the 6Z model is still an extremely capable moving head spot with a vibrant output.
To illuminate the performers on stage, six Focus Wash 400 fixtures were utilized. Offering a lime-infused color mixing LED engine that delivers a high CRI as well as a Fresnel lens and motorized zoom function, this luminaire is ideally suited for front wash duties. Beam effects shooting up into the night sky were created by four of the now-discontinued Vizi Beam 5RX fixtures, which continue to serve Ambient Pro reliably. Finally, completing the line-up of ADJ lighting utilized for event, 16 of the compact, battery-powered WiFly Par QA5 LED par fixtures were used to warm the stage’s truss structure.
“This was our third year doing the Paramount tree lighting, and the client was very pleased, so we hope to be back next year,” concludes Victor. “We’d also welcome the opportunity to work with other cities in California to deliver similar experiences. We always love doing these events; it’s great to see people of all ages coming out to celebrate the holiday season together. Everyone always has a great time, and the kids – especially – absolutely love it when the street is filled with snow. The Entour Snow machines are essential for creating that holiday magic, while the lighting also plays its part in illuminating the performers and adding to the festive atmosphere.”
