If you want your club, concert or performance to be smoking hot, there are effects for that! Adding smoke effects to your event can really elevate it, creating an atmosphere that makes it more visually exciting and interesting. But if you’re not sure whether you need CO2 jets or a smoke machine, here’s a brief guide to what they are to give you a better idea of what would work best for you.
What are CO2 jets?
CO2 jets blow a plume of smoke up to 15 metres in the air (in the case of the CO2 Power Jet and the Sonic Boom Jet). While the jets throw out white clouds, you can manipulate the colour with LED lights. It’s not surprising, therefore, that they are so well loved at concerts, festivals, clubs, sporting events, award ceremonies etc because of the dramatic effect they produce. They can be used safely at indoor events, and are also effective at outdoor events, as long as the wind isn’t strong enough to dissipate the smoke too quickly.
New developments in CO2 jet technology have resulted in the ECO2 Jet, a powerful alternative to using CO2 gas bottles. The ECO2 can produce smoke clouds for up to 13 minutes on just five litres of fluid – the equivalent to using 13 large bottles of CO2.
Whatever equipment you’re using, you can angle the jets however you need them. The most common use is to have them shooting straight upwards, but they can be positioned to come out at an angle, enabling you to use them creatively.
How CO2 jets can bring excitement to your event
CO2 gas jets can be used to add excitement at many different types of events. They’re a great way of providing visual cues when there’s something to celebrate, to raise the audience’s energy levels when you’re welcoming participants onto the stage, to mark a musical accent or crescendo in visual terms. No wonder DJs use them at clubs and festivals so much.
What are smoke machines?
Smoke machines are also termed fog machines, for obvious reasons. The Low Fogger is designed to produce a carpet of low lying haze that covers the stage like a fog, making that part of your event hugely atmospheric.
How fog machines can make your event shine
There are many reasons why companies use fog for their events. It has a hugely theatrical effect that transforms a stage into something more exciting or mysterious. It’s commonly used in clubs because it helps make things more intense and makes dancing a lot more fun, as well as on stage in concerts and festivals – whether it’s to accompany a ballad or a rock anthem, swirling fog helps to amplify the mood.
At other types of event, smoke machines can be used to elevate walk-ons. And, of course, if you’re running theatre productions with scenes set in fog, it’s a simple, easy and safe way to create even the thickest pea souper.
Combine CO2 jets and smoke machines for greater effect
Special effects shouldn’t be used in isolation. They’re much more effective when used in combination, so while a jet of smoke is great on its own, if you use it alongside a fog machine, it becomes far more dramatic and exciting.
CO2 jet and fog machines from Entertainment Effects
At Entertainment Effects, we’ve been helping clients produce dramatic smoke effects for 25 years. If you would like to discuss your next event, our team of special effects experts will advise you on the best smoke machines for the most dramatic effect within the constraints of your location, safety requirements, and your budget.
We are happy to offer dry equipment hire, or discuss hiring our team to operate them for you. Contact us on 01707 269 566 or contactus@entfx.co.uk
