Video elements are instrumental to the set and overall production design for Ozzy Osbourne’s shows. The media content includes the use of snow as well as flames during the performance, yet none of those physical elements appear on stage. For New Year’s at the Forum in L.A., however, the design team wanted to fill an arena with faux snow blasted by ER Productions’ new Typhoon units, the company’s first non-CO2 confetti machine. “Some of our media content features snow falling on the artists as they are captured on the camera. This was done with media servers and cameras,” says Michael Keller, the touring LD. “The design team dictated that the Typhoons and their mass of snow be used in the songs ‘Mr. Crowley’ and ‘Mama.’ At first, I looked up and was thinking that all of this white mass wasn’t quite what we were looking for. I was just blasting white light at it. But then this large mass of fine white confetti started separating and blanketing the crowd with snow. We had the ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ in full effect. Where it really shined was when Alex [Oita] brought up some laser cues. It looked amazing shining through and reflecting all the beams.”
-From “Ozzy Takes FX to the Next Level” by Nook Schoenfeld, PLSN, Feb. 2019, page 52
