Global Special Effects, formally known as Snow Masters Inc., is a
special effect
Special effects (often abbreviated as F/X or simply FX) are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the fictional events in a story or virtual world. ...
s company headquartered in
Lexington, Alabama. The firm, founded in 1992 by a former
magician, specializes in
artificial snow, cryo, smoke, bubble and
fog
Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus and is heavily influenc ...
machines. The company's products have been used in music videos such as "Back to December" by
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
and "Mistletoe" by
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
,
film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
productions such as Harry Potter and ''
Lucky'', television shows such as ''
Fear Factor
''Fear Factor'' is an American stunt/ dare game show that first aired on NBC from 2001 to 2006 and was initially hosted by comedian and UFC commentator Joe Rogan. The show was adapted by Endemol USA from the original Dutch series titled '' ...
'', and at major theme parks around the world.
History
The company was founded in 1992 after a former magician utilized a system for producing
artificial snow to use in his
magic shows.
The company developed a 98% water and 2%
surfactant
Surfactants are chemical compounds that decrease the surface tension or interfacial tension between two liquids, a liquid and a gas, or a liquid and a solid. The word ''surfactant'' is a Blend word, blend of "surface-active agent",
coined in ...
solution
Solution may refer to:
* Solution (chemistry), a mixture where one substance is dissolved in another
* Solution (equation), in mathematics
** Numerical solution, in numerical analysis, approximate solutions within specified error bounds
* Solu ...
which
evaporates shortly after touching the ground,
known as Evaporative Snow, as well as machines to distribute the substance in various forms. Global Special Effects has subsequently branched into other products, including fog, cryo,
confetti
Confetti are small pieces or streamers of paper, mylar or metallic material, usually thrown at celebrations, especially parades and weddings. The origins are from the Latin ''confectum'', with ''confetti'' the plural of Italian ''confetto'', ...
, foam, scent,
bubbles
Bubble, Bubbles or The Bubble may refer to:
Common uses
* Bubble (physics), a globule of one substance in another, usually gas in a liquid
** Soap bubble
* Economic bubble, a situation where asset prices are much higher than underlying fundame ...
, smoke, and Flogos machines.
Federal raid and criminal conviction
ln September of 2021, federal agents raided Global Special Effects as part of an investigation into money laundering, bribery, and fraud related to government contracts. Company owner Francisco Guerra was indicted and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. In May 2025, Guerra was sentenced to five years in federal prison.
Products
Global Special Effects' main product offering is its proprietary artificial snow, known as Evaporative Snow, and range of snow machines, which sell for $300 to $5,000 each.
Subsidiary
A subsidiary, subsidiary company, or daughter company is a company (law), company completely or partially owned or controlled by another company, called the parent company or holding company, which has legal and financial control over the subsidia ...
companies of Global Special Effects include
Flogos, whose machines produce floating shapes constructed from
helium
Helium (from ) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol He and atomic number 2. It is a colorless, odorless, non-toxic, inert gas, inert, monatomic gas and the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table. Its boiling point is ...
-filled soap bubbles. Flogos has been contracted to produce custom cloud logos for major companies and organizations all over the world. Another operating company, Foam Masters, manufactures
foam
Foams are two-phase materials science, material systems where a gas is dispersed in a second, non-gaseous material, specifically, in which gas cells are enclosed by a distinct liquid or solid material. Note, this source focuses only on liquid ...
machines for use at
parties
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...
and auditoriums.
See also
*
Foam balloon
References
External links
*{{official, url=http://www.globalspecialeffects.com
Special effects companies
Companies based in Lexington, Kentucky