The Confetti Maestro: Noah Winter's 30-Year Super Bowl Spectacle
Noah Winter boasts an attendance record that surpasses even legendary quarterback Tom Brady. While Brady competed in ten Super Bowls, Winter is preparing for his thirtieth consecutive appearance this year. His role isn't on the field in uniform, but as the mastermind behind the celebratory confetti blizzard that marks the game's climax.
Creating an Iconic Moment
Winter's company, Artistry in Motion, produces confetti for rock concerts, movies, political conventions, and the Olympics. However, the annual cascade of color onto the football field at the Super Bowl's conclusion remains his most famous creation. "It's become an iconic moment," Winter reflects from his Northridge, California, office and factory.
Jane Gershovich, a photographer who worked for the Seattle Seahawks during their 2014 victory, describes the magical scene. "When the confetti falls, everyone wants to play in it. Players and their families toss it in the air and make confetti angels. Just seeing the players and their kids engage with it at such a wholesome level brings a lot of joy to everyone on the field."
The Precision of the Confetti Drop
Executing a perfect confetti drop requires meticulous planning. Artistry in Motion transports three hundred pounds of two-colored confetti for each team to the Super Bowl. Confetti cannons are positioned around the stadium walls with approximately four minutes remaining. Even if teams rush onto the field early, the launch waits until the game clock officially hits zero.
"It's always better to be late than early," Winter explains. "Sometimes players go out and shake hands. We don't launch until triple zero on the clock. Over thirty years, we have never launched the wrong color or launched too early." The color mixture isn't a simple fifty-fifty split; the company experiments to find the optimal blend for television visibility.
Behind the Scenes: Materials and Manufacturing
For twenty-five years, Massachusetts-based Seaman Paper has supplied the tissue paper that Artistry in Motion transforms into confetti. Jamie Jones, one of Seaman's owners, notes that many New England Patriots fans working there are particularly excited about their involvement. The company produces about one hundred and fifty thousand pounds of tissue paper daily, primarily for gift wrapping and food service. "It's a very prestigious but not big order," Jones remarks regarding the Super Bowl paper.
Winter has determined that a rectangular shape provides the best flutter, as it turns on its axis and hangs gracefully in the air. Interestingly, there are two confetti drops at the Super Bowl: one at the game's end and another during the Vince Lombardi Trophy presentation. The second batch is cut into the silhouette of the trophy itself.
Innovation and Sustainability
Messages can be printed on the tiny rectangles. For several Super Bowls, Artistry in Motion printed social media messages on each flag at the request of sponsor Twitter. The confetti is fully biodegradable, made from U.S.-sourced, ninety-eight percent postconsumer recycled material. The company produces confetti in the colors of all four final NFL playoff teams, recycling any unused portions.
While the confetti creates a beautiful mess in the stadium, cleanup isn't Winter's responsibility. Each stadium employs different methods, such as rakes or leaf blowers, taking care not to damage artificial turf.
From Disney to the Rolling Stones
Winter's journey into the confetti business began with a college education in lighting design and pyrotechnic work at venues like the Hollywood Bowl. Disney later asked his team to recreate falling leaves for a live "Pocahontas" show in the mid-1980s. Soon, he was creating confetti for Disneyland's daily parade.
In 1986, Mick Jagger saw the confetti at Disney and commissioned Artistry in Motion to produce some for a Rolling Stones concert at Dodgers Stadium. This led to touring with the band and requests from other artists, including U2's Bono. Stadium concerts naturally transitioned to sporting events, with the company's first Super Bowl in 1997 when the Green Bay Packers defeated the Patriots.
A Personal Promise
Winter remains diplomatically neutral regarding team allegiances, though he admits having two brothers who are New York Jets fans. He has promised to bring them to work a confetti cannon if the Jets ever return to the Super Bowl, a feat last achieved under quarterback Joe Namath in 1969. With an estimated one hundred and twenty-seven point seven million viewers in 2025, Winter's confetti continues to captivate audiences worldwide, turning victory into a shared, colorful celebration.
