7 replies to this topic

[StfuStuf]

I have a several questions regarding squibs. I am doing another lowbudget film and has been hired as the pyrotechnician.
Are homemade squibs safe?
How do you effectively make a homemade squib?
What type of powder is needed for the charge?
Should I weaken the clothing where the squib will shoot through?
How thick should the metal plate be?
What are some major dangers in making squibs?
And any information on the electrical charge, circuit firing, all the stuff that goes along with that would be just great.

[Creepin_pyro]

Are homemade squibs safe?
How do you effectively make a homemade squib?
What type of powder is needed for the charge?
Should I weaken the clothing where the squib will shoot through?
How thick should the metal plate be?
What are some major dangers in making squibs?
And any information on the electrical charge, circuit firing, all the stuff that goes along with that would be just great.

Home-made squibs are NOT safe. The dangers should seem obvious - you are working with explosives, and you are working in very close proximety to people, which isn't good especially where explosives are concerned.
I would assume that making a squib would be extremely simple - just some low-explosive in a casing designed to reduce schrapnel.

What kind of effect are you looking for? - surely you don't want the explosion to show on film, unless you're looking for a metallic ricochet effect. If you're looking for a blood splatter, why use explosives atall?

Personally, I wouldn't take the risk of attaching explosives to my friends untill I had at least a little formal experience in the special effects business. You don't want to go blowing little chunks off people

[StfuStuf]

I am looking for a bloodsplatter effect and also a metallic ricochet effect aswell but if thats too risky then it isn't nessecary. What are other ways to make bloodsplatters that are practical?

[lord_dranack]

Perhaps something simple and safe- you could try tomato sauce, a plastic bag and a drawing pin!

[Creepin_pyro]

Cheap & easy bloodsplatter

Look under the "compressed gas bloodsplatter" section. It also details why explosive squibs should never be used by non-professionals.

Edited by Creepin_pyro, 06 July 2004 - 01:28 PM.

[StfuStuf]

Thanks everyone! I am going to use the pressurized ones, just need to find an insecticide sprayer. If I can get a hold of the movie's special effects I shall be sure to post it. Still I might explode a watermelon to make it look like some guys head. That worked well the last time we made a movie.

[RegimentalPyro]

I was impressed by the audiovisual impact that was attained by paying attention to the sound of the bullet hit.

Combining a processed "clap", along with a generic "splatter" sound made that headshot scene oh-so-gruesome.

Also of interest - the amount of visual effect you get by having so little [1/25th second] red fluid flying across the field-of-view.

[adamw]

If you don't need the clothes to rupture you could use a blow-gun with a (fake) blood-soaked material to be shot at the body. I've read some people use processed peas soaked in red dye. Another non-pyro way is to carefully score around the clothes to be shot and attatch a very fine wire / line. Do some make up under the area and when you need someone to be shot, pull on the line, ripping off that part of the clothing to make it look like a gun shot.