So you interested in making
low budget to no budget special effects than you've came to the right
guide. Follow some of Boardumb Films Productions steps in creating low
budget special effects for your movies. In this guide we're going to
provide instructions on how to do quality special effects at low cost.
You won't need lot's of money or expensive equipment just time and lots
of hard work.
List of Special Effects: (click on
the special effects name to jump to instructions needed)
These are just some of the
many weather types that you can use to enhance your movies tempo.
Earthquakes
Supplies:
Digital Camera
Steps:
Have someone shake some
tables from underneath so stuff falls off
Make the actors act
Shake the camera
Rainstorms
We’re going to
discuss two different ways to make a Rainstorm: EMT Conduit and a
Sprinkler.
EMT Conduit Rainstorm
Supplies:
1/2 inch EMT Conduit
Power Drill
Black Sharpie
1/8 inch Drill Bit(smaller might be better)
Two 3 feet Tripod Mounts
Six 5 feet Sections of Steel Mast
Garden Hose
Hose Clamps
Steps:
Buy a ½ inch EMT
conduit
Mark with a sharpie every ½ inch where you
want the holes drilled(make sure in a straight line)
Next, drill out the marks you made with the 1/8 inch
bit.
Cut the EMT to about 6' or 7' section and crimp one
end of the pipe
Take the garden hose and cut off one end and connect
to EMT using a hose clamp(please cut the right end off)
Next, buy two, 3 feet tripod mounts and six , 5 feet
sections of steel mast
Using the tri pods as a base place the joined two
sections of mast into the tripod(use as towers)used others for cross
support
Hose clamp your EMT to the cross support with the
holes facing up and just a little to the side of your actors(tilt the
rain bar to get a even flow)
Your done so let the water flow and watch it rain.
Sprinkler
Rainstorm
Supplies:
Cheap Sprinkler
Garden Hose
Hose Clamps
Ladder, Pole, Basketball Hoop, Tree
Steps:
Attach sprinkler to the
hose and clamp the sprinkler securely pointing upward on a ladder, a
pole, a tree, a basketball hoop, or a roof(should place close to
filming location)
Turn water on and let the water fall from the sky(it
looks and sounds convincingly like genuine raindrops)
General Tips:
Mix in sound effects of rain and thunder from a sound
effects CD when editing
Avoid shooting from an angle that shows bright blue
sky in the background
Try filming at dawn or dusk
If you can’t film at these times try, filming
in a heavily shaded arenas filter
Also can use a gray lens filter or stretch a black
nylon stocking tightly over the lens(use rubber band to hold in place)
Remember to back-light your rain to get it to show up
Cloudy
Weather
Supplies:
Aquarium
Turkey Baster
Tempera Paints
Ink
Milk
Steps:
Set a water-filled
aquarium up in front of a sky-blue background.
Set up the camera's field of view so it points
through the aquarium
Zoom in tight to leave plenty of room on the edges of
the aquarium
Fill the baster with milk, paint or ink.
While being careful to keep both hand and baster out
of the shot, squeeze the material into the water
With practice, you'll be able to create clouds and
raging storms.
Wind
Supplies:
Large Fan
Steps:
Set up fans just out of
frame and mess up your talent's hair to give it a wind-blown look
Turn on the fan so it blows toward the actor
Throw leaves in front of the fan so they will blow
into the frame(this gives a image that it's windy)
Also have talent wear loose clothing
Now just have your talent act and everything will
fall into place
Supplies:
Fulcrum or be cheap (a
brick or rock will do)
Small piece of plywood (8 in. x 2 ft.)
Shovel
Dirt and debris lying around
Steps:
Set up your lever (rock
& plywood).
Pile the dirt around the plywood, so it makes a small
mound of dirt.
Cover one end of the lever in dirt and other side
with debris so the not visible on camera.
Have actor run or walk (running doesn't look as
cheap) up to the area.
Slam their foot down on the end without the dirt,
jumping at the same time (Dirt and Debris and your actor will fly).
Now all you have to do is add in a sound effect in
post.
Air-soft Gun:
Place flour inside the barrel
Pump the gun and fire
This create some smoke, along with a trail.
Add sound effect and CGI muzzle flash(Adds more
appeal to the effect)
Toy Gun-Bottle Rocket:
First buy a toy gun or something similar
Next, drill a hole in the end of the barrel
Now place a bottle rocket in the hole you have drilled
Light the bottle rocket (Extremely dangerous, but a
great gunshot effect)
Computer Generated:
Film the actor to make it look their shooting a gun
Now in editing, add in the muzzle flash.
This could be very easy to do or you will have to add
the flash frame by frame (Safest way to do effect but not the best)
Cap Gun
Buy a cap gun
Cut the barrel so that the sparks can shoot out
Then load with caps and fire away(Cheap and can be
used over again)
We'll discuss a method to
make a general all-purpose inexpensive blood packet.
Supplies:
Latex Glove
Sharp Object (to cut the glove)
Paper clip
Blood Solution
Steps:
First, get a disposable
latex glove.
Next, cut off a finger off the glove.
Then take your blood solution and fill the finger
about half way.
Now you'll want to twist the open end.
Place a paper clip around the twisted part.
Finally you've got your all purpose blood packet.
Let's test it out."
Blood Packet Uses:
Gunshot Effects
Stab Wounds
Blood Coming Out of Mouth
Random Blood Stuff
Very simple item to make.
If your having any problems feel free to contact Boardumb Films
Productions.
These are our favorite way of creating fake body hits
without using CGI body hits. We hate ugly CGI body hits because they
look so fake on a low budget.
Bursting Blood Packet:
This is somewhat difficult at first, but becomes
easier the more you practice it.
Supplies:
Blood Packet (already discussed making these)
Fishing Line
Duct Tape
Super Glue
Washer
Pole
Steps:
First, super glue the washer onto the blood packet
Once the glue is dry tie a piece of fishing line to
the side that wasn't glued(run line off camera)
Duct tape the two ends of the paper clip to the
victims area that their getting shot
Put clothing over blood packet, to find out where the
blood packet sits under the clothes
Now cut a cross shaped hole or slit in the clothes
and run the fishing line through the hole and off camera
Now that you have the steps on preparing the blood
packet for a gun shot wound. We'll explain how to achieve the gun shot
effect using two different methods.
First Method:
Tie the fishing line to an object off set that
doesn't move
Have the actor make the blood packet explode
themselves (by moving backwards or falling over)
This method works better because the actor knows when
the hit to explode the packet is coming
Second Method:
Tie the fishing line to a pole and have someone pull
hard to explode the blood packet.
Very simple method but messy.
Massive Wound Supplies:
Styrofoam (when objects are to stick into actor's)
Hot Glue Gun
Peanut Butter
Corn Syrup
Fake Blood
Knife
Tape
Steps:
First, cut a hole in the article of clothing.
Then slip the piece of Styrofoam underneath the hole.
Tape it to the person(Not Always Used).
Anyway, on top of the Styrofoam, put a layer of
peanut butter. You'll want to make this chunky, to make it look more
brutal and such.
With your finger, spread a thin layer of chocolate
syrup, then fake blood. Once the wound looks the way you want it to,
glue the article of clothing to the Styrofoam.
Your wound is complete.
You may want to add more detail, by putting some hot
glue on top to simulate different kinds of flesh. Experiment with this
because the wound types varys depending on your movie....
Gash Wound Supplies:
Peanut Butter
Fake Blood
Corn Syrup
Toothpick
Steps:
First, spread some peanut butter around in the shape
of a wound(this is the flesh)
Next, use the toothpick to draw out a wound in the
peanut butter
Then, dip the toothpick in corn syrup to fill in the
areas of the wound
Now, take the fake blood and do the something (cut
should look real good)
Last, blend the peanut butter into your arm to look
like skin
This technique can be used for many different types
of wounds just have fun and experiment with it.
Boardumb Films Productions wanted to
create a inexpressive way to achieve the Matrix's Effect. We thought of
several ways which were very expensive example: wire rig. We came up
with a way to create this effect very inexpensively using equipment you
should already own but keep in mind this effect is very time consuming
to pull off.
Supplies:
Camcorder
Tripod
Morphing Software (After Effects, Motion, Shake)
Photo Editing Software (Photoshop)
Chroma Key Software (Built in Final Cut Pro)
DV Editing Software (Final Cut Pro, Premiere, Vegas)
Steps:
Set up your camera
Now have your actor do the action you want to film
Then, move your camera a foot or so to the left or
right. Having your actor repeat the action as similar as possible again
Repeat this step until you have gone all the way
around them(180 degrees). Make sure to shot the background without the
actor
Open the editing software and transfer the footage
Grab a still in the middle of the action from each
angle and same with the background
Now it time to save your work (very important)
Then open up your photo editing software
Import the stills one at a time, and paint the
background green (actor over green background)
Import the new stills into your morphing software.
Begin morphing the actor in each still to the stills.
Export as an AVI. You should have an AVI of a 3D turn
around of your actor
Now import the stills of the background (without the
actor) in your morphing software Morph the background the same as you
did the actor. Export as an AVI
Open up your chroma key software
Import the morphed background, and place your morphed
actor on top of the background, and export
Last import the final product back into your editing
software, add the beginning and end of the action and we are done
This process takes an insane amount of time, from
painting the background to morphing the actor, but the results are very
impressive.
