Hey guys. This most likely has been answered in a previous topic, but I haven't been able to find it. In the war movie I am directing, we are doing bullet hits, and many of them. Now, we've experimented with the blood pops, etc. but they just arent as noticeable when it explodes, and we are focusing more on the poof of air/dust/powder. I'm sure many of you have seen this effect on the Saving Private RYan film, and the Band of Brothers Series, where there is a puff of dust, rather than blood. I would just like to know if anyone had any easy methods. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks you.

i worked for a special f/x company this year that had done stuff like castaway, american outlaws(there's lots of guns in that) and the upcoming alamo. and from my experience bullet hits,like on the ground or in a building are done with many tiny squibs (squibs are actually the explosion device, not just the blood thing) then attached to a battery, or if there are a whole lot, set off using a charge box.

but considering you probably don't have a pyrotechnics license you might not be able to get ahold of the stuff, but someone in your area might be willing to help, you could contact the guy at worked for, his webpage is www.wolfstuntworks.com

or if you just wanted to get really creative you might make little sacks full of dust that burst easily and throw them at the people....just a suggestion, anyway, good luck.

www.exposure.co.uk has a rally good idea on how to make blood fly! But since I don't know if I spelled it right, I'll write it out.

1) Get an empty and brand spankin clean pesticide squirter. (YES> EMPTY>YOU DON"T WANT TO POISON PEOPLE)

2)Extend the nosle with a piece of hose.

3) Bring the hose up the persons shirt and tape it to the skin or inside of the shirt.

4)Fill that sucker with blood and pump it full of pressure like there is no tomorrow.

5)cut a little hole in the shirt. They suggest putting choped pieces of foam at the end of the hose. Looks like chunks of flesh

6) When the time is right, let eh blood fly!

They have example at teh site. I suggest you check them out to see if that is the effect you are looking for. I'm sure there is a lot you could alter and experiment with to make it look your way.

Yea ive tryed the pesticide sprayer squib effect and couldnt get it right at all. I did all the steps up to the part where you pump up the pesticide sprayer. I filled the thing with blood, pump it like crap, now what do i do? There is no way to trigger the initial explosion of blood. The only trigger on my sprayer and the the ones i have seen have the trigger on the tip of the original hose. If anyone could help me it would be great. Maybe there are just different types of pesticide sprayers. Thanks

Have ya'll thought about CG squib effects? It might work easier for ya (especially during production). Also, back to the ground squibs, in addition to CG squibs, you can make spring loaded squibs or if you're old enough and it's legal in your area, you can purchase black and smokeless powder to make flashpot style squibs. Safety and legality always first, though.

There are different sizes of sprayers, but really only one type is commonly sold. The "Hudson Sprayer" type. They almost all have an inline triggers, now. Just connect your hose to the hose with the trigger. The wand or sprayer nozzle will unscrew separating from the trigger. Slip your hose over the threads and use a hose clamp to secure it. Then you're ready to go.

Alright Joren, thanks man ill test er out.

"if you're old enough and it's legal in your area, you can purchase black and smokeless powder to make flashpot style squibs. Safety and legality always first, though."

This is the best idea, but mounting them on people requires some extra precautions. Make sure you use a nice, thick metal backing plate so your actor isn't injured. Put the blood pack under the powder bag for an entry wound, and over for an exit wound. I am not liable if you kill or maim your actors.

Hey Joren just wondering, so I take the nozzle off from the original hose and put it aside. Next I slide the garden hose over the nozzless original hose. What do I do from there? Cause I have no way to trigger the explosion because there is no nozzle anymore. Oh and if I clamped the area where the two hoses connect tight, wouldn't that make it so nothing could come out the end? Sorry to make things kinda confused, but thanks.

Most of the hudson sprayers I've seen have a way to disconnect the nozzle from the trigger. So the hose with trigger is one piece and the nozzle is another piece. If yours isn't like that, you are SOL. You'll have to slip the hose over the nozzle, but then you're going to loose pressure.

Oh, and I want to make it clear that when I was talking about flashpots, I was talking about ground squibs, not body squibs. "powder burns for 200, Alex"

Yea my sprayer has a thread so you can disconnect the nozzle. Only thing is my pesticide sprayer hose is alot smaller than my garden hose. Then if i do get my hose's connected am I supposed to put the nozzle on at the end of the hose? How do I release the pressure once I have connected the two hoses?

you'll probably need to go buy some smaller diameter hose from the hardware store.

Use the trigger valve to release the pressure. Leave that inline with your hose attachment. You only want to remove the nozzle (the rigid piece at the very end). So from the sprayer, you have the sprayer hose, then trigger, then your hose.