Practical Gunshot hits - w/o Blood or Squibs

[PaulGriffith]

Hey guys, looking to do some practical gunshot hits on people for our next short. We don't want a big bloody mess, a little is ok, and we want to do it practical. No pyro on set, so squibs are out.

Any creative ideas? We just used digital blood composited in last time, but it had to be bloody to convey a "hit".

We want to go more Mr and Mrs Smith style where you see clothes torn and what not, but notarially any blood.

We're using sweeny balls for wall hits and they look great, no way I'm shooting an actor with one though

 

[M1chae1]

Use a rig...run a tube behind the actors back...tape the hose to the bullet impact location. Once shot...activate the rig and pump the blood. Test this for timing...the blood may come late, so you may have to pump a few seconds early. And be sure you test your blood consistency...too thick and it won't pump...too thin and it won't look right.

Use an edit/cut to show a hole in the clothing/flesh...

In conjunction with this practical effect...use *subtle* cg blood spatter on impact...just make sure it's well done, and composited well with the lighting of the actual scene.\

If you don't want a lot of blood, you can paint the wound under the clothing beforehand...then have them get shot (and sell the shot well), then cut, rip the hole to reveal the makeup effect with minimal blood, and cut to a new angle with the hole and effect showing.

On a side note...make sure your actors sell the shot with proper recoil when the gun is fired...and use a good sound effect also...not a cheezy gunshot sound, which so many people use.

Good luck.

 

[PaulGriffith]

I've seen this technique before and never done really well. Also, trying to show a hit without copious amounts of blood.

It might not be possible to do a decent one without a squib, but there are some creative people here

 

[Scoopicman]

Have you looked into Compressed Air Squibs?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDgKhci3fBk

 

[polfilmblog]

That compressed air squib is pretty good. How did they do it?

I have an air compressor that's pretty powerful. I was considering using sandwich bags with blood and a tube, but it might not look that natural.

The only problem with the above clip is that the air and blood blow in the wrong direction. It happens fast enough that it might not matter, especially if there's a lot of action in the frame. But, it still could not shoot directly in the direction the bullet supposedly came from.

Often just a big splatter sideways across an area works. Rigging the clothing to rip there ahead of time helps.

 

[M1chae1]

If the actor is fast enough, they can immediately slap their hand to the gun shot wound after being shot, and then with editing, you can pull the hand away to reveal your wound.

You can also have a small blood pack (with a small puncture) in the actors hand to slap the wound for a cheated effect...that's if you want blood of course.

 

[Scoopicman]

That compressed air squib is pretty good. How did they do it?

I have an air compressor that's pretty powerful.

I haven't tried it myself, but a friend of mine uses his compressor for this. It seems like the way for you to go, though.

Check out the vids from this guy. I'm guessing this is more of what you want.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWvgbOLfacQ



We're not supposed to link to other filmmaker forums, but some of this info (despite the spelling) is interesting:

this is how ive dont it in the past....
I got on of those plastic containers for the co2 cartridges for bicicyle tires. Put the co2 cartridge in it . Take some robber tubing fill it up with blood,cap of the end, cut a hole in the side of the tube at the top. run the tubing through the actors clothes and tape it down. Preforate the actors clothes where he is hit, have him hold the the co2 cartridge thing, when he is ready have him press the button and the air will blast out the blood. NIce 10 foot spray of blood. Or you can get a paintball gun and shoot him with a blood ball, make sure he is wearing a gatorback tho. Hope this helped.

Here is a little trick that Garry Tunnicliff told me about.Go to a local Lowes or Home Depot and purchase what is known as a Cobra Gun( it is an instrument used for de-clogging drains.)You pump it full of air . When you have pumped enough air into the canaster, you put the plunger nozzle on the end of the gun,place over the clogged drain and pull the trigger.All of the compressed air comes out at once in a single burst.Now apply this theory to air squibs.Instead of putting the plunger end on,add tubbing and fill with blood, or water, or whatever.Now you can pump,aim and fire....or run the tubbing under someones clothes with the open end facing outwards.Easy to transport....easy to opperate.
P.S.-Correction..Garry Tunnicliff actually told me about the Pango Gun(which is the same thing only sold in England) It was Toby Sells that discovered the Cobra Gun after I told him about the pango and he realised just how expensive they were to get online.

I built this http://www.instructables.com/id/Pneumatic-Squib-Tutorial/ for a buddy's short film.

The instructable itemizes all the parts, including their Clippard catalogue numbers.

In volume, it's possible to get the unit price down to $50 or so. Completely re-useable, daisy-chainable and hackable.
_________________
My Pneumatic Squib Howto

http://web.mac.com/stevewood1/iWeb/Public Facing Pages/Air-Controlled Squib.html

 

[PaulGriffith]

Some of those air ones look ok.. I wonder If it would work with a paintball gun supplying the air?

Again, trying to lower the blood, what would look good loaded in there to show a hit, bits of cloth or powder maybe? I wonder if just using the air to rip through pre-cut clothes would look good?

Thanks for the input.