One of the first Hollywood blockbusters I was working on was “Poltergeist II” in the late 1980s. It was a great experience that made me long for more effects work. One scene that I was NOT involved in is when the boy, Robbie Freeling, holds a glass that suddenly breaks as if cracked by supernatural powers. To this day, I have no idea how the glass broke, spilling liquid all over as I was not part of the practical effects crew. But I was recently asked to hold a 2-hour lecture on “Creating Special Effects using things from the hardware store and Supermarket”. For this, I made a simpler coffee cup rig, reacting as if hit by a bullet. It can be rigged with the air squib we offer on our website, but you can also use regular compressed air from a compressor. Use a valve to activate the effect.
Here is the video that shows you the simple rig:
The effect can be used in a comedy sequence or in serious action, as part of a shootout sequence etc.
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