A Special Effects company in Poland was asked to create camera tests of bullet hits for a film production. I thought it would be cool to see what a new customer could come up with, so we asked for future clips of their FX experiments with dust hits on actors. Instead of blood hits, they filled the outlet with talcum powder to simulate a bullet striking the uniform during low light conditions. In situations like this, the blood hit against a dark uniform is really difficult to see, so instead, you can rig a plume of dust from the point of impact. if backlit, it shows up really well, giving the impression of a bullet hit on the actor. These are the preliminary tests of what Paweł Nowaczek and his colleagues at Fireshow have created.
The smoke plumes need to be exaggerated like this when filming at nighttime. If you need more subtle smoke cones, for daytime filming, simply use a little less talcum and increase the air pressure. It is the sound effect with the recoiling actor that will “sell” the effect of a bullet striking the uniform. Another advantage is that you don’t need to clean the wardrobe between takes. Simply brush off excess talcum, and you are ready for resetting!
For pyrotechnics and FX near Poland, see more about Fireshow here: www.fireshow.com.pl
Thank’s Paweł, for sharing your clips!
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