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Of course, we can supply you with more tape pads. In fact, we are very proud of the double-sided tapes we offer! But we also know that sometimes you REALLY need more tape pads when you are on location, and found out you forgot your pre-fabricated tapes.

As a SFX-technician myself, I have learned how to improvise and would like to share this tip with you – making your own tape pads from a roll of good carpet tape. We recommend the Tesa brand of sticky carpet tape, but almost any good quality will work.

A final tip – push hard on the tape when placed on the fabric – for at least 10 seconds. This will ensure good bonding.

One of the clever ideas with the air squib is that it has a built-in remote control. This allows the actor to focus on acting, falling and reacting to “being shot”, not needing to fiddle with hidden switches and hiding wires up the sleeve. Here is a clip from a scene with actor Jon F. Merz who not only acts, but has also been training in martial arts for a long time, and that shows in his impressive fall. The freedom of movement using the air squib is also often commented upon, and liked by both actors and stuntmen. In other words, very little rigging and “stuff” is needed on the actor.

An extra advantage of not setting off the effect himself is that the actor is often a little “surprised” when the hit goes off, helping the actor in the reaction, and adding a little extra shock value to the scene.

Normally, the air squib is used for shooting stage blood through the garments toward the camera, but here stuntman Daniel Hallin makes clever use of the back wall working as a “canvas”. The advantage is that the stage blood stays on the wall, drastically extending the “hang time” if only the liquid is sprayed into the air. Good thinking – looks great, Daniel!

Daniel is found on Instagram at iam_burnin

Here is a hit we rigged a few weeks ago. It shows pretty cool lighting done with just the low-standing sun, as it was setting on a summer evening in July 2022. The light shines straight at Dave’s shirt and the rigged hit. (Dave is facing the sun). The stage blood spray shows up really nice in the side-lit scene and no other lighting was needed. I just wanted to share this tip if you can affect the lighting of your special effects hit. This tip works for any type of squib – exploding or air powered.

One of the great things about the safe air squib unit is that it is lightning fast adding a bullet hit effect to the actor. The air squib use double-sided tapes that make rigging quick, safe and easy. Just add the squib nozzle and press for 10 seconds, and you are set. Time is of utmost importance, especially important when the talent is expensive and time is short. As an FX technician, you will be loved by directors, actors and producers alike, simply for saving time for the entire crew.

In this quick video, I wanted to give you my idea of how you can wash out blood stains after your action sequence. (using stage blood, of course!) Strangely enough, I only have this problem with stained clothes after laundry when filming in the USA, but never in Europe. So, when I had the same problem when shooting an actor in Massachusetts last week, I felt I had to find out what was going on. Here is my quick and simple tip from the laundry room of my hotel!

This is a small but helpful tool if you are in special effects, Makeup FX or if you are setting up training scenarios: The artery pump. This very economic and intuitive gadget pumps stage blood in intermittent “bursts”, realistically mimicking how a human pumps blood through the system. Great for simulating slowly pulsating bullet wounds or other lethal injuries on an actor. Well, why not have a look as Olov makes a mess of himself on this wonderful summer day in front of the dandelions! If he can use it, so can you!

If you don’t find any use for it, you don’t have a pulse!

One of my fantastic colleagues and customers is Sam Tammi that is a pyrotechnician and special effects technician in Estonia, Finland and many other places where customers take him. He is often working behind the scenes, letting actors and companies stand in the limelight – but now Estonian TV got hold of him. It is a really nice segment where he shows breakaway glass, soft glass, and blood and there is also a segment on the air squib. Even if you don’t understand Estonian, you may want to see what Sami and his colleagues do.

Here is the segment: https://www.facebook.com/6htuKanal2/videos/1065135407749875

Get in contact with Sami at www.pyrocom.fi if you need Special Effects in the Baltic region.

This is a great tip for you using – or thinking about using the air squib: lower the pressure! What? Really!

Yep – it is a common misconception that the effect will look better if you fill the tank with as high pressure of air as possible. Not true! A high pressure simply disperses the stage blood in a “mist” with tiny droplets. We recommend about 2 bars of pressure or 35 psi instead. It is safe but also shoots the blood out in “gobs” that are seen better and gives a more visually shocking effect than “red mist”.
Go on – if you have a unit – try lower pressure!

In early March 2022 I felt we had posted a fair amount of short clips on social media. Now, it was time for a longer, fact-filled production covering the air squib – for those contemplating purchasing a unit. I know, there are many questions – who uses it, what does the effect look like, how fast do you rig, who made the unit, etc. We got together for a day and did this production, aimed at you special effects technicians, make-up FX artists and people that plan tactical training scenarios. We wanted to give you a quick, fun and fact-filled video showing you what the safe air squib is all about.

Here, Sofia tells you the story: