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More and more make-up artists are getting themselves an air squib unit to offer simulated bullet hit effects in action productions. The units are really easy to attach to the inside of the garment and with an amount of stage blood in the tubing, all that is left to do is push the button to get that instant “hit”. If you look closely, you can see the nozzle stuck to the actress’s jacket, with the stage blood at the lower end.  If you offer makeup to actors on stage, film and TV productions, maybe you should consider a unit?

In early March 2022 we wanted to show how to rig an air squib in a typical actor. We got a lucky break, as we ran into stuntman Martin Ahlberg who wanted to help us out. Martin has worked on Western Stunt shows and has extensive filming background, so this was too good to pass on. The full film, showing the full fall, padding etc., will be published later on this blog, but we wanted to show you the hit – so here goes:

The air squib is not only used to create hits in actors by FX-technicians, but also a number of magicians wanting to snuff out candles as if by magic. Extinguishing candles may be used to demonstrate “magic powers”, but also in spooky seances to “prove spirits are present”. This way, the candle will blow out in an instant at the exact moment needed. We were once asked to rig hundreds of candles to blow out in the film “The Dream Home”.

The process was greatly simplified by using “channel candles” that has channels running the length of the candle.

The puff of air introduced by the air squib in the bottom of the candle holder moves through the candle and snuffs out the flame at the top. As if by magic.

Even if I have rigged and seen this effect numerous times, even a “hardened effects technician” like myself is surprised by the effect.

Actor & comedian Jim Belden during a deadly chase scene in Minnesota. Not laughing anymore? Oh, yes, we think he is. In fact, the film “Bladder Boy”, in which he is starring has been selected to the ATL “All The Laughs” Comedy Award in Atlanta October 15-17, 2021. We are rooting for you, Jim! But honestly, we love you even more in films with more action sequences, like this one with the air squib blood hit!

I was recently approached by a reporter who wanted to write about FX technicians. His idea was to write about a “regular” day in the life of a special effects technician. (The only thing that is “regular” is that “nothing is regular”;), After three interviews, this is what he wrote:
https://www.owlguru.com/review/special-effects-technician-olov-nylander/
There is not much written about creativity and safety.  But it is a short article, not pretending to be complete.

At airsquib.com we use harmless air to power the squib hits. The air shoots stage blood through a shirt to create your safe but bloody hit on an actor. No explosives are needed, making this the safest squib ever. And the radio control allows you to time the hit exactly when needed. Great in your SFX toolbox!

If you are in Special Effects, this is a great tip for you from one of our users; Johan Harnesk at Panorama SFX: Johan Harnesk is an SFX Supervisor and was asked to create a gruesome stabbing sequence – so he and his colleagues did this test scene, and you are invited to look behind the scene! In it, they affixed the self-adhesive nozzles under the clothes and fed them with stage blood (note the two tubings entering under the actor’s sweater at bottom, centre frame). Beware, as the scene looks quite violent, even if it is done with the “company crew”!

During actual filming, the dummy knife handle used here was switched for a stage knife with a retractable blade.
Note that the stage blood spreads quite realistically.

Get your nozzles here, if you want to rig something similar to what Johan’s crew did: https://airsquib.com/product/nozzles-5pcs/
Test clip provided courtesy of Johan Harnesk, Panorama SFX, Stockholm, Sweden. Find this great company at http://www.panoramasfx.se/

I have been out working in a rainy forest all day but wanted to show you how quickly you can rig a safe bullet hit blood squib effect in an actor before heading home.

Of all the legendary films that Hollywood has turned out, it is safe to say that a large chunk of them are mob movies: Scarface, Goodfellas, The Godfather, Casino, The Departed etc. One could say that “Mob Film” is its own film genre entirely. One could also say that those movies could not exist in the same capacity that they currently do if they did not feature violence. After all, violence was and is an integral part of the mob and the films that tell its gruesome stories. If you love these movies and the action that comes with them as much as I do and you happen to find yourself in Los Angeles, California, then there is a historical walking tour with a twist that I think you will love. It features an invention that includes my Air Squib, but taken to a new level by Mr David Leonard. He created a memorable experience using safe special effects, electronic GPS wizardry, and creative ingenuity.

The FataLAtour Experience (get it?) is a walking tour in Los Angeles that guides you to several locations in Hollywood where true and not so true, gruesome murders of Mafia members took place. Some of the murders that the tour covers are fictitious in nature and merely locations where movie scenes from various mob films were shot at. The tour utilizes smartphones, earphones and the Air Squib. Have you ever seen a film where someone gets shot? Kind of a rhetorical question since most films nowadays feature gunfire in one capacity or another. If so, then there is a chance that you may have seen this air-powered bullet hit simulator in action. It is called an Air Squib. It is a safe bullet-hit simulator that blows blood through a person’s shirt in order to simulate a gunshot wound in many films, TV shows and stage performances.

David Leonard had the brilliant idea to start The FataLAtour Experience, merging new safe technology into an entertainment pack worn by a tourist. Towards the end of the tour, as you approach one of the final kill sights, the GPS in the guest’s phone triggers the Air Squib to go off and blood explodes (without any explosion) from underneath the guest’s shirt. It is an immersive effect when the device goes off, which creates a lot of suspense, anticipation and also creates an exciting twist to an already exciting and exhilarating tour. In this totally fictitious way, you can be a part of the Mafia’s gruesome legacy without the fatal after-effect. Though I have seen many creative and practical uses of my product, this is without a doubt the most innovative use of the air squib, and for that reason, I think it could be my favourite. And remember David created this almost 10 years ago!

The app-centric tour, cleverly integrated with the GPS function was part of David’s graduate thesis at the UCLA Media Arts Program where he attended school. It is pretty cool to see what was essentially a school assignment and a visionary, technologically apt mind can create. The bullet hit technology is totally harmless and makes for a fun and safe experience like no other. It is a pneumatic device, meaning it is powered by air. It is also very silent, so it provides just the right kind of surprise without scaring the guest or surroundings too badly. It also does no harm to clothes, making it the perfect technology for a tour like this one.

David not only came up with this brilliant idea but was able to execute it flawlessly and with much success. Usually, it is film, tv or stage actors that make the most use of the air squib and with good reason. It is, after all, geared towards a niche market – the film and tv industry.

No description of Davids work is complete without mentioning our wonderful Special Effects colleague in L.A. ”Roger George Special Effects” at https://rogergeorge.com/collections/bullet-hit-effects. Kim and academy nominee Thaine took care of David, showing how the unit could be used, but it was David that used the potential and made the units interact.

So, if you are planning on booking a trip to Los Angeles or maybe live there already, you should definitely check out The FataLAtour Experience. Not only will you learn a thing or two, but you will also have a blast (no pun intended) getting a little dirty along the way. It’s a little mob history mixed with a little Hollywood. All of this makes for a fun afternoon in the City of Angels that you are guaranteed to remember for the rest of your life.

See a video from Bus #2 here: https://vimeo.com/42804598

Why not check out Davids website https://www.davidleonard.tv/ If you are looking for an amalgamation of technical wizardry and artistic creations examining the fringes of technology, current events and journalism in California, David is your man!