A few air Compressed Squib questions - from the exposure.co.uk tutorial

**David Johnson** · July 5th, 2005, 11:32 PM

I was look at the compressed air squib and digging every minute of it! So much so, I went out and bought all the material and test some out tonight. A few questions, if you don't mind :

1) When using sponges - how many do you shove in there without blocking up the hole - and thus ruining the shot?
2) How big should the sponge hole be?
3) When running a few tests with water and sponges - it looked good, but the water leaked through the sponge - is this fixed with a blood mixture because it is thicker?
4) In the close up shot of you shooting off the compressor, it really looks like alot of stuff is coming out - is this all corn syrup and sponges, or is there more in there?
5) How do you keep the mixture at the end of the tube, especially when you have gravity working against you
6) When you score the shirt, what do you use to keep the scored parts together that won't stop the sponge mixture from pushing through?
7) How do you keep the sponge from soaking up the mixture and turing the shirt the colour prematurely.

I know, lots of questions - but I love it. I have run some tests of my own, but now I need a few pointers.

Thanks, I look forward to your response

David

**assyrix** · July 6th, 2005, 08:24 AM

I used the sponge trick for a headshot once which was performed by the actor having the hose gaffer-taped to his head and another actor blowing into the hose to create the splurt. I had to paint the other actor out of 200 odd frames which was a bleeding pain in the arse. The end result looked half decent, though.

**richard.fisher** · July 6th, 2005, 08:50 AM

I've tried this a few times, and have never encountered anything but pain. I found that the fake blood always seeped through the sponge, and in the end, had to put a thin layer of tape over exit hole.

After I had scored the shirt, I used fine strips of clear medical tape called Transpore to hold the corners together. However It was never a neat finish, and if I wanted to include a shot in a movie, I would consider painting out the score marks in post.

**David Johnson** · July 6th, 2005, 04:45 PM

Hey do you guys have the example of what you shot? Also, do you know if the guys or gals that came up with the technique come to this board?

**David Johnson** · July 7th, 2005, 03:48 AM

Thanks for the replies. He seems to get good results, as long as it is not too close of a shot. The scoring on the shirt looks bad in his video, but again in post, could be fixed.
I just like the pressure and the images that he gets from it. It looks like the blood is a different kind of mixture.
When you said the blood leaked through the sponge, what did you do to combat this? What kind of 'blood' were you using?

**richard.fisher** · July 8th, 2005, 06:40 AM

I've long since deleted the tests I did. Last winter I tried getting a shot using the techniquie in the middle of the woods. The actors shirt must have moved slightly, so when the fake blood was ejected from the hose pipe it missed the scroed hole, and so didn't leave the shirt, it just left the actor with and thick film of blood all over his back. In January, having already been filming in this wood since 5a.m. (It was now about 12:30), and with only ice cold water to wash off the sticky blood the actor was not best pleased, although took it in pretty good humour. I have since given the footage to a friend of mine who works for a digital effects company in Soho, to see if he can salvage it.

**David Johnson** · July 8th, 2005, 08:19 PM

Well, I have had some great results lately with my rig. Did some tests today with the scoring of the shirt that works well - and it doesn't use tape which I find holds the ripped shirt too much and it doesn't open.
All in all, I am extremely happy with the 8+ hours I have put into this in the last 2 days. I have managed to keep the blood in the end of the tube and stop it from leaking on the talent - AND created a strapping system that holds it to the body.
Now, onto multiple shots with one trigger!