Summoning the rain gods

[Dream_scape]

Hey, I'm a newbie around here (yeah yeah, commence newbie bashing...). Anyway, I need to shoot a scene with copious amounts of rain, and I was wondering if anyone around here knew anything about building a rain machine or where I might find such information. I've scoured the net, but can't come up with anything.

In case someone was going to suggest waiting for a rainy day... I don't know where you live, but around here rain definately doesn't show up on camera. We need big, fat, unnatural drops to actually look good on screen.

Anyway, any help anyone could offer would be fantastic.

[Matty2phatty]

I just completed a short film that involved a heavy storm taking place outside a window.

We had 2 giant strobe setups which worked wonders for violent looking lightning (when timed correctly) and the rain was from a simple garden sprinkler (which makes fat drops).

PVC piping which was rigged back and forth with holes out the sides did the detail rain at the foreground for fat drops to come out of.

My biggest advice would be to get STRONG lighting setups to catch all the rain drops.

I can attach screenshots if you wanna see the outcome.

[Patriarch]

Well - I'm curious [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Dream_scape]

Thanks, that helps a lot! I can't do any tests now, but we're not shooting until summer anyway, so I'll have time to test it at some point at least. Our scene takes place outside, so we're going to have to figure out some kind of water pump, which may be difficult, but thanks a lot for the advice. [img]cool.gif[/img]

[Matty2phatty]

May i just ask, is the scene outside during the day? Won't it look strange that it's pouring rain with a blue sky?

EDIT : Here is a screenshot. I kind of wish i had all the tapes from the shoot so i could show you more but i can't be bothered going to get them and transfering them.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ December 20, 2005 11:03 PM: Message edited by: Matty2phatty ]</font>

[Dream_scape]

Yeah, it is during the day, but we'll wait for overcast conditions.

[jbridges]

We were in a similar spot not too long ago. Our solution was water hoses and a camera flash. It worked out really well. Also we had 3 guys operating leaf blowers and blowing everything they could at the running actors. It was a sunny day. Our trick was tarps. Big tarps over head. This not only blocked the sun, but we found that when you spray the water hose directly at the overhead tarps the water would drop big drops so that the camera would pick them up.

No, I don't have any footage with me. Wish I did.

Good Luck!

[Matty2phatty]

Actually that tarp idea makes a lot of sense. Would have been hard to keep it out of shot though.

[jbridges]

They were tied up pretty high in the trees. If you don't have any tree limbs to tie to then try some light trees or even tent poles.

[Mr.Ark]

The easiest, simplest, and best thing that worked for me is to use a garden hose and a crapload of ambient sound for rain/wind etc...

Check out some pics at www.geocities.com/whirlingmonsoon and look under "Sharkboy".