Just because your pictures don’t fly by at 25 progressive frames per second doesn’t mean you can’t pick up a trick or two from the film guys for dressing up your sets and studio shots. Here are a few I picked up from my friends in the video business that can not only help your photography, but might also be handy with Halloween coming up.
Originally developed for film and TV, these paints offer a variety spray on effects and textures that can be washed off again with soap and water. Designed specifically for scene and set painters, you can get some really interesting effects with names like MP-DIRT and MP-ROT.
Real gaffer tape, not a low price substitute like painter’s tape, is indispensable on a location or studio shoot. Anywhere you might need to tape something down or make a temporary repair and not leave tape residue behind.
Do not try to use duct tape instead of gaffer tape! Duct tape will leave a glue residue behind that takes an incredible amount of effort to clean off.
These are great for creating a spooky or surreal fog that’s safe to use indoors. It doesn’t have the floor cling and thick, puffy consistency of C02 fog, but it won’t kill you in a confined room, either.
Theatrical fog is usually made with a fog juice composed primarily of ethylene glycol. If you’re going to use CO2 fog, I would suggest outdoor use only.
Instead of filter gels that go on the end of your camera lens and color everything, you can get sheets of gel material in a variety of colors and gel just the things you want to be colored, like background lighting.
Flash heads can be wrapped in single sheet gels and used to color the background, leaving your subject clear of the effect.
Really handy for covering practicals and open windows with precise control instead of throwing up some screen and hoping for the best. Preserves the quality of the light while giving you a smooth, predictable reduction.
Different than the fog machine, mix a couple drops of the binary liquid and you can make anything smoke. A much more realistic effect than you can get in post without spending a lot of time working at it.
Don’t get it on your skin or use on aluminum, but let me warn you that this stuff is addicting to play with. Hey, why should the video guys have all the fun?