Fog/haze machine help

PaPa

PaPa

Major Contributor
Hey all,

looking at picking up a fog/haze machine for set ambiance and general lighting. Been speaking with a few people and reading a few of the old posts and it seems that haze is the way to go instead of smoke, unless you really want something thick.

Been looking at the antari Z300 fazer, but was wondering if someone could recommend a few different models to compare price wise and quality wise.

What do you guys suggest?
 
the problem with haze it is very unstable.
it has short life and is diffcult to control.
Smoke can last longer, and since it is real matter, it will interact with light a lot better.
just let people smoke on the stage, and you will need no additional haze or smoke :happy:
 
heh, thanks for the reply nosys, doesn't really answer my question though. Have any models that are affordable and dependable in mind?
 
no, i got one of these cheap disco device (50$) that works as it shoud ( i mean you press the button, and got the haze).
they are all the same , a heating element and a valve to vaporize the mix (usually water+ethylen glycol , commonly called antifreeze).
so except if you need tons of haze all year long and need a very reliable system, a cheap one should work.
 
nosys70 said:
no, i got one of these cheap disco device (50$) that works as it shoud ( i mean you press the button, and got the haze).
they are all the same , a heating element and a valve to vaporize the mix (usually water+ethylen glycol , commonly called antifreeze).
so except if you need tons of haze all year long and need a very reliable system, a cheap one should work.
Click to expand...

What you have there is a fog machine... not a haze machine. A real 'hazer' is WAY more than $50: http://www.reelefx.com/index.php?c=product.view&id=1

I figure you don't want to spend 2-3K on a haze machine...so you could get away with a cheap fog machine. Set it up away from the set you'll be shoot at, give a short blast of fog and have a few people standing around with some foamcore fanning it in the general direction. This will break it up and create a haze. That would be the cheap way (that's how I do it).

If I recall correctly, that's how Fat Monster did it to on their MonsterFest film 'Dispatch'...checkout the BTS videos.
 
PaPa. As you probably know. Big difference between Haze and Fog machines. I have both and have found them to be unreliable. One the electronics went and the other got all glogged up. They were Chauvet models and around a couple of hundred each..You really need to spend the big bucks on a hazer. Don't laugh but I have had pretty good "haze" results with "Diffusion In A Can" as seen here:
http://www.filmtools.com/diffusionincan.html
and elsewhere.

When I used it, I had my assistant waving a large piece of foamcore to distribute the mist better. The cans are about $12 a can. Good luck.
 
There is a huge difference between foggers and hazzers.

The best hazer I have ever used on set is a le Maitre. You should be able to rent a pro hazer from a pro sound and lighting company in your city.
 
So PaPa did you go with the Antari? At that price I'd like to know how it worked out.

If still considering a mid-range fog machine, Rosco makes a very good line of models. They can produce a decent standing indoor haze with the human fanning and of course no ventilation system running. And they can be useful outdoors when moving fog or smoke is wanted in a closeup or MS.

But keep in mind that though not as bad for your lungs as smoke, the fog fluid can cause problems for some people after awhile.
 
Hey, Andrew, this is about 6 years late... but I see you've bought that Diffusion in a can stuff, and you're in Brisbane. So am I, but I haven't had any luck chasing down the product. Mind telling me where you can buy it here?

Thanks.
 
I bought a fog machine for my son when he wanted to start a DJ business. He lost interest and it has been sitting in a closet for several years. I will post it in the Marketplace this weekend. It is a well known brand.
 
Sagan said:
Hey, Andrew, this is about 6 years late... but I see you've bought that Diffusion in a can stuff, and you're in Brisbane. So am I, but I haven't had any luck chasing down the product. Mind telling me where you can buy it here?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I don't know where to get it outside the US, but the brand name here is "Fantasy FX".

I believe there are two styles, a regular spray can and one that shoots straight up and the nozzle locks into place, like an insect fogger.

It's not perfect stuff - there's some particulate that needs to float away, but it's handy for small rooms or effect plates.

I've actually had good luck with a sub-$100 DJ fogger and the water-based "haze" solution; or mixing regular fog juice with 50% distilled water to thin it out. But if you're really needing to rely on a cheap one, have a 2nd one handy, they're notorious for just dying suddenly. I use them for very low budget music videos. Very good idea to assign someone to run it, and make it their job to watch for continuity of density in the air - the stuff has a huge affect on how shots look and lights render, doesn't take much shift in density to give you hellacious continuity issues.
 
i used to do lighting years ago for a local live band and i had a Rosco at the time. i recall the model was Rosco 1500. it cost about $650-$700 in 1988. i had a couple of cheaper foggers before getting that but they didn't last so i decided to buy a quality brand and it worked amazingly for about 4.5 years / 8-9 shows per month & 4 hours gig per night i used a lot of fog! a "beastly" amount for clubs that averaged in size of about 800 people capacity.

i don't know whats good these days but a movie I've been shooting purchases a cheap sub $100 fog machine from Guitar Center and it was a joke!!!! don't bother the cheap stuff if you need to to work.

with all of that said after i sold all of my lighting gear i later did walk in lighting in a few clubs for a few bands. a few of the clubs had purchased their own "hazers" and i will say they were very nice to use and WAY MORE CONSISTENT to keep a specific amount of fog / haze that a fog machine ever was. the problem with lots of clubs is that their ventilation can easily kill a 60 second burst of fog so you have to keep shooting it out to keep something in the air. id usually had a couple of fans near the fog machine to push and disperse but will tell you that it was always noticeable that you shot a burst out there. i didn't have a problem with that much but the hazer was just easier and better to keep a consistent pretense of smoke to give the lights definition.

id go for a hazer if it was me. spend some money though and don't count on the cheap toys. especially if your on a paying gig and need that piece of gear to work on demand!!!

david
 
I agree. I use the "Guitar Center" units for Halloween decorations. That's what those are OK for... Those foggers are noisy and, as mentioned, the shot finds it's way to the ventilation system immediately. Hazer for the win.
 
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