DarlingDimple
Carbonite Member
What is the best way to get real looking muzzle flashes from some airsoft guns i bought...i need a cheap (not powder or blanks), most likely post, to help me..ne one got ne ideas, it would be greatly appreciated.
Muzzle Flashes!!
- Thread starter DarlingDimple
- Start date
http://detonationfilms.com
real muzzle flashes filmed against a black background for free
available in a variety of angles, etc.
there's a tutorial on how to composite them on the site
basically I use "add" or "screen" mode and a luma key to key out the black
real muzzle flashes filmed against a black background for free
available in a variety of angles, etc.
there's a tutorial on how to composite them on the site
basically I use "add" or "screen" mode and a luma key to key out the black
DarlingDimple
Carbonite Member
ive done that website...is there a better way..since they are kind of fake looking..thanks
they are real though, not CG, not drawn in, not fake ... so other than doing it for real with blanks ... nothing better thatthat I know of
how much have you experimnted with the compositing? mode, luminosity, blur, opacity ... you can get some pretty good results.
the videos on that site are campy,and they are not going for a real look but you should be able to work with the real muzzle flashes
it just can't get much more real looking than actual real muzzle flashes shot against a black backround
my only other suggestion is to PM Spidey ... his muzzle flashes for CPU looked pretty good, and ask him what he used.
You can look at ODD Squad on my website in my sig, but I wasn't going for a real look as I used smokey musket muzzle flashes for handguns.
The sparks in the fallen lampost, the burn point when the mutant lazers his handcuffs off (not the lazer ray though that's a particle emmiter), the light that pours out of the red mutants head when he exploads -- all of that stuff are reall sparks, explosions, titanium squibs fired at the camera and composited in post and they look pretty real IMHO - no reason the muzzle flashes can't too
composite mode, luminosity, blur, opacity
how much have you experimnted with the compositing? mode, luminosity, blur, opacity ... you can get some pretty good results.
the videos on that site are campy,and they are not going for a real look but you should be able to work with the real muzzle flashes
it just can't get much more real looking than actual real muzzle flashes shot against a black backround
my only other suggestion is to PM Spidey ... his muzzle flashes for CPU looked pretty good, and ask him what he used.
You can look at ODD Squad on my website in my sig, but I wasn't going for a real look as I used smokey musket muzzle flashes for handguns.
The sparks in the fallen lampost, the burn point when the mutant lazers his handcuffs off (not the lazer ray though that's a particle emmiter), the light that pours out of the red mutants head when he exploads -- all of that stuff are reall sparks, explosions, titanium squibs fired at the camera and composited in post and they look pretty real IMHO - no reason the muzzle flashes can't too
composite mode, luminosity, blur, opacity
SilverWolf
Veteran
Freeze frames some common movies and most muzzle flashes look fake. What makes them feel reel in big time productions is
1. The sound - It's all about the sound baby
2. The reaction of the person being shot and surroundings
4. The reaction of the person holding the gun
3. The reaction of the gun
4. Effects of light on objects and it's surroundings
Watch Last Man standing with bfuce willis and pause the flashes they look so cheap when freeze framed.
If you watch a lot of student / indie films when people fire guns they don't act as though their gun is real. They don't show any recoil or kick back in their hands. They hold their gun like it's a toy.
1. The sound - It's all about the sound baby
2. The reaction of the person being shot and surroundings
4. The reaction of the person holding the gun
3. The reaction of the gun
4. Effects of light on objects and it's surroundings
Watch Last Man standing with bfuce willis and pause the flashes they look so cheap when freeze framed.
If you watch a lot of student / indie films when people fire guns they don't act as though their gun is real. They don't show any recoil or kick back in their hands. They hold their gun like it's a toy.
i agree, sound and lights. watch Once Upon a Time in Mexico (Robert Rodriguez) and freeze frame any muzzle flashes. They are so fake it's unbelievable why he even used them. Most of them look like a spray of sparks other than a real flash.
At the beginning the "Mexi-CAN" guy shoots this old guitar-maker guy and sparks actually come from the victim's chest. That never happens.
Anyway, just try to focus on the whole scene, not just the flash. You'll be able to make it believable.
At the beginning the "Mexi-CAN" guy shoots this old guitar-maker guy and sparks actually come from the victim's chest. That never happens.
Anyway, just try to focus on the whole scene, not just the flash. You'll be able to make it believable.
CineMark said:
When they started shooting the real guns (blank guns) were stuck in customs for a while so they started shooting with rubber guns. Banderas who of course has shot many blank firing guns in many films ruined several takes because he kept saying "pkow pkow" "pkow pkow" when he was shooting like a kid playing cowboy because shooting without blanks was so alien to him. Also I think there was a problem using blanks in some of the historic locations but could be confusing that with the fake bullet hits on the walls etc where they couldn't use squibs.
I remember seeing that on the making-of also.
They still look fake.
I have a lot of respect for Rodriquez, he's one of my favorites and someone a lot of our younger-generation filmmakers can relate with it. It's just I think he could have done a better job and made it more believable. There are even times when you hear one gunshot but slow it down and see two shots fired. I think that opening sequence I mentioned does that.
They still look fake.
I have a lot of respect for Rodriquez, he's one of my favorites and someone a lot of our younger-generation filmmakers can relate with it. It's just I think he could have done a better job and made it more believable. There are even times when you hear one gunshot but slow it down and see two shots fired. I think that opening sequence I mentioned does that.
bbalser
Veteran
Used to be AlamDV, but now it FX Lab or something like that. Haven't used the new software yet, but AlamDV used to give great effects like this really fast.
http://fxhome.com/
http://fxhome.com/
faultygoblin
Active member
This is something I've wanted to try with some Airsofts I picked up as well,
I think in a previous post (on this forum I believe) someone had mentioned about wiring up a micro butane torch or the like inside the gun?
You might need to re-inforce it with some additional metal and be very careful about over use, though propane and butane would look a different color perhaps some other gas...
other methods I recall hearing about would be affixing a light to strobe when the trigger is pulled, when used with proper lighting and acting it should look decentish.. Im for one not yet experienced enough with compositing to give that a go and expect decent results,
the airsofts have electrics and wiring in them already it shouldnt be too hard to modify them somehow,
but emphasis on acting, and sound would probably be more important then anything else...
maybe take the actors out to shoot at a range (with supervision)
I think in a previous post (on this forum I believe) someone had mentioned about wiring up a micro butane torch or the like inside the gun?
You might need to re-inforce it with some additional metal and be very careful about over use, though propane and butane would look a different color perhaps some other gas...
other methods I recall hearing about would be affixing a light to strobe when the trigger is pulled, when used with proper lighting and acting it should look decentish.. Im for one not yet experienced enough with compositing to give that a go and expect decent results,
the airsofts have electrics and wiring in them already it shouldnt be too hard to modify them somehow,
but emphasis on acting, and sound would probably be more important then anything else...
maybe take the actors out to shoot at a range (with supervision)
Aaron Marshall
Well-known member
Jack Daniel Stanley said:
That's very helpful Jack. Thanks.
faultygoblin:
good idea on the range, we talked about that as well. even if you just took someone to a range and filmed them firing a gun to have a reference for the muzzle flashes, it would help you know what's realistic. Just make sure you ask the range officer and abide by their rules.
good idea on the range, we talked about that as well. even if you just took someone to a range and filmed them firing a gun to have a reference for the muzzle flashes, it would help you know what's realistic. Just make sure you ask the range officer and abide by their rules.
SilverWolf
Veteran
If you can find someone with a dessert eagle you will see some great muzzle flashes
you could also go to
http://detonationfilms.com
and look at their real muzzle flashes
oh ... did I mention you can look at download and use real muzzle flashes at the above link?
:evil:
http://detonationfilms.com
and look at their real muzzle flashes
oh ... did I mention you can look at download and use real muzzle flashes at the above link?
:evil:
SilverWolf
Veteran
Hey jack where can you download Real Muzzle flashes from ?
lol,
I swear, I read your post and actually started to answer :grin:
LOOOONG DAY
I was goint to type
"err ... detonationfilms.com ... are you serious"
man ... I'm slippin'
I swear, I read your post and actually started to answer :grin:
LOOOONG DAY
I was goint to type
"err ... detonationfilms.com ... are you serious"
man ... I'm slippin'
you do what I have heard to in color grading as selective gamma
you can either do two layers of video
and for the few frames you want to light up do a matte punching a hole in a selected area of the above video while you crank the gamma or brightness or white level way up in the clip below ... this way creates an aura of brightness around the flair .. like say if your shooter is outside at night ... it might not light up the whole field but might light him up.
or if you want the whole room to light up and not a selected area, just crank the gamma, brightness, or white level for those frames -- easy
you can get as complex or as simple as you want with simple just brightening everything and complex doing an aura around the gun, a new highlight on the actors face, etc. with layers and masks and mattes.
Look at The ODD Squad either in the Sci Fest winners link below or on mu homepage link below and you will see a general brightening effect. The muzzle flairs are cheesy and the smoke is way exagerated because I was going for a stylized look
...
but in the scene with the blue mutant with nipple thingies on his head, a gun is fired off screen while there is a closeup of the mutants handcuffs which he is trying to lazer through at the moment ... when the offscreen gun goes off the screen lights up ... I think I cranked the overexposure slider in a bleach bypass filter to do this ... this is probably not actually how it would look, especially since they are outdoors on a sunny day, but psychologically the flash helps sell the offscreen gunshot.
you can either do two layers of video
and for the few frames you want to light up do a matte punching a hole in a selected area of the above video while you crank the gamma or brightness or white level way up in the clip below ... this way creates an aura of brightness around the flair .. like say if your shooter is outside at night ... it might not light up the whole field but might light him up.
or if you want the whole room to light up and not a selected area, just crank the gamma, brightness, or white level for those frames -- easy
you can get as complex or as simple as you want with simple just brightening everything and complex doing an aura around the gun, a new highlight on the actors face, etc. with layers and masks and mattes.
Look at The ODD Squad either in the Sci Fest winners link below or on mu homepage link below and you will see a general brightening effect. The muzzle flairs are cheesy and the smoke is way exagerated because I was going for a stylized look
...
but in the scene with the blue mutant with nipple thingies on his head, a gun is fired off screen while there is a closeup of the mutants handcuffs which he is trying to lazer through at the moment ... when the offscreen gun goes off the screen lights up ... I think I cranked the overexposure slider in a bleach bypass filter to do this ... this is probably not actually how it would look, especially since they are outdoors on a sunny day, but psychologically the flash helps sell the offscreen gunshot.