Setting paper on fire, without touching it
- Thread starter Azmyth
- Start date
FrameFarmMedia
Veteran
What sort of shots are you using to show this? One take wide or cuts to close ups?
I wonder if you could rig up something that would send an electric current through a thin loup of wire getting hot and lighting the paper on fire? I swear I've seen something like that before. Of course it would all depend on how small you make it. If someone has a long sleeved shirt you could run it up the cuff and behind the note if held a certain way.
That is the best I got other than doing it in post effects but that rarely looks genuine on a small budget.
I wonder if you could rig up something that would send an electric current through a thin loup of wire getting hot and lighting the paper on fire? I swear I've seen something like that before. Of course it would all depend on how small you make it. If someone has a long sleeved shirt you could run it up the cuff and behind the note if held a certain way.
That is the best I got other than doing it in post effects but that rarely looks genuine on a small budget.
Use a redox reaction. Here is a demonstration http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G-EhypAWAg
of this http://chemistry.about.com/od/funfireprojects/a/make-chemical-fire.htm
of this http://chemistry.about.com/od/funfireprojects/a/make-chemical-fire.htm
S. Matthews
Well-known member
e-matches for model rockets could work as a quick solution with some wire removal, or clever hiding of the rig and wires. Though I'm not sure if they would be able to light a piece of paper even doused with fuel on fire but then again it's been a while since I've used them.
Azmyth
Veteran
I'm thinking the easiest way might be to time the shot, so that when the actor notices the paper, its already been "set on fire"
My question is now.. basically the scene is this..
Actor is talking on phone...
Actor had previously tossed a crumpled note into the floor that her friends left her..
Actor looks up and notices the paper is smoking, and then it catches on fire..
she freaks out and drops the phone...
My question is now.. basically the scene is this..
Actor is talking on phone...
Actor had previously tossed a crumpled note into the floor that her friends left her..
Actor looks up and notices the paper is smoking, and then it catches on fire..
she freaks out and drops the phone...
FrameFarmMedia
Veteran
Could you use an audio cue like the smoke detector going off to draw the actors attention to this crumpled paper being on fire? A smoke detector implies that it started smoking first so you can just cut to it on fire or the wastebasket on fire (if you wanted a bigger fire).
Azmyth
Veteran
Then get some flash paper from a magic shop. You can probably ignite it using a single strand of copper wire from a piece of zip cord. Ni-chrome wire would work even better.
Reminds me of Paranormal Activity, the ouija board catching on fire: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xhqyha_the-ouija-board-is-set-on-fire_shortfilms .
Watched that scene over once or twice. Looks to me like the fire comes from a particular direction, as if someone lit it, then scampered off. Presumably effect was accomplished in one of the two obvious ways: either with a simple editing cut, removing the person and lighter from the action, or with masking out against a clean background plate.
Watched that scene over once or twice. Looks to me like the fire comes from a particular direction, as if someone lit it, then scampered off. Presumably effect was accomplished in one of the two obvious ways: either with a simple editing cut, removing the person and lighter from the action, or with masking out against a clean background plate.
Could you soak or spray the paper in something flammable, and then maybe hit it with an infrared laser that can burn? I know you would see the IR dot, since CMOS/CCDs can pick it up, but maybe you could edit it out.
Maybe you could put the laser so the beam just hovers over the surface and it ignites the fumes? That way you would barely see anything. Not sure if it would work though.
But it would be an interesting experiment!
Maybe you could put the laser so the beam just hovers over the surface and it ignites the fumes? That way you would barely see anything. Not sure if it would work though.
But it would be an interesting experiment!
David W. Richardson
Chapelgrove Films
First, write the note on flash paper.
Then, ignite the flash paper from off-camera using a flying ball of fire produced by this little gizmo....
http://www.dreamlandmagic.com/flash-gun.html
Then, ignite the flash paper from off-camera using a flying ball of fire produced by this little gizmo....
http://www.dreamlandmagic.com/flash-gun.html
Noiz2
Sound Ninja
Wow those are some complicated solutions.
First off all of the chemical fire formulas involve either very toxic or very dangerous chemicals. The first is the safest but my experience with it has been that it was a bit slow to act and mostly just got hot. You could combine that wit a bit of flash powder and probably get close to what you want.
Flash paper can be had a magic shops. It burns VERY fast so it may be too fast for what you want. A bit of flash paper under the crumpled paper would probably get you going. You want to fire it electrically. The cheapest easiest "squib" to use is an old christmas light. Carefully crush the bulb around the filament so you still have the back of the bulb intact but the filament is exposed. When you hit it with a battery it will get white hot and melt setting off the flash paper/ powder etc.
DO NOT use AC power, you could kill someone.
Personally I would probably do the burst in to flame practically and CG in the smoke, or squirts some in the paper with a tube and a PA with a cigarette.
You will also want to get a "clean plate" of the shot so you can remove wires etc. You can create it in Photoshop after the fact but shoot a few frames of the floor before you rig the paper and save your self the trouble.
First off all of the chemical fire formulas involve either very toxic or very dangerous chemicals. The first is the safest but my experience with it has been that it was a bit slow to act and mostly just got hot. You could combine that wit a bit of flash powder and probably get close to what you want.
Flash paper can be had a magic shops. It burns VERY fast so it may be too fast for what you want. A bit of flash paper under the crumpled paper would probably get you going. You want to fire it electrically. The cheapest easiest "squib" to use is an old christmas light. Carefully crush the bulb around the filament so you still have the back of the bulb intact but the filament is exposed. When you hit it with a battery it will get white hot and melt setting off the flash paper/ powder etc.
DO NOT use AC power, you could kill someone.
Personally I would probably do the burst in to flame practically and CG in the smoke, or squirts some in the paper with a tube and a PA with a cigarette.
You will also want to get a "clean plate" of the shot so you can remove wires etc. You can create it in Photoshop after the fact but shoot a few frames of the floor before you rig the paper and save your self the trouble.