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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Best portable fogger/smoker?

Shawn Nelson

Shawn Nelson

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What I'd like is to be able to be in an outdoor remote location and throw up a lot of atmospheric fog/haze/smoke quickly. Mostly for wooded locations. What's the best non-electrical solution for this?

I was on a Sony shoot once and they were using these portable gas-powered foggers that put out thick smoke that would hang really well. Here is a picture of one that I happened to get in the corner of my frame. I googled TF35 and couldnt find anything useful.
 
Dry ice?

EDIT: Maybe I took you too literally shawn, I thought you meant total non-powered alternatives...
 
Shawn, talk to Finner, he has a lot experience with various methods for smoke/fog/haze in outdoor sets. I remember him discussing it before here, though not specifically your request for non-powered.
 
Shawn what you have in your pic is an Igeba green they also make a gold version. They are very loud but pump out smoke like a SOB. If you want smoke at a budget price you need black tube (thick garbage bag tubing that is still in its roll and has not yet had its seams melted and perefated to make garbage bags.) This can be obtained from a garbage bag factory but you need to make the right contacts a SPFX rental house will sell them to you. Then rent your typical carpet fan http://www.cleanfreak.com/cardry1.htm these can be rented from home depot or other home rental places. Then rent depending on how much smoke you need but I would recomend 2 rosco 1700 (newest series the 1600 or 1500 work pretty much the same)http://www.smokemachines.net/buy-rosco-1700.shtml you can get these at most rock show rental places. You want 2 because they cool down fairly quick.

So here is what you do:

1 Roll out the tube the distance you need smoke in the background ****Pay close attention to the wind as thats where the smoke will go and you will not beat the wind, ever, ever!

2. Tie off the end of the tube when you get it where you want it. Usually the tube comes wrapped on a fairly heavy cardboard cylinder so you can just spin it a few times when you get it where you want it to be able to block off the tube.

3. Duct tape on the open end of the tube to the carpet fan.

4. Turn on the carpet fan and let the tube fill with air.

5. Turn smoke machines on aiming them directly at the squirel cage of the carpet fan and fill tube with smoke.

6.walk down the tube with a knife making small holes every so often ***** It is always easier to go back and make more holes or bigger holes so go small and spread them out at first, then go bigger and more if needed.

7. You now have a full backgound of smoke that 1 person can run.

Check this SPFX rental house out http://www.creative-effects.com/Special_Effects_Props/special_effects_props.html#tube-of-death

There are many more if you look. The smoke can also come from Hessy machines that are SPFX specific and run on propane. They are not that much to rent.

Best option though is to hire a SPFX guy who knows the gear and how to run it and gives you good effects that you ask for and don't need to worry about. There are a few people here that try and do every job and probably can do a marginal job at them all but just barely. The question is do you want to direct? Well then Direct! Do you want to DP? Well then DP! Do you want to be a sound guy? Well then do sound! Do you want to be a SPFX coordinator? Well then do SPFX! By trying to do and be everything you just become mediocre and limit your potential.
 
Hey Darren, thanks for the reply, I will keep that in mind.

That said, I did ask for a technique that involved no power, and yours involves multiple electrical foggers.

I completely concure with hiring a SPFX guy to do your stuff, I'm not one of those tries-to-do-everything indies (against all appearances as it would be).

Rather, I want a good non-powered fogger so that I can grab simple stock shots when I'm not on a big crew day, so I can just pitch it in the back of my vehicle, throw some atmosphere up and get the shot.

I don't want to be SPFX, I just want to be able to indiscriminately throw shitloads of smoky fog into the woods.

Sorta like this
 
Shawn Nelson said:
That said, I did ask for a technique that involved no power, and yours involves multiple electrical foggers.
Click to expand...

Thats why I said it was the budget route.

If you want hessy's and Igeba's to run smoke you are looking at $500 -$1,000 a day for starters.
 
But since you did type out such a cool technique, do you have a picture of what sort of effect your tube-o-fog produces?
 
Finner said:
If you want hessy's and Igeba's to run smoke you are looking at $500 -$1,000 a day for starters.
Click to expand...

You can flat-out buy the IGEBA TF-35 Thermal for $1800 from a place up in Canada called Hollynorth's.
 
Ever seen Unforgiven? I did the SPFX for that and it had a few big smoke scenes.
 
Shawn Nelson said:
You can flat-out buy the IGEBA TF-35 Thermal for $1800 from a place up in Canada called Hollynorth's.
Click to expand...

And I assume you know where to get the correct glycol mixture and the maintenance keep it running? Burn it to hot and she will clog forever or worse yet burn right up. SPFX guys don't get paid $600 for 10 because anyone can do it. Also the Igeba is not just something you haul around in your car unless you don't care if it smells like oil forever and stains up the back seat because it won't fit in the trunk.
 
Finner said:
Ever seen Unforgiven? I did the SPFX for that and it had a few big smoke scenes.
Click to expand...

Not yet, it's on the to-watch list. Hmm, I guess I didn't know what you did. I assumed you were a DP of some sorts. Well that's cool.
 
Started in SPFX, now I direct/DP
 
Shawn Nelson said:
What I'd like is to be able to be in an outdoor remote location and throw up a lot of atmospheric fog/haze/smoke quickly. Mostly for wooded locations. What's the best non-electrical solution for this?
Click to expand...

easy - my assistant editor, dunhill-flavored.
 
Finner said:
The question is

do you want to direct? Well then Direct!

Do you want to DP? Well then DP!

Do you want to be a sound guy? Well then do sound!

Do you want to be a SPFX coordinator? Well then do SPFX!

By trying to do and be everything you just become mediocre and limit your potential.
Click to expand...

Very Great nice Basics Finner ,this is really good thinking :calm:
 
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