Fire effects panel

[Ron Smith]

Hi, I am aware that a lot of cinematographers and gaffers build their own fire effects unit out of a wooden panel with a bunch of household bulb sockets and some device to turn bulbs on and off. How would I get started on building one of these?

 

[Michael Totten]

There are different ways to achieve the look of firelight... one inexpensive way is to rig a bunch of small household bulbs on a circuit and then use a flicker box. Use a mixture of CTO and theatrical reds to mimic the variable CT of fire.
Also, to sell the fire it's nice to have a flame in the shot... there is propane SFX rig designed specifically for this. The rig enables you to put the flames where ever you want and cheat a shot "through" the flame.
I'm pretty sure there was an article in American Cinematographer 2009 / - where the DP/Gaffer of "There will be Blood" mention this technique.

With some basic handyman/electrical skills and a trip to Home Depot you can build one of these rigs in an afternoon.

 

[Ron Smith]

There are different ways to achieve the look of firelight... one inexpensive way is to rig a bunch of small household bulbs on a circuit and then use a flicker box. Use a mixture of CTO and theatrical reds to mimic the variable CT of fire.
Also, to sell the fire it's nice to have a flame in the shot... there is propane SFX rig designed specifically for this. The rig enables you to put the flames where ever you want and cheat a shot "through" the flame.
I'm pretty sure there was an article in American Cinematographer 2009 / - where the DP/Gaffer of "There will be Blood" mention this technique.

With some basic handyman/electrical skills and a trip to Home Depot you can build one of these rigs in an afternoon.

What kind of shapes would you use for rigging the bulbs - thin and long? Short and fat? Square? Circle? 2ft by 2ft? 3 ft by 3 ft? 2ft by 6 ft?

Also, how do you usually go about gelling small household bulbs? They seem to be a lot harder to gel than standard light fixtures.

Also, what's a good inexpensive flicker box that is good for this?

 

[paulherrin]

I actually just did a major dialogue scene in a short film using an actual campfire and some reflectors for my key light, and it worked surprisingly well... you just want to have a bunch of logs on hand and someone dedicated to tend the fire. It is a bit of a hassle, but I wouldn't have changed a thing about it. Not sure if that's possible to have any practical, non SFX fire, but it worked for me!

 

[Ron Smith]

I actually just did a major dialogue scene in a short film using an actual campfire and some reflectors for my key light, and it worked surprisingly well... you just want to have a bunch of logs on hand and someone dedicated to tend the fire. It is a bit of a hassle, but I wouldn't have changed a thing about it. Not sure if that's possible to have any practical, non SFX fire, but it worked for me!

Good idea by using the silver reflector. What ISO and stop were you shooting at?

 

[paulherrin]

Good idea by using the silver reflector. What ISO and stop were you shooting at?

I have that information somewhere, but off the top of my head, ISO was 800 and I was shooting somewhere around T2 on a Canon 50mm prime, so that was important for letting light get to the sensor. 180 degree shutter. I do actually remember I stopped down slightly to protect my highlights and deepen focus just a touch. Can't remember exactly what I set for WB... you'll want to do some experimentation. I did also have a Kinoflo providing some soft gelled "moonlight" fill, but I was getting plenty of light from the fire, with actor's sitting at a normal, comfortable distance from it.

I'm not saying it's the best or only way to go, just that it's what I did and it worked well for me.

On MX, I would shoot 800 and try to get as low as you can get lens-wise. I would say that RPP's would be perfect, but you can perhaps handle a zoom, or obviously some other T-2(ish) or lower lenses. Obviously just prepare for some fun focus pulling if anything is moving. Other than that, make sure you certainly have someone whose sole responsibility is maintaining the fire. Also, just to note, the size of the fire I made was relatively small, just an average campfire using regular old logs. Originally, I was going to use a substantially larger fire, but after some tests, I quickly realized a smaller fire would give me the light I needed, and a lot more flexibility to shoot around and work with. A bigger fire would produce much more light (and heat). (Also remember that reflectors will certainly reflect heat as well. You can put some of those wherever you want, but I found a good place was around the opposite side of the fire, as well as to my key side for the face.) Just make sure you have proper burn permits/permission/insurance/etc and take proper precautions with your cast and crew as well as the equipment.

Also remember, there are a lot of other valid methods to explore, and probably some that haven't yet been explored... how about playing the Yule Log (ask Mark Pederson) on a big LCD display haha... but seriously, you probably could. plus everyone loves the Yule Log...