Archive for August, 2009
It’s a law of nature that hot air rises, which is why low-hanging fog can be such a difficult effect to pull off during theatrical productions. Still, certain shows call for a dreamy, fantastical atmosphere that is best portrayed with the presence of fog. There’s nothing worse than all-encompassing fog that obscures the performers’ faces, however. It becomes necessary to strike the perfect balance.
At first, many directors and stage hands turned to dry ice “pea souper” machines, which disperse ground-hugging carbon dioxide gas. Although suitable for creating the desired effect, these machines are exceedingly difficult to use and maintain. Fog machines with built-in coolers are specially equipped to create low lying fog. These machines run on fog juice rather than dry ice, and they are many times easier to handle.
My parents aren’t always supportive of my decision to study film at college. They tend to voice the same old tired objections: How will you get a job out of school? Why do you need to pay for course credit just to watch movies? Wouldn’t you prefer to go to medical school? The fact is, I enjoy making movies more than anything else in life. And anyway, I cover all of my own expenses with a day job at a restaurant.
The latest project I’ve been working on is a horror movie that requires a number of special effects. It goes without saying that I’m on a shoestring budget, but I still needed to establish a spooky atmosphere. Several of the scenes take place in a dark churchyard afterhours, so I used a smoke machine to create fog effects. The script could probably use a bit of work, but the shots I have so far are perfect.