When you are planning a party, it is vital to make preparations well in advance and include a variety of entertainment and special features. We’ve all had to endure those parties that simply have a table of stale hors d’oeuvres and old music from the 80’s blaring. As I was planning my latest Christmas party, I wanted to be sure that my guests would remember it, and for the right reasons.
In my experience, one surefire method to creating a great party is instituting a theme. While I was conjuring up my vision of the party, I new that I wanted to have a unique ambiance. I outfitted my home with somewhat traditional holiday decorations, but I decided to add a fog machine and transform it into a holiday fog party. Although I am slightly biased, I think that the party was a hit.
As I was driving to work today, a thick layer of fog suddenly descended upon me. After a few minutes of fighting to gain visibility, the fog suddenly lifted and revealed a majestic sun rise with shades of orange, pink and lavender. While I pondered the miraculous nature of Mother Nature, I realized that humans have been ingenious enough to recreate many of these amazing phenomena.
Creating any sort of weather used to be a thing of science fiction, but today it is a reality. Making fog for stage shows and home parties is commonplace and simple for anyone with a basic machine. With the help of crystals and other reflective elements, we can even recreate the stunning colors of the rainbow.
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.