How to Create Realistic Grenade Explosions for a War Film

[tk1142]

I'm in the brainstorming process before the writing and need about twenty minutes of realistic War fighting. I was wanting to put a couple explosions in from grenades. I know of different ways to combine small explosions in front of a blue screen and inserting them in front of the person, but I'm not sure if I want to go that route. Does anyone know of a way that would be legal and safe? It would have to have debris, rocks, dirt, grass etc... in the explosion because it's outside.

 

[Nick Jushchyshyn]

You can use a hidden leaf blower loaded with talc powder, leaves and other debris.

 

[pepper]

When Steven Spielberg was a kid he was making a war movie with his friends. In one scene they needed bullets hitting the dirt around a kid who was running. So what he did was he got a stick about 14 in long and made a tiny “see-saw”. He then buried one end of it in the dirt. They then set up several of these “see-saws’ So now when a kid was running, he would step on the raised end of the “see-saw’ and that would launch the dirt into the air. I told you that to fuel the fires of your imagination.


Or


In our movie a M203 grenade launcher is shot, the scene runs like this

1. Soldier shoots the nade
2. Tracers go in between the camera and him
3. You hear the explosion
4. Camera pans to the “digitally inserted” plume of smoke coming from the tree line

It wasn’t necessary for the audience to see the explosion, you just have to plant the mental cues in their head.


pep

 

[tyguy2021]

Or you could use a pneumatic air cannon, like they did on Saints and Soldiers. Just Google it, they're easy and fairly cheap to make.

 

[Goose]

This is a slightly less realistic approach... But a lot safer and tweakable. Check out Particle Illusion and the effects that program can create... you could put in the explosion... dirt, rocks, even grass...

Sorry if you were after a more... 'down and dirty' response.

 

[amdelo]

Try air pressure with an air tank or mortar with something like 125 psi. That should be enough pressure to blow small explosions. Also, try creating dust pellets and firing them with a paintball gun to simulate gun shots. I know they use this on some shows.

 

[Dr. Hannibal Lecter]

Whatever you do, do not use real dirt or rock; that is extremely dangerous. What they used on ID4 was cut up egg cartons, chopped up cork, and fuller's earth. These are all safe and fairly cheap.