congoblues Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hello everyone, I'm a long time user of Blue Room and after a couple of days scratching my head it's time for my first appeal for your world of expertise... Here's the problem - I'm temporarily working at a school and the director of drama has asked me for an exploding fish bowl as if shot by a gun for use in an exam piece with students aged 16/17. I'll need about six of them (unless one can mysteriously be reused?!) on a very small budget indeed and with minimal shattering as actors will be within two or three metres from it. We have our own pyrotechnics kit (Prostage six-way, standard pods and cables) which I could operate myself if it comes to it but I'd like to try to find the safest solution. I'm told it's a key moment and is absolutly necessary for the show. Any ideas welcome! Thanks, Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scjb Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Sugar glass and a mouse-trap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Forget using pyro, it'll give the wrong visual impression. Shooting a fish tank will cause the glass to shatter but there won't be any smoke or flash at the tank. As you've identified your biggest issue is going to be fragment throw, and glass fragments aren't a good thing to throw around. I'd be thinking pre-cut plastic fish bowl and some mechanical devices here. Something to give a burst of water - maybe a prefilled hose and a big plunger/syringe/bicycle pump - and something to cause the bowl to 'shatter'. Maybe the water is in a plastic bag which you burst by increasing the pressure and this bag sits inside a pre-split bowl. The pressure of the bag bursting should split the bowl outwards. If you have access to compressed gases with suitable regulators that would give a pretty good instant effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
congoblues Posted February 4, 2008 Author Share Posted February 4, 2008 Brian - Like the bursting bag idea, that could work nicely and be pretty easy and cheap to do. Don't have compressed gas myself but might know someone who has... Not sure about the sugar glass - it's got to be picked up a couple of times with the water (or bag of water) inside - might be too fragile. Any more thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 ...picked up a couple of times with the water (or bag of water) inside...Any more thoughts?Solenoid under the table? Bowl sit on top and gets 'broken' from underneath? Add a hose alongside the solenoid for extra water splash... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
congoblues Posted February 4, 2008 Author Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hmm... Cheers Brian. I've done a bit of reading up on solenoids (never used one before) and rather like the idea of them but worried that I should know a lot about it before I go charging off and buy one. Is there anyone or anywhere you know of that would be a good place to start? I'm thinking size, type, powering it etc. I'll ask around at the school too, there must be an electronics teacher around here somewhere... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmills Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 A trick I used when I needed to 'shoot' a glass off a mantelpiece: Sugar glass on mantle, on the back of the flat you have a chunk of 3 by 2, hinged at the top, with a 6 inch nail hammered into it near the bottom that goes through a hole in the flat and hits the glass low down out of sight, causing it to fall. Bungee cord helps provide the power. To use, pull back and release smartly. With a little fiddling you can even get the shot sound effect as the batten hits the back of the flat. Goldfish are best carved from carrots! In fact, applying a little lateral thought, could you get a plastic fish tank, then replace part of the back with stretched clear latex (cut up Balloon or non lube condom?), then line things up so the nail hits that, causing an instant largish hole which water can pour out of, and knocking the tank to the floor which will result in more water, gravel and 'fish' going everywhere. Trigger the effect, you get a bang as the batten hits the flat (some bungee cord and a solid back to the flat are indicated), the fishtank goes flying with water flooding out everywhere. Pyro is not necessarily indicated but you could probably shatter sugar glass with a nonfragmenting microdet taped to it in a suitable position, it just feels like hard work and a blocking problem to make safety distances. Just a thought. Regards, Dan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Gordon Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Breakaway Effects offer a goldfish bowl in resin rather than sugar glass. I don't know how strong it would be, we had a quantity of lightbulbs from them last year; I managed to break one by poor handling rather than in the effect. It might well be outside your budget though; the bulbs cost us £6 each + VAT for a quantity, and their website shows bowls at £8 to £35. We tried using a solenoid (sound-triggered by a blank shot) to smash the bulb but couldn't get one with a long enough stroke and the lost motion in the linkage I devised made the effect too unreliable. We ended up with a member of crew thrusting and withdrawing a long 6mm metal pin through the scenery. ( A bit OT, but if anyone's interested, a 12V pea bulb wired through the light fitting into the bulb gave a very good effect). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
congoblues Posted February 5, 2008 Author Share Posted February 5, 2008 Malcolm - Thanks for the info. I just spoke to them and they said that they can fill the bowl in the workshop but cant guarantee success every time. They're £24+VAT each so not sure the director will go for it. I'm veering towards fashioning some sort of dmills/malcolm based idea with someone sat under the table (with a coat on!) and pinging a pin or nail attached to a block of wood through the table so that it shatters from the bottom. Any more ideas are very welcome though and thanks to everyone so far Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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