Join Us for a Chat With Filmmakers from the Maker Faire Two-Minute Film Festival!
Join Dale Dougherty for a Fireside Chat with Derek Kessler, Ana Roure, and David Thulin; participants of the inaugural Maker Faire Two-Minute Film Festival.
special effects
Adding Smoke F/X to Toys Using E-Cigarettes
It’s easier than you might think to add a smoke effect to a model or prop.
Adam Savage Learns About Creature Prop Restoration
The painstaking preservation of the animatronic puppets from the Gremlin films.
Nightmare Effects: The Evolution of a Horrifying Character Mask
Learn how Oakland, California-based Pandora FX special effects brought the stuff of nightmares to life for a short indie horror film.
The Surprising Practical Effects of the Star Wars Prequels
The Star Wars prequels, seen as a turning point in computer generated imaging, were more model-intensive than you might think.
DIY Hacks & How Tos: Glowing Treasure Chest
We have all seen movies and TV show where someone opens a treasure chest and the treasure inside is so shiny that the container is glowing as soon as it is opened. I thought that this would make a great effect for Christmas presents. So I made a small treasure chest with a built-in light that turns on when it is opened. The lights are activated by a normally open momentary switch.
DIY Hacks & How To’s: Haunted House Automation With Pressure Plates
One of the best parts of a haunted house is the automated special effects. To make sure that the effects are well timed, you need sensors to detect where your guests are in the haunted house. Over the next few weeks I am going to show you a variety of simple sensors that you can use to automate your Halloween setup. This week I am going to show you how to make a simple DIY pressure plate switch to automate your haunted house.