special effects

Adding Smoke F/X to Toys Using E-Cigarettes

Adding Smoke F/X to Toys Using E-Cigarettes

By Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. And he has a new best-of writing collection and “lazy man’s memoir,” called Borg Like Me.

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It’s easier than you might think to add a smoke effect to a model or prop.

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Adam Savage Learns About Creature Prop Restoration

Adam Savage Learns About Creature Prop Restoration

By Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. And he has a new best-of writing collection and “lazy man’s memoir,” called Borg Like Me.

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The painstaking preservation of the animatronic puppets from the Gremlin films.

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Nightmare Effects: The Evolution of a Horrifying Character Mask

Nightmare Effects: The Evolution of a Horrifying Character Mask

By Rachel Dagdagan

Rachel Dagdagan

A designer and maker since the little years, Rachel designs for film and commercial projects through her Oakland-based "The Gnome Studio," while regularly collaborating with special makeup effects group Pandora FX. Reach her on Twitter @thegnomestudio

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Learn how Oakland, California-based Pandora FX special effects brought the stuff of nightmares to life for a short indie horror film.

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The Surprising Practical Effects of the Star Wars Prequels

The Surprising Practical Effects of the Star Wars Prequels

By Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. And he has a new best-of writing collection and “lazy man’s memoir,” called Borg Like Me.

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The Star Wars prequels, seen as a turning point in computer generated imaging, were more model-intensive than you might think.

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DIY Hacks & How Tos: Glowing Treasure Chest

DIY Hacks & How Tos: Glowing Treasure Chest

By Jason Poel Smith

Jason Poel Smith

My name is Jason Poel Smith. I have an undergraduate degree in Engineering that is 50% Mechanical Engineering and 50% Electrical Engineering. I have worked in a variety of industries from hydraulic aerial lifts to aircraft tooling. I currently spend most of my time chasing around my new baby. In my spare time I make the how-to series "DIY Hacks and How Tos."

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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.

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DIY Hacks & How To’s: Haunted House Automation With Pressure Plates

DIY Hacks & How To’s: Haunted House Automation With Pressure Plates

By Jason Poel Smith

Jason Poel Smith

My name is Jason Poel Smith. I have an undergraduate degree in Engineering that is 50% Mechanical Engineering and 50% Electrical Engineering. I have worked in a variety of industries from hydraulic aerial lifts to aircraft tooling. I currently spend most of my time chasing around my new baby. In my spare time I make the how-to series "DIY Hacks and How Tos."

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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.

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Steel Wool on Fire: DIY Video Effects from the Pros

Steel Wool on Fire: DIY Video Effects from the Pros

By Stett Holbrook

Stett Holbrook

Stett Holbrook is editor of the Bohemian, an alternative weekly in Santa Rosa, California. He is a former senior editor at Maker Media.

He is also the co-creator of Food Forward, a documentary TV series for PBS about the innovators and pioneers changing our food system.

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Eli Stonberg and Jeff Greco are Fourclops, an interactive video directorial team. Their video for Au Revoir Simone’s “Knight of Wands” was nominated for “Most Innovative Music Video” in the MTV O Music Awards. Their work has been featured on the Creators Project, the Los Angeles Times, ESPN TV, and Mashable and clients include Coca Cola, Blu Dot, Smirnoff, Passion Pit, and Tune Yards. It’s inspiring to know that they created some of their special effects with simple household items like milk, food coloring, steel wool, and Alka-Seltzer. Anyone can do them.

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