Does Special Effects Enhance Your Enjoyment of Videos?

[Dr Don]

The detail you describe Dr. Don, going so far as to add subtle variations on bruising effects over time, is one of the reasons you have the reputation you do as a master of special effects. And perhaps one of the reasons I do not.

My productions were always greatly pressed for time. In my later days I was for instance often pressed to create as many as 15 videos a week and I had to do that (and support myself and three part time staff while paying for a studio) on only $1500. a week. So you can imagine, I learned to do things like makeup effects very quickly.

OMG!! I had difficulty with one video update every 2 weeks!! I sure appreciated Holly's husband helping with the moulage and any other assistance he could offer. It's incredibly difficult to do everything on your own, but you did it anyway, so my hat is off for you.

[Bluestone]

Well, this has turned out to be a very popular thread. As for my special effects, I use very similar methods to all of the producers who have posted so far, but have found, like Peter, that I cannot spend too much time in set-up, unless it is a custom production which is helping to cover the costs. I have therefore modified the techniques that I was originally taught, in order to allow me to film more material in less amount of time. I still use f/x for all of my shootings, except for the toy gun ones, but I've used shortcuts in order to cut down on the time required to prepare the wounds for filming.

I agree with the posters who have indicated that f/x is only part of the production. I am a strong believer in also having a creative plot, good acting, sexy costuming, and high quality production values. Together, all of these elements make for a superior production.

One thing about special effects is that it is a medium that always allows for improvement. I recently released a knife throw video that featured a digital knife throw as opposed to the manual knife throw that was featured toward the end of my Kat of 9 Tales series. These are simply two ways of accomplishing the same end. I'm sure there are many many more ways to make and improve this effect. I will keep striving to make my own f/x better and better, and I'm sure that all of the other producers here are committed to doing the same.

Blue

[tommygun]

For me, the special effects are critical. As with John, I love smaller holes in fabrics (the old exploding squibs that turn a shirt into ribbons are totally "fake" for me), which can certainly be done well using compositing techniques. Then, having really good gel-effect wounds that blend well with the skin, but offer a real "hole" for application of running blood, make a huge difference on exposed skin scenes.

The application of blood itself is an art, regardless of whether you want lots or little (I'm a "more blood" sort of guy, for whatever reason.) But the key is to have it be applied small amount by small amount with each little shift of the camera, so it seems to be "flowing" rather than going from "none" to "drenched."

And then there's the actress! She has to get the grunts, groans, gasps and collapse just right as these special effects scenes progress.

With that in mind, the actual filming of a shooting scene itself (or stabbing, or whatever) really has to slow down so that the special effects work can have all the right tape footage for the final product to look "real". It's not easy! We ought to have annual "Shooties" with awards for the best Shooting Effects each year!

[JohnM]

For me, the special effects are critical. As with John, I love smaller holes in fabrics (the old exploding squibs that turn a shirt into ribbons are totally "fake" for me), which can certainly be done well using compositing techniques.

I went retro on a custom I put out a couple weeks ago called "F***ed and Shot". Using makup and digital I created squib-like explosions...it was really messy. It worked a lot better then the spray-pump method and, of course, safer then the explosive blood condom method.



The messy rest.
http://pkfstudios.com/samples/squibish/

Another time that I strayed from my normal method was my homage to Crank 2 movie:


I even put silicone oozing out of her implants (but the effect did not really show).

Effects are great. It is fun to experiment, but also, like Peter, Blue and others--time to spend on them is exceptionally short.

JohnM

[tummyshooter]

I'm curious Smudger, but does it absolutely have to be digital effects or squibs, or can it be simply workable editing that doesn't break the suspension of disbelief? As a for instance, I offer this 30 second sample of gunshot effects: A Hail of Gunfire: Delphine - Demo (0.5 meg only)

No special effects per say, just judicious editing and attention to good continuity and timing.

If I may jump in here uninvited, I agree with the next Smudger post. Editing can only go so far. Squibs and digital editing is the way to go. Furthermore, something that is really needed for realism that I have never seen. If you poke a hole in somebody, blood is going to keep coming out, not just a little splash...then nothing.

[smudger]

Cheers, buddy, but so far as I can tell that isn't the invariable rule for gunshots. Of course it will happen if a major blood vessel is damaged but equally there may be little if any external bleeding. If there are any doctors or ER people on here maybe they can put us right. I have read reports where gunshot wounds passed unnoticed because there wasn't any external blood. That Entwhistle case was one in point, no one noticed at first his wife had been shot twice. My own feeling is that things need to look realistic, but that covers a bit of ground. Perhaps that little spurt of blood is just poetic licence so to speak.

[JohnM]

If you poke a hole in somebody, blood is going to keep coming out, not just a little splash...then nothing.

Depends, as Smudger also said above. I know a couple of doctors and over the years of doing this was given advise and real life stories. An argument can be made for every situation. I have certainly done blood-tubed shootings. They are fun too. But, I don't do them often and it has nothing to do with whether the would is going to be a gusher or a dam. It has to do with what the fetish fantasy customer wants.

In general, most want "a little red hole and a trickle of blood".

In all my years of doing this, I have never, ever received complaints about too little blood. But, "oh boy", if that bloody threshold is broken, I get a few emails. Of course, with all the previews I show, descriptions and what not, those emails are simply that, "this is how I would have liked it" type. But, none-the-less, I never get emails for too little blood.

Now, personally, I like blood. Not because "I Like Blood", but because I like creating effects. Digital, or live effects--it does not matter to me. That palette of "colors" is all I care about and what I can do with them. Finding that combination that get me emails like on my last one: "I can't believe you used explosive squibs", or this gem, "that was disgusting--leave the brains in her head next time---I would still fuck her though". Those type of comments, make it all worth while. :-)

JohnM

[Dalila di Capri]

Both John and Tummyshooter are correct.

For those who like only a thin trickle of blood in their fantasy you can get to "too much" very quickly.

On the other hand my personal experience with being stabbed in RL prompts me to ask John this question:

Which doctor did you ask?

I bled. A lot, way more than any of my bloodiest movies.

I cannot say that the same is true about gunshots because I am not a doctor and I have never been shot in RL

But with the stabbings I am holding back on the blood, even in my older bloodier films, for the sake of the fans and their tastes.

Baci

[Dalila di Capri]

I'm with you guys on this. Only I get emails that go both ways. If I cut back, I'm told I need to use more. If I use more, I'm told to cut back. All you can really do is do a variety and make sure the description clearly indicates either a lot of blood or small amount of blood. That why you leave it in their hands as to whether they want to see it or not. I think the picture previews should tell a person a lot as well.

I never get requests for more blood. Only less. (And I make plenty of "red dot" shootings these days. The recent free preview is an example.)

I am curious Paul, where do your own tastes lie. Given how realistic your special effects are I would guess that you like a realistic amount of blood as well.

Is that true?

[JohnM]

Which doctor did you ask?

An ER doctor friend I have. Some types of heart shots do not bleed. Stomach wounds typically bleed a lot. Head wound typically a lot. Neck a lot. Obviously some of it depends on if the bullet severs an artery as to whether it becomes a gusher. Some torso hits result in a lot of bleeding, but is is mostly internal. Lung shots don't bleed that much. Through and throughs sometime do not bleed that much. Leg and arm shots usually bleed a lot. It is also dependent on heart position and the flow of blood is dependent in if the heart is still pumping.

Because of the amount of diversity, a fantasy producer can easily make them bloodily or not bloody regardless of the hit point.

JohnM

[Dalila di Capri]

Mine was an abdominal stabbing which would explain the quantity of blood I lost according to your ER source.

I agree with you that because this is a fantasy we are free to use the amounts of blood that satisfies the fans we have in mind.

Ironically when I do a gutting I don't need to use quite as much blood because the guts take the place of blood alone.

An intersting subject.

Baci

[Bluestone]

I think the other factor with some gunshot wounds is that the bullet may plug the hole and prevent a lot of bleeding. Obviously, this would not happen with a stabbing, unless the knife was left in. I consulted an ambulance attendant, who relayed a lot of the various situations that he had run across in his job.

Blue

[gold]

Its great that its role playing. The models IMHO really give it a go regardless of the fx.The producers also should be commended to get the shots they do and still keep the action as a fantasy concept. Some classy models perform for their fans to give them their fantasies. They are compensated well but the personal mentoring their skills is what is appreciated

[elsullo]

Greetings! I am shamelessly bumping this missive to the top again, mostly out of frustration and hopelessness. You see, except for AnnesDreams and maybe John M and Hank S, everybody who is currently producing to cater to the hanging fantasy fetish is PRODUCING CRAP! I suppose those producers wonder why their work does not sell well? It's because they are PRODUCING CRAP! There are LOTS of hanging fetishists who would buy videos and photosets IF they were well done (and did not use teenage models!). BUT IT'S ALL CRAP these days! Any hanging productions with the model's head tilted BACKWARD and the noose drooping loose down her neck are like a beacon flashing brightly, "FAKE, FAKE, FAKE, AND WE DON'T CARE!" Producers, if you don't care about the hanging fetish, why not just give up trying to capitalize on it?...................elsullo

I'd like to address the special effects used to simulate hangings, my particular fetish. Generally, the special effects done to simulate full suspension hangings are utterly awful and completely distract from the drama and eroticism. It is really much more appropriate to just do quick cuts between the "hanging" actress who's neck is actually being slightly stretched, and her dangling feet, rather than a poor attempt to make her look suspended. Most of these suspension efforts are cheap, lazy, quick and crappy. This is especially bad whe cheap producers use cheap, skinny clothesline rather than investing in actual rope, as if they were sincere about the hanging fetish!

I won't name all of the offenders (EWP is the worst), but harness hangings are just awful and blatantly obvious. The poor actress is obviously supported by her crotch and her posture and center of gravity are just all wrong and completely distracting. Her spine and neck are clearly compressed and arched, rather than stretched. She has to end up with her head bent BACKWARD, which in reality could only happen if the noose was in front of her chin. This is like a beacon flashing, "FAKE FAKE FAKE." Sadly, producers look at the lousy EWP fakery and think that this must be the way to do it---WRONG!

Since the suspension rope and the neck rope are separate in these faulty simulations, the neck rope that is supposedly hanging her usually is drooping down nearer her collarbones rather than tight up under her chin as if it were a real hanging. Again, a drooping rope around the neck of a supposedly hanged actress is just blatantly fake, and robs all realism from the fantasy. Need I mention that actually SEEING the harness under her clothing is a complete waste of a good fantasy? Do the producers even wonder why that product does not sell?

Obviously, no actress wants to really hang for her art, so untill a producer wants to really invest in the metal work that a realistic hanging harness would entail, it has got to be represented by quick cuts between the actress with her beautiful neck slightly stretched and her dangling legs. A BAD fake suspension is worse than not even attempting it..................elsullo

[JohnM]

elsullo--I completely agree.

But, in defense of a lot of mew producers, it is hard to do a good hanging. Even with the two-shot method, which is what I use, paying attention to head, tilt, position of the noose and several other factors is difficult. On top of that, they producer often is working with someone who has never pretended to be hanged in their life. And, lets face it, except for a few of us that have been directing for years, most people, unless gifted with natural talent, are not going to be good at directing every type of scenario. And, hangings are complicated by those other, very important elements I mentioned above, not to mention the direction of the talent. And, finally, all this they are doing not with a large crew, seasoned talent, and food services cart---but with the local Starbucks girl, a guy with a camera, $100, rope from Home Depot, and a prayer that no one gets hurt. Playing with ropes and necks has to be a careful game.


It is interesting that you mention EWP---or I am assuming that is who you meant, because I cannot remember them ever doing a head hanging forward hanging. By nature of their harness gimmick, that is simply the way it has to be to ensure balance. They had to choose.......lean the head back with a fairly vertical hang, or lean the head forward for a obvious angled hanging. I suspect they went with the first choice because it is harder to suspend disbelief when some is hanging crooked. That being said, as a hanging fetishist myself, I have learned to accept what they do. The only real thing that bugs me is when they have their legs spread apart rather then straight down, tows pointed. Again, this is a technical matter they cannot get around without going to an underarm only harness. Those hurt---and there are other problems associated, mostly to do with the main over-riding problem, center of gravity.

In any case, I have done a lot of research on how to do a proper harness hanging. Now, if only I could come up with the 2-3K to manufacture the custom rigging...I would be set. Anyone....anyone...:-)

Anyway, I will keep trying, others will keep trying. There will be good ones that come out. I guess some good news I can give you is that the few you found are probably coveted material that you can go back to again and again and they last longer then a Hollywood snippet.

Thanks,
JohnM