Today we have yet another death of a water balloon. In this particular situation, the balloon was in a gold fish bowl.
Materials
A goldfish bowl.
A water balloon, blue.
Observation
This is an interesting shot. Primarily because the water is contained and cannot escape in the normal manner by which water likes to escape. The water, not being aware that it was trapped in a goldfish bowl, still tries to escape to no avail. Having failed to notice that it failed to escape the water continues about its business of playing with gravity in a not entirely unpleasing manner. The bubbles are neat too.
Today we take a look at a can of air duster being lifted from a shallow pan of water.
Materials
A shallow 10″ pan.
Water.
A can of compressed air.
Procedure
Place the can in the center of the pan, lift.
Observations
The curvature of the bottom of the can of compressed air creates a suction as the can is lifted, lifting the water along with it. This is kind of neat to watch as the suction lets go and the water that was pulled up is released. This is a good opportunity to look at formation of water drops on a surface. There are a few neat splashes in there towards the end as well.
I finally got around to filming some new stuff today. I apologize for the delay. Today we take a look at compressed air being blown into a shallow pan of water.
Materials
A shallow 10″ pan.
Water.
A can of compressed air.
Procedure
Hold the air can nozzle about 4-6″ away from the pan at a fairly low angle, perhaps 30 degrees or so. Fire away.
Observations
This is a fun look at how water and air interact when the air is under high-pressure. You can see how the air gets under the water and forms large bubbles as it displaces the water. The way in which the bubbles burst is quite interesting to look at. The waves and ripples in the water are also very interesting to observe. I love how chaotic the whole effect is.
This is a shot of water pouring off of my roof into a puddle.
Materials
Fan type sprinkler.
Procedure
Direct the spray so it is hitting your roof fairly high up and allow it to drip down.
Observations
I like the splashes, they seem to form a countless number of different but similar shapes. The drops themselves are similar in that manner as well, all different but you can see the same basic principles at work. The ripples are also interesting to observe. I like the ferns and the movement from the water striking their leaves.
Today I finally get to show you the project I was referencing with the flaming window shots. This is the video for “The arms of sorrow” by Killswitch Engage. The flames were used in that little segment with the firefighter. That was our only part in this video, but the rest of the video is a good showcase of slow motion footage. Special thanks to Eric, Nick, Brandon, and Matt for their assistance with the shots.
Video Direction: Aggressive
VFX/Compositing: Aggressive
Production Company: RefusedTV
Record Label: Roadrunner Records
Materials
A wood framework window.
Black tin-foil (from FilmTools)
Gun powder
Kerosene
Procedure
This was a fun shot to make. We first built the framework and the flu to guide the fire. We then filled a small metal bowl (about 12″ in diameter) with 1/2lb of gun powder and misted it with kerosene to slow the reaction down. We also sprayed the sides of the enclosure with kerosene to leave give the impression that the fire was burning the wood frame.
Observations
This was an absolute blast for us to film. We don’t often get people asking us to do specific shots for them so this was especially fun for us, not only did we get to make something for a really nice music video but we got a chance to do a bit nicer setup than we ordinarily do (this happens when you have a budget). This video is a prime example of what slow motion filming is good for as it pertains to entertainment. Most of this video was filmed with a Phantom high-speed camera. Sadly, I myself have not yet had the opportunity to film with a Phantom camera but I hope that will eventually change. There are so many things that can be observed in this video that I will leave it up to the viewer to decide what is worth observing.
Something I’ve always liked to watch was butter frying. I always wondered at the bubbles that form, and while this video does not give us any insight into the formation of the bubbles it does give us a good look at them.
Materials
A hot plate or pan.
Butter or in this case margarine.
Procedure
In this case I jumped it up to 400d so it would fry a little more enthusiastically.
Observations
The bursting of the bubbles is what stands out to me first. It is interesting to watch the way in which the bubbles peel back on themselves. They don’t collapse downward but along the arc of what used to be the bubble itself. This is not unusual behavior for a bubble, but it is nice to see the behavior mimicked in butter.
Today we have another amazing faucet trick. This time the water is pouring over a glass.
Materials
Faucet, connected water supply.
Glass. Preferably a pretty one.
Procedure
Place the glass under the faucet, turn it on.
Result
The water pours onto and then around the glass.
Observations
It is interesting to note how the water reacts on the sides vs how it reacts at the rim. The way it drips careens off the rim and forms these globules. Another thing that amazed me was the number of bubbles in the water. I knew that water from a faucet was aerated but I never had a really clear picture of it until I started taking these shots. At any rate it is a neat shot.
