On the recommendation of one of our viewers we have switched to Media Temple for our large file storage hosting. After testing the service the speeds are on average over 100K/s faster which should bring the speeds into the acceptable range. I am currently in the process of shifting all of our files to the new host and getting the system updated to correctly point to everything. The paid and free full clips should be up and running in approximately 24 hours, however I will post an update once I have confirmed that everything is functioning properly. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Update: Please note I have not yet posted an update for this. We are still experiencing major issues with the hosting company and are trying to get them sorted out. You may purchase the clips but there is a chance it will not be available on the server yet and if it is available there may be a chance it will cut off during your download. Please be sure to use a download tool that supports resuming. Thank you once again for your patience and understanding as we get these issues sorted out.
Today we have yet another death of a water balloon. In this instance the water balloon was static and was shot instead of being dropped.
Materials
A helium balloon filled to roughly 80% of capacity with water.
The standard fare of backgrounds.
Yet another wimpy BB gun.
Procedure
After determining proper placement and aim, shoot.
Result
The result on this shot is particularly interesting. We have a few things that are note worthy. First is the manner in which the skin of balloon tears as a result of the puncture. Secondly we have the behavior of the water at the point of impact. The ripping of the skin is interesting because it is not a simple split, instead it appears to split itself into thirds. Since the backside is not viewable it is hard to establish the precise pattern of the rip. Another interesting characteristic of the rip is the water that it pulls along with it. Similar behavior is also interesting to note in the impact point. One can see the water puckering and splashing outward in a manner similar to that of a drop of water splashing into a puddle. Another interesting thing to note is the length of time the water holds the shape of the balloon before collapsing and the manner in which it collapses.
Further Study
It would be interesting to acquire a four head camera for the purpose of capturing the balloon from multiple angles to determine the precise way in which it rips.
As you have noticed the Coming Soon…. list keeps growing while no new full res clips come in to match. We went through some changes with our hosting provider for the larger clips on account of the slow speeds we were receiving. The changes were supposed to improve our speeds, unfortunately after testing today the speeds have not improved. So I am back to hunting for a new provider that can serve the files at a reasonable speed (200K/s or so). If you happen to have any recommendations please pass them on. I will keep you updated and as soon as we have some decent speeds I will have a bevy of new clips up for you. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Today we look at a quarter being casually tossed into an aquarium full of water. The camera setup on this shot is the same one that was used on the underwater air balloon explosion shot.
Materials
One quarter
One Aquarium
10 gallons of H20.
Procedure
Toss a quarter into the water.
Result
It is very interesting to observe the way the quarter cuts through the water and leaves the large open air trail. The bubbles bursting on the surface are also interesting to watch since this is not a view we generally get of the bubbles. I really like this particular piece though I find it is hard to think of anything in particular to write about it. It really speaks for itself.
Once again we return to the deceitful egg that promises health and delivers stomach cramping foulness.
Materials
One raw egg, jumbo.
Black backgrounds.
A human arm, preferably attached.
Procedure
Throw the egg at the ground. It should not take more than a couple tries to hit the ground.
Result
The result is pretty dramatic. It appears as if eggs have an allergic reaction to the ground which causes them to spontaneously explode. We are very lucky to have captured this amazing event in high-speed so we may all study this incredibly common reaction. This is truly not in any way shape or form a unique experience and we are proud to have caught the common on film and been able to bring it directly to you! I hope you enjoy this un-amazing event!
In all seriousness it is really rather interesting to see what is happening to the egg as it impacts the ground. The structure of the egg is one of natures more sound geometric shapes when used properly, but it is interesting to study what happens when it isn’t used properly. The resultant splash is also quite fascinating to study. The part that really grabs me is how clearly the egg’s viscosity is demonstrated as the white and yolk splash on the background and just stick there.
With this particular shot I had wanted to capture some drifting smoke. After reviewing the footage however the smoke was very hard to see as there had been some light spill on the background making it light enough to distort the view some. I had run across a the amazing artwork of this fellow a few weeks ago and I had wanted to see what I could do with the clips of smoke I had captured. After many many hours of post work trying to get a usable clip I was finally able to get the smoke and background separated to a decent degree. After that was done I applied the color correction and soft glow etc. I plan on reworking this shot at a later date with a different lighting setup. The smoke was initially filmed at 500fps but that turned out to be a bit slow. This is run at twice that speed or what amounts to being captured at 250fps.
Everyone knows that eggs are good for you, unless eaten raw, in which case you have a very small chance of getting sick. So in order to avoid that small chance I have taken it upon myself to destroy raw eggs for the protection of humankind. Ok, not really. I just thought it might be interesting to smash a few and even, as in this case, shoot one or two. Considering the size of our common enemy here, I thought a small wimpy (yes, the same one I have been using) pellet gun would be sufficient.
Materials
One raw egg, jumbo.
Black backgrounds.
Wimpy pellet gun.
Procedure
Considering the shooting of an egg is not nuclear physics I will leave the procedure as an exercise for the class.
Result
The BB penetrates the shell and exits the other side ricocheting off of the ground. The egg itself, now free of it’s cumbersome shell, makes a break for it. The egg yolk and white attempt to flee in the opposite direction as the BB was traveling, the motivation for which is unclear. Whilst making it’s escape however the egg innards succumb to the alien environment and falls prey to natures most deadly adversary, gravity. It’s high viscosity does nothing to help the situation. Once again humans triumph over nature and live to blog about it. Tune in next week (or maybe tomorrow) as we protect ourself from more of these dangerous creatures.
