Nuke the site from orbit. It's the onyl way to be sure. Now w/Video

wuher da brewer

wuher da brewer

Sr Member
I'm helping on a student short. Below is a paint can light. I was given a busted one of these and told to fashion it into a nuclear device for the short film. I was given the emphasis to keep it cheap.

par_54_stage_light_cans.jpg


After a bit of masking and paint, this is what she looks like.

nuke.jpg


With a bit more paint and a Dollar Store night light.

lit_nuke.jpg


Here is another picture as she stands now.

nukee.jpg


So far, total expenditure is 11.76 in paints, tape, and light. The director wants a liquid feature, but I haven't quite wrapped my head around that. My friend Doug suggested I use some UV reactive computer coolant liquid in tubes behind the vent holes and lit with a UV light. That would raise the price twenty bucks or more in materials, provided I didn't have to buy a UV light. I may have one on hand.

I'd love to have a red digital countdown clock, but I'm not sure how to go about that. It would be great if there were something I could take it from that was inexpensive. Ideas?
 
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Re: Nuke the site from orbit. It's the onyl way to be sure.

Love it so far.. Not sure what you could use for a digital countdown.. a cheap thrift store alarm clock would get you the display but not sure how to make it count down.
 
Re: Nuke the site from orbit. It's the onyl way to be sure.

Oh that would be awesome, but it has to be sourced locally. They're going to shoot it on Tuesday. I might have to run to Wal-mart and take a look at kitchen timers...
 
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Re: Nuke the site from orbit. It's the onyl way to be sure.

I would try a Bed, Bath, and Beyond type place.

We use digital kitchen 'countdown' timers in the restaurant.

Black plastic box, about the size of a pack of cigarette, digital, you set the time and it 'counts down' to '0'.

Usually less then $20.
 
Re: Nuke the site from orbit. It's the onyl way to be sure.

Mate, looks great....
Student film, nice, but if the director wants special features, he really needs to at least "direct" you to the answer, or concept. Both with look, and execution!
I got a feeling that the "liquid effect" is not part of the story, just something that looks cool. Given the amazing job you have done already, the device looks great.
If you can put it together with what you have, great. If not, ask for a budget. You will be very surprised how quick the "liquid effect" will be thrown out the window.
 
Re: Nuke the site from orbit. It's the onyl way to be sure.

How about a rotating color wheel and light to create a "liquid like" effect. Not exactly fitting the bill, but much cheaper to implement.

I'm thinking something along the lines of what's in the base of those tabletop fiber-optic Christmas trees.
 
Re: Nuke the site from orbit. It's the onyl way to be sure.

For the liquid why not put a clear container in it with water, light it from underneath with an LED and maybe an Aquarium bubbler to add to the effect
 
Re: Nuke the site from orbit. It's the onyl way to be sure.

Looks good. They had man-portable tactical nuclear weapons called “Special Atomic Demolition Munitions” (SADMs) that were generally about the size of what you have hear. They had variable yields, ranging up to one kiloton.
If I can suggest, making some stencils at the local sign shop (wouldn’t be too much) and putting fake nomenclature on the side of it. I was an Army Ordnance officer and handled weapons and ammunition all the time and noted everything what goes boom is covered in writing. Here’s what I would suggest, make them 1 inch letters in white paint. It’s based very close on what the markings would be for such a weapon. Ammunition has a colored band and other markings to show what it is, but nuclear munitions haven’t been used in so long, none of my manuals even list what they are as a modern soldier should never encounter one. I can’t find any references to what colored bands they used on tactical nuclear artillery shells, but I’ll keep looking. I think the colored bands you already have look sinister enough. As the US military doesn’t use nuclear weapons anymore, I had to get creative, but all the markings here are accurate for ammunition, I just plugged on the right numbers and wording to make as reasonable a listing as possible. I also updated the model # to suggest a natural progression in the development of tactical nukes that never actually occurred. For dramatic effect, you could also put phrases under this like, “For release by National Command Authority only,” or, “Triggering charge test completed, (with whatever date you want)”

Munition, Demolition, Nuclear - W49

DOE 08 D O18-124 B

NSN: 1395-00-666-1944 (N337)

PBA 08L901-117

Just get a ruck sack frame from the local surplus store and some OD green straps and strap the living heck out of it. Heck, now that I’m thinking about all this, now I want to see what I could do with something like this for the heck of it. All I need is something that has a good looking shape!
 
Re: Nuke the site from orbit. It's the onyl way to be sure.

if you are still looking to go the liquid tube route, use highlighters instead of pc coolant. alot cheaper for the same effect. take out the ink cartridge and soak in water. instant UV reactive color.
 
Re: Nuke the site from orbit. It's the onyl way to be sure.

"I'd love to have a red digital countdown clock, but I'm not sure how to go about that. It would be great if there were something I could take it from that was inexpensive. Ideas? "


I know Wal-Mart once carried scrolling red LED name badges in their cheap toy section, you could program a certain number of characters into it and they would scroll across the screen. They were pretty cool and under $5. I have no idea if they still have them.

An on-line store listing just to give you an idea of it's capabilities...
http://www.thegiantstore.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=424

And a picture...
led_name_tag_digital_scrolling_badge_thumb.jpg
 
Re: Nuke the site from orbit. It's the onyl way to be sure.

Light-up liquid?

Cyalume light sticks, like the ones they use in rave nightclubs, camping, hiking, military and all that stuff. Tape some of your chosen colour behind the vents and activate them just before shooting. Should show through nicely with a flowy liquidity sort of effect.

Must be cheap as chips nowadays, too.
 
Re: Nuke the site from orbit. It's the onyl way to be sure.

Thanks a lot for all the useful suggestions p51, those are going to help a lot. The highlighter and cyalume sticks are good suggestions too. I hadn't heard that about the highlighters before. I was already considering using cyalumes. I saw them at Fry's the other day for .99 each.
 
Re: Nuke the site from orbit. It's the onyl way to be sure.

Nice job. I've never heard them called 'paint can' lights before though, is that a common term for them in the US?

Harry
 
Re: Nuke the site from orbit. It's the onyl way to be sure.

Why liquid ?

You don´t get anything out of a liquid feature since you won´t see the liquid do ANYTHING but be colourful. You don´t see wind, you don´t see water, except there is something IN IT that is moving around.

I suggest you add something that moves, a wheel that slowly turns, lights that blink.

"Movie" means motion, and that is mandatory for interesting props. If it just sits there and does nothing, it´s not catching the eye of the audience. Don´t overdo it, but frankly, if the liquid does not do anything like being pumped around in tubes with air bubbles in it (!), then it´s totally wasted money.
 
Re: Nuke the site from orbit. It's the onyl way to be sure.

Looking good.

And yeah iv'e never heard the term paint can light, there Parcans over here.

Dan
 
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