Band-Aids don’t always work.
There’s a reason ordinary people don’t do explosive squibs all the time — because it’s so easy to screw up.
(more…)Tag: safety
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #155
Science can save your skin!
If you can feel heat through your gloves, whatever you’re holding is hot enough that you want to find a way to put it down right now. It’s just going to get hotter. You don’t want that on your hands. Literally.
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #152
“Lift with your legs, Hercules!”
Get someone to help with the heavy lifting. It’s okay — no one expects anyone on set to be Hercules…
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #143
Certain tasks should never be randomly assigned.
If you have a pyrotechnical device, never leave the arming key in the firing system if you have to walk away from it… NO EXCEPTIONS. And yes, you have an arming key, the removal of which will make the effect impossible to trigger. Of course you do.
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #138
Who needs a working brain?!
You know those little adapters that let you plug a three-prong plug into a two-hole socket? Don’t use those.
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #125
Finger-count must remain consistent.
Everybody working lights should get a pair of gloves. Even a cheap-o dollar-store pair of gloves is better than nothing. Lights can get very hot and you don’t want second-degree burns becoming a “badge of honor” on your sets. Spring for gloves.
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #119
That’s not technically a “special effect,” there…
Regarding cables, lights, power supplies and other things plugged into the wall: These things should not get hot. If they feel hot to you, tell someone immediately. You don’t want them getting any hotter, and you definitely don’t want them to start smoking or burst into flame.
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #114
Plus, they eat your food.
Yes, being on a film set can be fun, but think very hard before allowing people on set who are neither cast not crew. They can be dangerous wildcards.
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #113
“Oh, we thought he was with you!“
Spooky locations where mischief can happen invite mischief, such as dark woods, insane asylums, corn mazes, etc. Assign people to buddy groups for safety.
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Low-Budget Filmmaking Tip #111
Be a good camper!
If you’re shooting at a natural location, such as a beach or a forest, when you’re all done, pass out trash bags and everybody wander around picking up trash and making it prettier. Not just your production’s stuff, but spread out. Make your group the Entropy Decreasing Group.
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