special effects

    Artemis Rocket Launch Lego

    How I shot this Artemis SLS Rocket in an old airfield using Lego
    Jul 5, 2024 Benedek Lampert

    My name is Benedek Lampert, a professional Hungarian toy photographer. I started this genre seven years ago, and during that time, this type of miniature…

    The PMI Smoke Ninja is a phone-sized smoke machine
    Nov 18, 2023 Sagiv Gilburd

    The new tiny smoke machine, the PMI Smoke Ninja (249$), is only 142mm tall. 5mm shorter than an iPhone 15. It’s the size of a…

    Creative colored light with silver mylar
    Nov 2, 2023 Jake Hicks

    I’ve shared several silver mylar lighting techniques over the years, so I’m sure most of you know many of the tricks to get the best…

    The Smoke Genie is my secret weapon for small sets
    Sep 9, 2023 Udi Tirosh

    Today, we are going to create two amazing scenes in a super small space, and almost zero budget, but we have a secret weapon, the Smoke Genie. The Smoke Genie is a portable smoke machine for small sets

    This is how classic movies pulled off epic special effects
    Jun 14, 2023 Dunja Đuđić

    Vintage special effects are among my favorite things to watch. I enjoy not only seeing them in movies but also breaking them down and learning…

    These are the ways vehicles are rigged for extreme destruction in the movies
    Nov 23, 2022 John Aldred

    There’s nothing more exciting in the middle of an action movie than some good old destruction, especially of the vehicular kind. They’re the kinds of…

    Stranger Things’ Vecna is the perfect merger of practical makeup and VFX
    Jul 13, 2022 Dunja Đuđić

    The fourth season of Stranger Things is over, and I finally got to watch the finale two days ago. Even if you haven’t watched it…

    10 tips for filming miniatures to make them look larger than life to the camera
    May 3, 2022 John Aldred

    Miniatures have been a part of filmmaking pretty much since filmmaking began. They’re typically used when building a full-sized set or prop would be impractical…

    Nope, those 30-year-old Terminator 2 bullet effects weren’t CGI, they were practical effects
    Nov 15, 2021 John Aldred

    When 1991’s Terminator 2 was first released, it was an effects marvel, in terms of both Special Effects and Visual Effects. The two terms are…

    Recreating the Apollo 13 rocket launch with practical models at home
    Jun 15, 2021 John Aldred

    Winner of multiple Oscars, BAFTAs and SAG awards, Apollo 13 was a pretty epic movie. And with a budget of $52 million it had some…