Special Effects Movie
The Project...
For this project, we used the chemistry concepts we learned in class to create special effects for a movie of our own design. My group included Emmy Nam, Matt Iacovelli, and Zach Muzzarelli. We decided to create our movie about a bank robbery and we titled it The Heist. For our effects, we were not allowed to use any computer produced effects. We could only use various reactions we put together in class. For example, we couldn't use CGI explosions so we used flammable bubbles, and we used the explosion of an egg to create a gunshot sound effect (even though we used rubber band guns). To the right -> are the explanations of our effects and how they work. Below is the finished product of our movie.
The Movie...
Reflection
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Our Effects and the Science Behind Them...
Fake Blood: In order to simulate blood, we created a mixture composed of water, flour, corn syrup, and food coloring. To change the consistency of the liquids, flour was added to the solution. This is achievable because the characteristics of the solid flour change the characteristics of the liquids. Since the solids did not completely dissolve in the liquids, the particles were suspended, creating a colloidal solution. One feature to a colloidal solution is the fact that light is unable to pass through, which is also a characteristic of real blood. For the most part, red food coloring was used to produce the correct shade of the blood, but we also added alight amounts of blue to make a darker color.
Flammable Bubbles: To design the effect of exaggerated explosives, we used flammable bubbles. Although the mound of bubbles appears ordinary, there is a hidden element that creates a dynamic effect. The transparent gas inside the bubbles is able to light on fire. When a heat source is added to natural gas, it combusts and produces a large, but short-lived flame. By injecting natural gas into a mixture composed of water and dish soap, bubbles filled with natural gas are produced. This creation is able to be placed on the door handle and the lighter then provided the needed energy for the bubbles’ internal gas to ignite. The chemical equation for the reaction is this: CH4 + 2O2 -> CO2 + 2H2O Egg Explosion: To amplify the actions of shooting the guard, we manufactured the noise of an egg exploding to correspond with the firing of a fake gun. We were able to detonate an egg by using hydrogen and the energy of a heat source. To fill an egg with hydrogen, a chemical reaction between zinc and hydrochloric acid produces the gas as a by-product. Once the egg is brimming with hydrogen gas, the heat source is added and allows the hydrogen inside the egg to react with the oxygen in the air. This creates water and pressure, which is the factor that explodes the eggshell. The chemical equations used were these: 2HCl + Zn -> ZnCl +H2 and 2H2 + O2 -> 2H2O Dry Ice: Dry ice is the common name for carbon dioxide in a solid form. It possesses the ability to sublimate, which is the changing of phases from a solid directly into a gas. Pressure contributes greatly to the science behind this concept. For carbon dioxide to be in a liquid state, the pressure needs to be greatly increased. Under the typical conditions of the earth’s atmosphere, there is not enough pressure to force carbon dioxide into a liquid state so the dry ice transforms directly into a gas. One way to prove this concept is by observing dry ice when it is secured in an enclosed container. Initially the normal pressure allows the dry ice to transfer into a gas form. As this process occurs, pressure builds up because gas molecules move faster than solid particles. Therefore, the increased pressure allows the remaining dry ice to turn into a liquid state, no longer sublimating directly into a gas. |