Question about Band of Brothers air compressed squib

[wrinkledmonkey]

I'm sure most of you have seen Band of Brothers and I would assume that a lot of you (since this is an amatuer film making site) have seen the making of Band of Brothers on the last DVD in the boxed DVD set.

If you watch the making of, you can see the air compressed squib method they developed for the film. It is a really ingenious method because you fill up the device with a compressor and then the actor can run around and set it of whenever. I was curious does anybody know of any site that has the schematics for it? I have searched the net but I cannot find it. If there isn't, does anybody know how it was made?

[Gyro]

What do you need schematics for? Just use a big tube and blow some air threw it.

[wrinkledmonkey]

I want schematics so I can see how to build one. I wanna see how the whole mechanism works. It isn't just a tube that you blow through. This is a professional deal but it is cheap to use (once you build them), you can re-use them, and they are 100% safe.

[UnkindSky]

I too have seen "The Making of" and was intregued by the air compressor system. I am sure tho that you get a small compressor and then hook it up to the squib.... if im wrong plz correct me. But thats what i think

Chris Kidd
FUBAR Productions

[SgtPadrino]

Also remember that Band of Brothers was funded by Dreamworks, and these air compressors aren't exactly the kind you can pick up at Farm and Fleet. Big, expensive, professionally owned, operated and designed. You're not going to be able to recreate what they used on Band of Brothers unless you're seriously loaded, basically.

[wrinkledmonkey]

The squib devices themselves were not air compressors. They were only filled by air compressors. The device basically had two main parts; the 1st was the plastic box thingy that you could fill with air. The second part was a flat one way valve. I'm sure if someone had a diagram or schematics they could recreate it with off the shelf parts.

My brother and I tried one method but the main problem is an electric valve. We hooked up a solenoid to it and that worked but the solenoid was way to big to fit under clothing.

I will watch the making of again and maybe take some screen shots.

[Grant]

and remember nothing is 100% safe lol

[the_satanic_COokie]

I tried to do this once.

My main problem that we were having was that we tried to do with with quick-connects, and with all the air you lose when you pull the "tank" off the compressor after charging it, its not enough pressure to force anything through a tube.

An idea I had was to use those littly CO2 canisters you get for pellet guns. But I can't find a cheap dump valve that will hold that kind of pressure...I would imagine if you could, then that would be the ideal method since those CO2 things are so f*** small...

if you figure something out tell me, I NEED this device to work haha

[wrinkledmonkey]

Well the only way I could see this being unsafe is if some retard stuck the end of the squib up to his eye and fired it off.

[SpyroClone]

uhhh...i couldn't find the URL but if you go to Ejits guide to filmaking, they made a squib with a big hand pump and some garden hose which i would assume works something like the squibs for Band of brothers

[wrinkledmonkey]

Basically is the same kind of idea. However, what makes the Band of Brothers air squib better is unlike the insecticide sprayer method, the BoB squib has a small air tank. If you watch the making of, you will see that the whole device can be hidden under a jacket because of it's size.

Yesterday, my friend and I went down to Lowes and we think we have come up with a squib method that is basically like the BoB squib except the tank and the electric valve have to be hidden in a backpack because of their size. If I could find a small electric valve, we might be able to make the device smaller and more concealable. Basically our method is based on the idea of an air cannon except instead of having a pvc tube to fire stuff, we will attach rubber hose.

[tallman_house_pictures]

Yeah, i built 4 of these, mind you mine don't have the power theirs do. ( i did not use $40 000).

I modeled mine of of the one on www.detonationfilms.com - the thunder pipe fx1.

[maj_barnes]

An idea I had was to use those littly CO2 canisters you get for pellet guns. But I can't find a cheap dump valve that will hold that kind of pressure...I would imagine if you could, then that would be the ideal method since those CO2 things are so f*** small..

When I was watching it, that's what it looked like they were using.

[UFProductions]

Watch the special features for the 2004 version of Dawn of The Dead. That's essentially all they used, CO2 canister with a remotely operated dump valve attached to a length of tubing. They call them "Kabuki Hits" on the DVD.

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

I made something that worked similar to the BoB squib. I went to Home Depot and asked for a refillable compressed air tank with a manuel air release valve. I got one for about $30. Then I bought 100 feet of tubing and connected that to the end of it and closed it off with zip ties. Then I connected a cone like thing and made the seal air tight. Then when you are on set you just burry the cone and loosely put some dirt and other earth elements into it. Also burry the tubing that will be on screen. Then you just have some one off camera turn the valve and let the air go at the right moment and close it. The only draw back was that I had to refill the tank about every 2 or 3 blows. But that was no problem. I have blueprints that I drew if anyone wants a copy.

[maj_barnes]

Does it work like an explosion or just a bullet hit?

Also, my dad was telling me about when he was a truck driver: he ran over a bag of cement, and it create an extremely big cloud that was so thick it was impossible to see through. So I just had some, and started making little piles and kicking it, and it create pretty big clouds. So If I ever do some kind of explosion with compressed air or anything, I'd probably end of using it (just making sure not to breath it in, lol).

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

It workes for bullet hits and Explosions. You just need to vary the size of the cone that holds the dirt. I have 4 sizes. The biggest one takes up all the air in the tank to blow it out properly. I never thought about cement. That would look good but be hard to live with after the shot. I'll try taht out some time.

[the_satanic_COokie]

alright two things

first off

me and my dad are working on a new idea for a portable squib that can be hidden conveniently on the body SOMEwhere, using a small tank and a "remote" that runs up the actors sleeve so that they can fire it off themselves.

I'll keep you posted.

Second, the concrete explosion idea is a wonderful IDEA, but I've poured ALOT of concrete in my day, and I can tlel you that a day of your actors breathing concrete, is like working in a f*** coal mine. They'll be picking concrete out of their nose for days.

BUT IT WOULD work, thats for sure

[film fanatic]

You have one cool dad if he wants to help you blow things up

[the_satanic_COokie]

yeah my dad kicks a**, he's also helping me build some sets. He got a company to donate some supplies to us too.

[ctbullet]

didn't they just lob a big bag of concrete onto C4 and blow it up, the dust is really effective, can anyone do anything on a smaller scale? or the same scale, which ever

[the_satanic_COokie]

...if you're going to use an explosive whats the purpose of using the concrete? You'll have your own realistic dustcloud, because its an ACTUAL explosive...that's kind of silly...

either way

my best bet would be to put it in an air mortar. It's gonna have to be strong, because concrete is f*** heavy. But you dont need to use a TON of concrete, the dust is thick as hell.

I still say, you're all going to be miserable after a day of concrete explosions.

[delta_echo]

...if you're going to use an explosive whats the purpose of using the concrete? You'll have your own realistic dustcloud, because its an ACTUAL explosive...that's kind of silly...

The purpose of using concrete is to A. Keep the amount of explosive used to the lowest possible amount for safety reasons and B. High explosives can be rather expensive, especially if you need quite a few explosions. In my film, we used charges of 25 grams in a 1 ft x 1 ft hole filled 3/4 of the way with cement (NOT concrete - it contained rocks) and a 1/4 of the way with sod or just dirt. Check it out at http://www.lp3media.com/shorts/vietnam.html under "scene previews - bunker".

[ctbullet]

are you ever going to give away your secrets??

[=JDL=]

Holy Lord are you good.