Blank firing replica gun vs real gun with blanks?

BigJoeJ

New member
I was wondering if geting a blank replica gun is a lot safer then a real gun? What about how it looks fireing on film?

Thanks for the help.

Joe
 
Neither are particularly safe: you should really have someone who knows what they're doing on set if you're using blanks. I don't know about Seattle, but in the UK the law requires blank-firing replicas vent the blast out the top of the gun for safety reasons and that means they look crap on screen.

Personally we use non-firing replicas and add muzzle-flash and shell cases in post... if it was good enough for Peter Jackson it should be good enough for most people on low budgets :).
 
'Bad Taste'. I didn't even notice for years that there are no shell cases :).
 
what about films like saving private ryan were those replicas? cause the rifles and that film dispensed shells.
 
a film of that scale and budget probably used real weapons that fired blanks and ejected real casings.

but even when replicas are used, you can add both muzzle flashes and shell casing ejections in post digitally. you can see a screenshot from my film with both of those assets digitally inserted:

still_warnock_opens_up.jpg


There should be a full motion clip of it in my vfx reel here.

hope this helps!

btw, i believe my weapons armorer quoted something like $20 per blank if i wanted to use real guns. That doesn't include cost of gun rental nor the day rate of the required licensed armorer who must be on set...Go Digital!!

mc
 
how to become one/?

These are the guys I worked with. They're the largest gun rental shop in the East Coast. They did the new War of the Worlds and Miami Vice movies and tons of others...

Not sure if they'll tell you how to become one, but they are and have relationships with armorers...

mark.
 
Never Give An Actor a Real Gun!

Never Give An Actor a Real Gun!

Never give an actor a real gun. I used real guns in my first feature film. For blanks I handloaded primers only into empty cases. This gives you a nice little flash you can enhance with a big bang later and is much safer than a more powerful blank with wax or wadding. That said, one actor who had no experience with guns managed to put himself in a dangerous situation anyway.
If you must use real guns you can get a primer seater for under $40.
(Note the primer trick will not work with auto's. There is not enough gas generated to recock the gun.)
I use airsoft guns now. A big bang cannon (Still Available Online) is a great way to make muzzle flashes in almost any direction.
For bullet hits and blood shots without squibs check out
How to Do Blood Shots without Dangerous Squibs
 
guys,
for any student or newbie, i strongly recommend hiring a professional for assistance with this. On the shoots I've worked on with real guns, there are a ton of precautions taken on the set.

Only the armorer handles the firearms. When he takes them out of their cases, the AD announces to everyone there are live firearms present. The guns are handed to the actors right before the take. Once the director yells cut, the armorer runs out to take them back from the actors. NOONE else can handle them.

Even if you own your own guns (not uncommon in many places in the US), do not think it's a small issue having them on set.

mc
 
The two main advantages of purpose-made blank guns over real guns with blanks, if you really want to go with blanks:
  1. Legality. Not legally firearms, so can ship to your home, be handled by an actor who can't legally be in possession of a firearms (depending on your local laws, anyway), can be used on school grounds or elsewhere they don't want real guns, etc.
  2. Can't chamber real ammunition, so no chance of a stupid mistake like on Rust or The Crow, both of which partially happened because of people wanting dummy rounds in their gun.
The main disadvantages:
  1. Can't load dummy rounds, so can't show it being loaded or unloaded.
  2. Much less selection
  3. Usually crappy quality control... often they suck
  4. Ejected casings are obviously blanks in close up or slow mo (either a crimp or a plastic cap at the end)
  5. No trademarks or other things to hold up in closeup (not your hero prop version)
  6. Still dangerous, but people might not treat them as such because 'they're not real'
But yeah, there are plenty of other viable options besides blanks, so choose carefully, and have someone who knows the field help you choose.
-Kevin Inouye
www.fightdesigner.com
 

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