breakaway concrete and wood???

[smacaluso@cox.net]

I am shooting a film and need a way to make breakaway concrete and wood. Any suggestions???

 

[laurent.a]

I'm not a prop specialist but I've been working on a little numerous films as an operator or assistant and as I don't see any reply yet, I'll give you my "2 cents" :

For what's about concrete, I would think that plaster is a good base material. You can color it as you wish, put some littel stones or whatever you want in it, eventually, and even volonteerly put air bubbles in it if you want.

about wood, there is a very light and easy to break one, that we call "balsa" in french, (but the word doesn't sound so french to me, but more like latin ?) so may be it can make sense to you ?

Anybody else's advice ?

 

[DannyG]

yah from what i remember of the good old estes model rockets a strong breeze could practically break apart a sheet of balsa.

 

[laurent.a]

Exactly. It's a great material for making models (boats, planes...) because it's so light. You'd break an inch square with your fingers.

 

[gwyddion]

If it could be textured correctly painted styrofoam might work ok as concrete. balsa is very breakable. You also might try weakening the wood by making cuts that wont be seen on camera. Are you talking about breakaway wood as in doors or like fence posts or something similar?

 

[nikk75]

I have just read how a top hollywood fx man did this for very little money and a garanteed way of breaking concrete using only his knuckles. 1st dig out your section to be destroyed, then fill it with a mixture of plaster of paris( a soft plaster to start with) then add about 50% fine saw dust to the mix, and rebuild your wall. once its dry and smooth, it can be painted to match the surrounding areas.then on que the performer strikes the area and it crumbles and break's very convincingly als dust the area with talc to get an added dust effect.

 

[timlidstone@gmail.com]

break away!

break away!

I have just read how a top hollywood fx man did this for very little money and a garanteed way of breaking concrete using only his knuckles. 1st dig out your section to be destroyed, then fill it with a mixture of plaster of paris( a soft plaster to start with) then add about 50% fine saw dust to the mix, and rebuild your wall. once its dry and smooth, it can be painted to match the surrounding areas.then on que the performer strikes the area and it crumbles and break's very convincingly als dust the area with talc to get an added dust effect.

hey, sodium bicarbanate,soap and vermiculite,ivory snow!!! plus avery light plaster of paris,perhaps gypsnow!

 

[timlidstone@gmail.com]

distressed urethane foam

 

[timlidstone@gmail.com]

buy some concrete board from home depot, peel the backing, score the shit out of it, soak it with a hudson sprayer, soak it again, nothing says concrete like concrete,score distress, score,soak, soak

 

[timlidstone@gmail.com]

welcoming all questions!

 

[timlidstone@gmail.com]

balsa is a tree, much like cork it can be purchased at specialty wood suppliers.{extremely light weight and porous. In past experience pre breaking any wood such as pine and carefully resetting the break and splintered wood followed by a light coat of dry wall mud or light weight bondo. The look is much better as balsa tends to break with the grain and not across it, unless heavily scored. A pre broken more common wood gives a much more splintery,shardy look. both techniques have there place. You can get real creative and drill out cores of any wood object and get this add uncooked speghetti strands! great visual for frame rate stuff, time lapse,shatter chatter etc, datin myself! theystill use film? feilds of frame? THERES A LOT OF OLD HOLLYWOOD TECHNIQUE THATS IN CAMERA, LOST TO BAD DIGITAL!!!! most patents are {improvements of existing technology}

 

[Peter A Scott]

In order to do break away stone you need 1 part Plaster of Paris and 2 parts fine sawdust, mix into a paste with water and pour into a rubber or silicone mould, pyrotechnics can be cast inside your structures also, you can , if preferred , sculpt detail into the forms later. Colour can be added with shoe dyes.