Special effects are often confused with visual effects. Trick photography or computerized spaceships fall under the category of visual effects. Things like smoke, fire, fog, and fake blood, however, are all part of the magic of special effects that can be done right on the shooting set. For this reason, they are also referred to as practical effects.

Up in Smoke

If a car blows up or a rock band catches fire, you're seeing the work of proximate pyrotechnics. These are the non-fireworks type of effects that can be done on stage, in front of the camera. These include smoke, flames, flashes, and explosions. Please be aware that pyrotechnics is not a place for experimentation or on-the-job training. These materials are, by their very nature, extremely hazardous. If your film calls for something to catch fire, to spark, or even to just fill a room with smoke, seek out the advice of a certified pyrotechnician as early as possible.

While actual squibs or exploding bullet hits come under the heading of pyrotechnics and stunts, there are safer solutions that have been used effectively for decades to simulate a person being shot. Packets of fake blood, for example, can be worn under an actor's clothes. When the character is “shot,” the actor clutches where the bullet supposedly entered, thereby releasing the blood.

In Michael Mann's Manhunter, a character is shot directly in the forehead, on camera. Makeup artists Doug Drexler and John Caglione Jr. came up with an elegant solution by having the actor stand perfectly still during the shot. A thick dot of red makeup was placed in the center of his forehead, and the actor fell down. When the “before” and “after” segments were edited together, the effect is seamless.

Recreating Weather Conditions

One of the simplest and yet trickiest effects to pull off convincingly is that of warm breath in a cold environment. If your actors can handle cigarette smoke, have them inhale a small amount just before a closeup. The smoke is released as they speak, but you should try to cut-away as quickly as possible. Not only because there will be no smoke on their second line, but also because cigarette smoke behaves differently from steam and the audience will notice. If the actors continue to “act” cold on the medium and long shots, no one will notice the lack of cold breath.

While filming Frank Capra's 1937 classic, Lost Horizon, small pieces of dry ice were placed in mesh containers that the actors held in their mouths to create the effect of warm breath in a cold climate. One of the actors got so frustrated with the device that he took the ice out of the mesh and popped it directly into his mouth. The frozen carbon dioxide immediately burned off half of the man's tongue.

One piece of effects equipment that a beginner can use with just a little practice is a fog machine. Small ones are available for purchase or rental from many party supply stores. The “smoke” is perfectly safe to breathe, although those with asthma or other respiratory conditions are best advised to spend as little time as possible in the area of the fog to minimize irritation.