| They work behind the scenes and often risk their lives to set up the scorching action-packed movie sequences. They blow up buildings and cars, create rain, storms, smoke, fire, rig up explosions and organise stunts. But today the 500 or so movie effects artistes are a despondent lot. With films turning slicker, special effects studios are found at every nook and corner taking away a lot of their business. Screen delves into the intricacies of the trade.
MIDBANNER Films in the 70’s and the 80’s never advertised themselves for their special effects. No one talked about how much was spent on the effects. In those days filmmakers sold their films based on the story. The effects were subtext. Things are different today. Many filmmakers try to use special effects as the reason for the movie.
Before the advent of computers, special effects used to be done manually that is better known as (dummy effects). Now, even after special effects are widely done on computers, dummy effects are still being done manually to the satisfaction of directors and artistes. Says Arun Patil, president of Movie Action Dummy Effect Association (M.A.D.E.A.) that is affiliated with the Federation of Western India Cine Employees,”there are certain effects that can only be appreciated if done manually. If done on computers, they wouldn’t look natural or original. No effect should really cost that much today with many of the effects perfected long ago. Indeed, many films are very good with their special effects. Anyway, effects should be believable. What use is bragging about effects if they aren’t believable?
| “CGI work has done a world of difference as far as special effects is concerned but our work will continue to get recognition.”
Arun Patil | |
Dummy effects are those that are done artificially (mechanically) making it look real. Three departments come under this category viz. a) SFX Department that consists of the Special effects, Blasting (showing mine blasting, grenade blasting through artificial squibs), Fire Fx, Cannon Fx, Body Fx and Hanging jobs. b) Gun department (dummy guns [AK-47, SLR, Carbide, 8mm, 9mm etc and c) Water effects (rain, storm, thunder, lightning, fog, snow, storm effects etc).
In a film scene when we see a bungalow on fire, we wonder what expenses the producer must have incurred for turning the bungalow into ashes? But the fact is that the Dummy Effects master, with the help of his assistants, fixes pipes with small holes in it all round the bungalow or the place where the shot has to taken. Piping is done in such a manner so that it cannot be seen, hence, pipes are fixed below the windows or above the doors. There is a provision to release gas through the pipe from a cylinder kept at a distance, the regulator of which is made to handle by an expert assistant of the effects master. The assistant switches on the regulator when there has to be a fire and switches it off when not required, all in a matter of seconds as pre-determined. In this process the bungalow can be seen on fire but actually nothing happens to it.
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Or there is a song sequence amid heavy rainfall. The viewer can sometimes see the shadow of the artistes. He wonders how could there be sun when it is raining so heavily? Actually, this scene was shot in a studio or an outdoor location where the water effects master made arrangements for artificial rainfall by way of water sprinklers that can’t be seen on screen. Sometimes such scenes are accompanied by lightning effects. The water effects master also provides storm and fog effects.Let us briefly see how rain, storm, thunder and snow effects are done. Rain effects is created by the use of sprinklers-the one end of which goes into a submersible pump. Depending on the area that has to be covered, sprinklers and pumps are increased, To get the storm effects, a storm fan consisting two blades made of teak wood fitted to a 14 Bhp motor is kept at a distance of 100 feet. Basically, three technicians are employed to get the storm effect. One,to operate the fan, the second to hold the fan and the third to throw dust or particles in front of the moving fan to get the effect. Lightning effects are ceated by the use of a welding machine with a small tube of carbon. Once both the edges are touched the lightning effects are got. Snow seen on screen is nothing but soap water. For snow effects snow flakes is installed in the machine, on top of which an assistant takes the director’s order and does the needful. Dry ice is nothing but compressed carbon dioxide that does not take a liquid state directly going into a gaseous state. On the other hand normal ice first turns into a liquid state and then evaporates into vapour.
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Arjun (character name) is surrounded by armed police pointing their guns straight towards him. BLAM! A shot rips through his arm, causing a fountain of blood to ooze from the wound. BLAM!! Another shot rips through his chest. BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Arjun’s torso is riddled with bullets. Finally the shooting stops. Arjun stands there, his breath turning to clouds of white vapour in the early morning. He takes a single laboured breath - and collapses. Says Gun Master, Aklesh Mishra, “I had a set of very sturdy 5” x 4” metal plates made up (which are usually backed with foam to cushion the actor). A squib, which is a small explosive charge triggered by a 9V battery, was taped to the plate and a blood pack laced over the charge and secured in place with gaffer tape (blood packs can be anything that can be filled and sealed, but most people use condoms). Placing the blood pack over the charge reduces the flash given off by the squib detonating. The rigged plate is taped or strapped to the actor and concealed under clothing. White clothes show the effect off best and should be pre-scored with a knife to weaken the fabric. Ideally the squib should blow through the shirt and it helps if the shirt is tucked in. Cable is run from the squib down the actor’s leg to a control box or nail board. “A bit of simple wiring allowed us to trigger the charges in turn by running a nail across a nail board (a piece of wood with a series of nails in a line).Before firing everyone stood well clear of the charges, the actor avoided looking down at his chest, and the camera was a safe distance away. Only at the last moment was the circuit completed and the charges made live. A simple countdown helped the actor be aware of when to expect the hit,” Mishra adds.
For low-budget films there is no reason to use anything so dangerous or expensive. Each one of those bullets. (filled with gunpowder) costs anywhere between Rs. 10-15. Your action movie gets a lot less violent as you start cutting out bullet hits to save money. And the cost of an injured actor is unimaginable. There is a cheaper, safer and more effective method available. It is portable, easily made and uses no explosive charges! And it looks better!! It’s through the use of compressed bullets.It would be interesting to note that the late Sunil Dutt had introduced the use of compressed bullets in Hindi films. Asked about the method how compressed gas bullet hits work, Mishra retorts,” This method uses the force of compressed air to blast fake blood (FX blood- made of food colour) from a length of tubing.
In the middle of an action-packed shot we suddenly see a car exploding and going up about 30 to 40 feet and then tumbling down. These effects are the work of the FX director.In this a car minus its engines is used.By the help of Nitrogen gas, a high-pressure gas, that is pumped into the tank, the car is blown but not before a heavy boulder is kept on one side of the front seat. By this, the car rolls down instead of falling straight on the ground. The worn out car is then repaired and painted by the owner and rented again to a film unit (such people have several models on hand). And why not he gets Rs. 40,000/- per renting per car.
| “After trying a lot I succeeded in the ‘breakaway glass’ project when I experimented the same by breaking the same on my head.”
joaquim rebello | |
Masters in this trade are those who come up with new ideas that bring in newness to the art. Joaquim Rebello is one such person. He has, for the first time in India, introduced a novel glass, known as the ’breakaway glass’. Formally the glass that was used is the toughened glass commonly known as the glass used for car wind screen as it shatters into pieces on impact. But normally the artiste performing the stunt would not prefer the same as it involved a lot of timing and perfection by the Special FX man who actually breaks the glass with a bullet before the artiste can really bang on the glass. Talking about the ’breakaway glass’ Rebello says,”the breakway glass is now preferred more than the traditional one and the main advantage of using breakaway glass is the artiste himself can perform the same without any hassles as this glass can break even with one’s middle finger.Earlier, the industry used to import the same from the USA put it was a costly affair. In the coming months I plan to produce huge glass size of 4 x 6 ft. The basic adavantage in using this glass is u get a realistic shot and we wouldn’t require a double for this stunt.” Talking of what the dream meant to him, Joaquim retorts,” this was a dream come true that took me one year to realize. I am basically a commerce student and this project involved a lot of chemical terms. Unhindered, I did approach a few of my friends who are chemical engineers but they couldn’t help me much, as in this field people are restricted to certain groups of chemicals and not all. After giving a lot of try I succeeded in this project when I experimented the same by breaking the same on my head and once I was convinced, I wanted to go for it. I was overjoyed when the first shot came up as I wanted in Khakee, when after a lot of hesitation, Amitabh Bachchan broke the breakaway glass that I had the same feeling that astronaut Rakesh Sharma must have got when he became the first Indian to go into space. I do feel that in my profession I did something big if not for the general public then for the entire industry and more specifically for the stunt and Special FX department. Asked if only sheet glass can be made off breakaway glass, Rebello quips,” besides sheet glass items like beer bottles, champagne bottles, cups and saucers and centre table glass can be made of the product.” Talking about any competition Rebello says, “as people here are more keen on copying things and certainly not used to working with involves dealing with chemicals-that being a tedious job-not many would be interested in the same. However, if anyone does do it I enjoy the prestigious part of being the first Indian to master the technology.”
On the rumeneration part, Rebello says,”if one has a product, that no other person has, he can really take producers for a ride, but sometimes to maintain his relation and in giving a grace period for the payment he loses the race. Because once your job is over you are really not remembered. Secondly, if there are ten technicians offering the same services the person who can really favour the person behind the scene really gets a break. Working conditions are certainly not as per Hollywood standards as we can understand that the amount of money pumped in there is much more than what is financed here, but since Special FX is a really dangerous profession, we in the profession feel that time should be given, but practically that doesn’t happen. If for a sequence the Special FX master feels that there should be ten technicians required for the same, the production staff does stress on cutting down the technicians due to which there is more pressure on the persons doing the same and this kind of practice sometimes lands us up in unwanted confusions and accidents.”
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Most of the effects people are an untrained lot who learn on the job. They continue to work in potentially hazardous conditions with no industry-backed life insurance cover. For example, the effects people who work rigging small explosions usually do their preparations in their homes in the absence of a safer place. An effects artiste, Dilnawaz Khan, died in a blast while mixing explosives in his cramped Mumbai house. While on location of Border another effectsman Ahmed Sumra was severely burnt. Then there is this pathetic story of an effectman Srinivas Pandurang Naik, who having lost a limb and an eye has been absorbed as an office attendant at the M.A.D.E.A drawing a meagre salary of Rs 1700/-. “It so happened that we were shooting for the 7 a.m. shift at Santosh Nagar near Film City for Time Video’s Masiha. I was assigned the job of testing exposives. Out of the seven explosives that I had six were tested without any hassles. As I was on the seventh, it burst in my hand. There was a deafening sound. When I saw nobody besides me I started screaming. When I wanted to see if everyone was safe, I found my left arm burning. Writhing in pain when I found my forearm missing I looked around in excitement. Then I saw my shattered forearm stuck on the ceiling. My right hand palm was also disfigured. Three of my colleagues took me to the Bhagwati Hospital where I was there for one day. Later I was shifted to the Nanavati Hospital where I underwent plastic surgery done by Dr Bipin Buch and Dr Parimal Kulkarni. My master Mehbood Khan and the producers say that the total cost of my treatment was Rs 1.25 lakh rupees. I don’t mind the cost but I thank God for having saved my life. I pray that such an incident doesn’t happen with anyone else, says Naik”
Ghulam Ghaus, 52, a manual effects worker who’s been in the industry since 1979 laments on the lack of business saying, “it has never been so bad. There is very little work these days and even the films have changed so much that they don’t need our help any more. Computer-generated graphics are clearly the future. Our work has declined considerably, though I feel our kind of effects will never die down,” he sighs.
Masters and assistants are paid on a daily wages basis. The special effects people’s wages have been categorised into two categories, Hindi films and TV serials. For an 8 hour shift for a Hindi film a Special Effects Master gets Rs 1113 compared to Rs 1024 for TV serials. A Special Effect assistant is paid Rs 838 for feature films whereas for TV serials he gets Rs 770. Likewise a Gun Master is paid Rs 838 and Rs 770 for an 8 hours shift for feature films and TV serials respectively, a gun attendant is paid Rs 634 and 584 respectively. A Fire Effects Master is paid Rs 1113 and Rs 1024 for an eight hour shift for feature films and TV serials respectively while his assistant gets Rs 838 and Rs 770 respectively. An average monthly income for effects artistes comes to about 5,000 rupees a good month when there is good lot of work. Four times the above wages has been alloted to people who work for English films. But sometimes such payments are not got by the assistants. The master who gets the job, categorises the film as a bilingual film and thus denies the payments to the assistants.
Talking of the various services the Association provides to its members its vice-president Pandurang S. Chavan says, “Our trade is very risky and taking that into view we offer a lot many services to our members. A member is given an apperentice card on admission but not before his credentials are properly scrutinised. After three years he is alloted a helper card from which position he rises to an assistant and then becomes a master. From a members daily wages that is paid by a producer directly to the Association 5 % is deducted at source. 2.5 % is used for office expenses while the rest is kept for times of mishaps of the particular member.When a person retires he is paid Rs 50,000 in lieu of the Rs 15,000 that he paid on admission.” “Special effects is an illusion of reality, says Arun Patil describing his trade in short. Comparing the manual special effects to the ones done on a computer, Arun Patil says,”effects done on computers are synthetic by nature. They don’t look original. No doubt CGI work has done a world of difference as far as special effects is concerned but our work will continue to get recognition,” adding”During film awards, computer-generated design people are feted. No mention is ever made of our contribution.” Now to bolster their profile, the manual effects workers have produced a low-budget video showcasing their talents.
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