Topic awaiting preservation: I'm looking for a gun...

Ok, this is what I need. This summer I'm getting a DV camera and I'm going to be making a shitload of shortfilms. Some of which are going to be comedy.

What I need is a gun that shoots blanks... Like, in the movies and stuff... It would need to have the same effect, like recoil and trajectory fire.

Of course some one will say that I could always use a real gun but... I can't get my hands on one of those .

edit: needs to be a hand gun, preferably a pistol

[This message has been edited by InSiDeR (edited 04-19-2003).]

AKAIK if you can't get a real gun there's not much chance of getting a prop gun.

Most of the laws governing those are pretty much the same age/cost/legality as a real gun.



.:[ Never resist a perfect moment ]:.

Age rights and property aren't going to be a problem, since it will be one of my parents that will purchase it...

http://www.google.ca/search?q=prop+guns&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&meta=

How about Airsoft? And then edit the video for flashes and stuff.

Or go buy it in Minnesota.

--
~cfb!

cfb: Since we're going to be aiming and shooting at people, a BB pistol might not be good for point blank range .

well um what is the problem? A BB gun, a good sound overlay and a good squib is pretty realistic.

perhaps you should be asking how to make this effect work best as opposed to where to get a good prop gun. (and synax had that answer)



.:[ Never resist a perfect moment ]:.

[This message has been edited by bitdamaged (edited 04-19-2003).]

Well I don't know much about prop guns, but I would think It would be far easyer to do in post,
You would have a hard time getting decent muzzle flashes to show up on video and trying to coordinate
the sound effects with actors falling/reacting defently would be easer in the editor.

Here is a neat special effect software packages, cheeper the after effects. It seems quite impressive I think they have a demo, worth looking into.
http://www.csb-digital.com/alamdv/

Just a warning: for photo/video shoots with guns, take care, make sure everyone near buy knows what's going on, you don't what the police showing up and conflects occurring (They tend to be trigger happy, at least here in Minnesota.) I would also be a wise to contact you local athoritys before hand and provide them with the time and date of filming just to be on the safe side or better yet keep the location remote.

J. Stuart J.

another thought might be a starter's pistol. as everyone's said tho, be careful and make sure you're in a controlled environment

chris


KAIROSinteractive

I hope you're not shooting at anyone from point blank range with blanks either.
You can still kill someone.

Have you considered looking at a starter's pistol ??


Bug-free software only exisits in two places
A programmer's mind and a salesman's lips

Yeah, starter pistol was the first thing I thought of. Or, if you are doing comedy, just paint a Super Soaker or something.

we'll be watching for you at the Darwin Awards

=)

Speak to Pugzly - I'm not sure he uses prop guns but he will be able to give you a few safety tips and tell you what you need to do to make sure your local PD don't come and pop a few caps in yo' ass.

___________________
Emps

FAQs: Emperor

Found what I needed, thanks synax...

Michael, we'll be shooting at each other with blanks from about 5-20 feet away .

DL, I wouldn't be suprised if we ended up there... But of course I wouldn't feel suprised since I'd be dead...

InSiDeR: Airsoft guns are, for the most part, completely harmless, and you can fire them even without pellets.

Look here: Click

The gas blowback guns, aside from looking like real guns, are modeled to fire like real guns, with the slide and hammer and all. I have one. Me and my friend shoot each other with them in our house. It hurst a little bit more than a paintball.

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It hurst a little bit more than a paintball.

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Oh yah...And they're expensive...

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we'll be shooting at each other with blanks from about 5-20 feet away

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DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT aim anywhere near each other.

I'm absolutely dead serious about this. I've worked with blanks quite a bit and believe me, they can still cause very serious injury. Anything can fly out of those blanks -- grit, wadding, even bits of the casing. Many blanks are metal, bullet-shaped casings, where the tip is perforated to blow open like a flower; it is not uncommon for those metal bits to break off and fly straight at the target.

I worked seasonally in a gunfight show and we never, ever aimed anywhere near each other. For live performances, the best looking technique is to aim upstage of the target (away from the audience) and down away from the target's face.

In filmmaking, though, absolutely no one should be in front of the gun when you fire, anyway. There's no reason for it. Watch a few movies where guns are fired -- the only time you'll ever see an over-the-shoulder where the shooter fires down the line at the target is in an old Western.

99% of the time, the shooter and the victim are in two completely separate shots, most likely filmed hours apart.

Don't take blanks lightly. They are explosives and are still very dangerous.

Thanks wes, I have already contemplated all of the aiming details..

I know first hand, I spoke with the director of The Crow... About Brandon Lee's death. I know about the blanks...

I know that in movies they don't show them aiming at each other , they mostly close up on the guns and then show the target enemy dodging them...

I have it all planned . This is why I want to be a director!

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I have it all planned. This is why I want to be a director!

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LMAO... no amount of planning will help you out the first time you try and film any kind of narrative, it'll always end badly.

Still, a good storyboard, detailed shot list and a sound script ought to help you salvage something from the chaos you collect. Be careful with the gun though. Also be careful where you film, with or without waving the gun around. In Australia you need to get permission from property owners or the city councils to film just about anywhere but the most public spaces.

Be sure to show us when your finished, though.

Or make sure they release it on CD in the next Darwin Awards book.

--
~cfb!

quote:

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Speak to Pugzly - I'm not sure he uses prop guns but he will be able to give you a few safety tips and tell you what you need to do to make sure your local PD don't come and pop a few caps in yo' ass.

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First, in most states, it would be against the law for the parents to buy a gun and give it to their child. It's against the law to loan someone a firearm.

And a real gun that shoots blanks is what killed Brandon Lee.

Pointing a gun, even a fake one, at someone can still get you several years in prison. It can also get you killed by the police.

And shooting a blank at someone who's 5 feet a way can still cause extensive injuries, including the loss of an eye.

Sorry, but you won't get much encouragement from me about any of this. And I spend 8 hours a day playing with everything from air pistols to fully automatic weapons; from solid molded plastic replicas to working 'training' guns. You wouldn't see me doing anything like this, and I've got the training (and certs) to do just about anything.

I think you should take that ^^^^^^^^^^^ as the definitive word from an expert. No matter how much planning and preparation you put in something can always go wrong. If you spoke to the director of the Crow and told him what you were planning I suspect he'd have enough sense to tell you not to. Lets be honest the big films have teams of armoury guys to make sure something doesn't go wrong but things still do. So its not really a case of don't point it at people, don't do this or don't do that (although it is good advice) - just don't do it.

Rather than seeing it is a limitation see it as a challenge and get some serious experience in post-production under your belt.

___________________
Emps

FAQs: Emperor

Thanks for all the concerna and stuff, but I think I have it all under control. Found what I need, it's all legal, and all safe. I know what to do, how to do it, and the precautions to take.

Now this thread has no use unless anyone else wants to rabble on about safety , so if you do, feel free!

Not at all.

feel free to put yourself in situations that could maim or kill you.

Just be considerate others and don't shoot at *them*.

=)

And I look forward to the next addition of "Enormously Stupid Behaviour Caught on Tape VI"..........

___________________
Emps

FAQs: Emperor

I wonder what would happen if I put a gun to my head with a blank in it, and fired it...



~BANG~

Oh.. Ouch...

~Falls Over~

Same thing that happened to Finius Bog.

if you put a gun to you head and pulled the trigger, you would miss any excuse for a brain you have by about 3 foot me thinks...

Only one way to find out..

~Loads Gun~

Don't take this the wrong way Insider but with lack of experience and budget you're films are going to look like kids running around with their Dad's camcorder. Rather then set your parents up for a heavy lawsuit when you accidently knock out your buddy's eye, why not look for a toy gun that looks reasonably real? You can really challange yourself by trying to improve your acting/editing techniques so that it almost looks real.

I'd take Pugzly's advice if I were you. He knows a lot more about prop guns then you do.

Jestah

~keeps fingers crossed~ this Easter is getting better and better....

Jestah, are you familiar with a DV camera?

ok, here's an idea: stop talking, go make your film, and *show* people. Don't tell them.

If by familar you mean usage of about two hours a day for 5 days @ school, then yes. Anything else no.

Jestah

hmm...

The quality Jestaah was talking about was lack of experience, not video picture quality.

Trust me man, your first few bits will look verry rough. Heck, anything I shoot still looks like a kid runnin around with a cam.

It takes a lot of experience... its like the Wacom. Does it make you a better painter? heyack NO. It takes lots and lots of practice and lots and lots of... well... practice. So its great that you are getting a cam so you can start... but your equipment and props are secondary. they really are not important.

Now, a prop gun that fires may be incredibly *cool* but it will not help you at all in learning about shooting films. I would find it distracting, having another thing to worry about. Another thing to go wrong. If i was doing it, i would use a old bb gun i have that looks real, but has not insides any more as i have um... taken it apart and never got it to go back. foo. anyway... i seem to be digressing.

nevermind... i need to go now... and find some popcorn. I am getting board writing my own rant?


                                   

Yup - Izzy had it right. Don't be insulted but unless your friends are Steven Speilberg and Mel Gibson you lack the talent, experience, and budget to do anything but have fun. I'm not suggesting that you not have fun but rather preserve the fun by learning how to edit and act better instead of spending money on a prop gun that won't make a difference.

Jestah

All I have to say is "You'll shoot your eye out!"

Jestah

Damnit, did I say anything about a propgun improving my films? No, I need it for a fucking funny short film. I got it now, shut up.

okay. you can shut up too then.

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