Haunted houses, burning buildings, and old time electrical lighting running off of a sputtering generator all have one thing in common: flickering and fluttering lights. If you've gone to Disney's Haunted Mansion or the Indiana Jones ride, you'll see this effect in action. There are pricey devices out there that you can use, but you can make a flickering power unit for around fifteen bucks.
Categories: Cool. Tricky Effect.
Skill level: Super Easy.
Time needed: 10 minutes
Expense: -
\"Halloween Decorations\"
"Fluttering Sputtering Firey Light Flicker-er"
Ingredients:
1) c7 "flicker flame" chandelier or candelabra bulb
2) c7 nightlight socket
3) 3 extension cords
4) photo-sensor outlet
5) Enclosure (like a shoebox)
The photo-sensor turns on the power to its outlet whenever there is no light hitting the sensor. (These devices are usually used to turn lights on after dark.) If we use the flicker/chandelier bulb near the sensor and put this combination in a light-tight box, the fluttering chandelier bulb will make anything pulled into the photsensor also flutter. That's all there is to it. You will need to experiment with the distance between the photo-sensor and the chandelier bulb.
A) Plug the photo-sensor into extension cord 1.
B) Screw the c7 chandelier bulb into the nightlight socket.
C) Plug the nightlight unit into the OTHER extension cord.
D) Plug both cords into a power supply (the 110v wall outlet.)
E) Plug a third extension cord INTO the photo-sensor unit. This will be the cord that you plug the lights you wish to flicker into. Let's call this the FLICKER CORD.
F) Run the extension cords with the devices into an enclosure like a shoe box. The enclosure must be light-tight. If you will be placing this "controller" outside, make sure the box is weather-proof. We recommend keeping this controller indoors and simply running an extension cord out to your outdoor lights.
G) Plug at least one light into the extension cord (FLICKER CORD) which is plugged into the sensor outlet so that you can adjust the flicker unit.
H) In a relatively dark room, experiment with the distance needed between the photo-sensor and the chandelier flicker bulb. Tape each down when optimum flickering is reached. Adjusting the distance will change how much or how little the lights stay on or off.
I) Tape down the lid on the enclosure and you're ready to rock!
This delivers a lighting trick that is used in almost every movie fire you've ever seen. The actors are lit with fluttering orange light. (Using orange color spot or flood lamps in the flicker device are common.) "Faulty" or sputtering electrical lighting is also created by running the lights into this sort of flicker device. Remember the the photo-sensor you are using can supply as MAXIMUM of 300 watts of power. If you need more juice, just make more units!
Flickering, Sputtering, Fluttering Fire Lighting to Illuminate Your Halloween Decorations and House!
Bill Lae is an award-winning visual effects artist and Halloween Haunter. As one of Hollywood's effects artists, Bill worked for all the networks using his magic touch on TV's top shows including The X-Files, Buffy, & The Outer Limits. He created BigScreamTV http://www.BigScreamTV.com a series of DVDs anyone can use to create in-home Halloween effects with a TV. He also shot a how-to DVD called X-Treme Haunted House Make-Over where he shows folks how to haunt the house for little cost. His love for Halloween started long before he came to LA. As a child he made haunted houses in his parents' basement. In LA, he began mixing easy-to-use technology (DVD players, computers, printers, lights) with other household items to "trick out" his own house every Halloween. At last count, he had 700 trick-or-treaters.
"It's my favorite holiday," Bill says. "I especially love amazing the hardened, media-savvy, teen-age critics. And it truly is the one time when everyone has the opportunity to give unconditionally-giving candy to strangers!" For more Halloween Projects: http://www.booityourself.com