breaking glass effect at DVinfo.net

Robert Joyce · February 14th, 2003, 04:43 PM

How do get the effect where when someone drops a glass cup or sumpin and it shatters all over the place?I know you use sugar in some way but I dont know how to do it.

Dean Sensui · February 14th, 2003, 05:36 PM

Markertek sells these things. They're made of some kind of harmless candy mixture, I think.

http://www.markertek.com/MTStore/pro...seItem=RX80011

Not cheap. About $190 for a dozen. Cheaper than getting sutures for multiple lacerations :-)

If you do a google search you'll find a number of suppliers of breakaway glassware and materials used to make them.

Dean Sensui
Base Two Productions

Bill Pryor · February 14th, 2003, 06:06 PM

If you drop a glass on a tile or other hard surface, it will shatter all over the place. I've done that a few times, with plates. Buy a bunch of cheap ones, because you probably will need more than one take.

The suggestion of the special effect breakaway stuff is even better if you have the money to spend.

Rick Spilman · February 14th, 2003, 06:57 PM

On a vaguely related topic, I don't know how the prop glass sounds when it shatters, so if you need to add the sound of glass breaking in post, wrap a lightbulb in cloth and hit it with something to break it. Very nice glass breaking sound.

I learned that at my wedding. My wife is Jewish and we included the traditional breaking of the glass. Using a light bulb sounds better than a wine glass and decreases the chance of cutting of the groom's toe.

Rick

Bill Ravens · March 18th, 2003, 08:07 AM

Not sure if this will work for you, but, there is a nice piece of free shareware available from www.winmorph.com. Over at that site, Satish has a free plug-in that does a pretty good simulation of shattering the video frame. Perhaps your shattering effect will work when done in post...;-)

Robert Knecht Schmidt · March 18th, 2003, 11:31 AM

The Sunday comic strip U Can with Beakman and Jax once ran an article on making candy glass. It essentially involved boiling down a sugar mixture to hard crack and then being very careful with taking it out of the pan.

Trying to do this at home results in panes of glass that are only as large and as flat as your largest, flattest pan, and that are nowhere near as limpid as real glass panes.

Jay Gladwell · March 18th, 2003, 06:13 PM

This all reminds me of one of the most memorable shots (in my mind) I've ever seen. It's from A Clockwork Orange, when Georgie hits Alex up'side the head with a quart of milk.

Don't ask why, I don't know. But that has stuck in my mind for over 30 years as a very impressive piece of cinema.

Zac Stein · March 18th, 2003, 07:37 PM

for some reason, when i think of A Clockwork Orange and someone getting hit over the head i don't think of the milk scene, but rather a later scene which involved a rather large statue of a mans privates.

Zac

Jay Gladwell · March 18th, 2003, 08:08 PM

Hmmm... I wonder what Dr. Freud would have to say about that? ;o)

Derrick Begin · March 19th, 2003, 08:09 AM

The sugar/glycerin base for making glass is very time consuming and, to me, not worth it. I did it for the theatre years ago and the beer bottles that I and the 'brilliant' director (SARCASM) were odd shaped and problematic.

He built a mold and I painted the inside with the mixture of sugar and glycerine. Can't remember the propotion. It was difficult in maintaining consistancy of the surface, thick and thin. Then it was baked. When it broke it had a less than desireable effect.

CRACK - - PLOOP

I would go to the dollar store and buy a bunch of 'breakable' cups, put on the safety goggles, and smash them that way.

By the way, I am assuming you want to see this on the screen. You'll probably need to add some sound in there too.

Cheers!

Jeff Donald · March 19th, 2003, 10:10 PM

I've seen a sound effects device that makes a breaking glass sound. Guess what? It uses real glass and a hammer on a mechanical arm is swung into the pane of glass. Sounds just like glass breaking. I'm told it's what they use on the David Letterman Show for the glass breaking effect.

Derrick Begin · March 21st, 2003, 08:27 AM

I've seen that glass breaking effects 'box' in action in a radio play. The college radio station had one two for on-air smashing.

Cheers!

February 14th, 2003, 04:43 PM	#1
Robert Joyce Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: willoughby,ohio Posts: 28	breaking glass effect How do get the effect where when someone drops a glass cup or sumpin and it shatters all over the place?I know you use sugar in some way but I dont know how to do it.

March 18th, 2003, 11:31 AM	#6
Robert Knecht Schmidt Wrangler Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,933	The Sunday comic strip U Can with Beakman and Jax once ran an article on making candy glass. It essentially involved boiling down a sugar mixture to hard crack and then being very careful with taking it out of the pan. Trying to do this at home results in panes of glass that are only as large and as flat as your largest, flattest pan, and that are nowhere near as limpid as real glass panes. __________________ All the best, Robert K S Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| The best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

March 19th, 2003, 08:09 AM	#10
Derrick Begin Major Player Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: New York Posts: 329	Making Glass The sugar/glycerin base for making glass is very time consuming and, to me, not worth it. I did it for the theatre years ago and the beer bottles that I and the 'brilliant' director (SARCASM) were odd shaped and problematic. He built a mold and I painted the inside with the mixture of sugar and glycerine. Can't remember the propotion. It was difficult in maintaining consistancy of the surface, thick and thin. Then it was baked. When it broke it had a less than desireable effect. CRACK - - PLOOP I would go to the dollar store and buy a bunch of 'breakable' cups, put on the safety goggles, and smash them that way. By the way, I am assuming you want to see this on the screen. You'll probably need to add some sound in there too. Cheers!

March 19th, 2003, 10:10 PM	#11
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	I've seen a sound effects device that makes a breaking glass sound. Guess what? It uses real glass and a hammer on a mechanical arm is swung into the pane of glass. Sounds just like glass breaking. I'm told it's what they use on the David Letterman Show for the glass breaking effect. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

February 14th, 2003, 05:36 PM	#2
Dean Sensui Inner Circle Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 2,054	Markertek sells these things. They're made of some kind of harmless candy mixture, I think. http://www.markertek.com/MTStore/pro...seItem=RX80011 Not cheap. About $190 for a dozen. Cheaper than getting sutures for multiple lacerations :-) If you do a google search you'll find a number of suppliers of breakaway glassware and materials used to make them. Dean Sensui Base Two Productions

February 14th, 2003, 06:06 PM	#3
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	If you drop a glass on a tile or other hard surface, it will shatter all over the place. I've done that a few times, with plates. Buy a bunch of cheap ones, because you probably will need more than one take. The suggestion of the special effect breakaway stuff is even better if you have the money to spend.

February 14th, 2003, 06:57 PM	#4
Rick Spilman Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Jersey City, NJ Posts: 366	On a vaguely related topic, I don't know how the prop glass sounds when it shatters, so if you need to add the sound of glass breaking in post, wrap a lightbulb in cloth and hit it with something to break it. Very nice glass breaking sound. I learned that at my wedding. My wife is Jewish and we included the traditional breaking of the glass. Using a light bulb sounds better than a wine glass and decreases the chance of cutting of the groom's toe. Rick

March 18th, 2003, 08:07 AM	#5
Bill Ravens Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: santa fe, nm Posts: 3,264 Images: 10	Not sure if this will work for you, but, there is a nice piece of free shareware available from www.winmorph.com. Over at that site, Satish has a free plug-in that does a pretty good simulation of shattering the video frame. Perhaps your shattering effect will work when done in post...;-)

March 18th, 2003, 06:13 PM	#7
Jay Gladwell Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 1,244	This all reminds me of one of the most memorable shots (in my mind) I've ever seen. It's from A Clockwork Orange, when Georgie hits Alex up'side the head with a quart of milk. Don't ask why, I don't know. But that has stuck in my mind for over 30 years as a very impressive piece of cinema.

March 18th, 2003, 07:37 PM	#8
Zac Stein Major Player Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 730	for some reason, when i think of A Clockwork Orange and someone getting hit over the head i don't think of the milk scene, but rather a later scene which involved a rather large statue of a mans privates. Zac

March 18th, 2003, 08:08 PM	#9
Jay Gladwell Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 1,244	Hmmm... I wonder what Dr. Freud would have to say about that? ;o)

March 21st, 2003, 08:27 AM	#12
Derrick Begin Major Player Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: New York Posts: 329	I've seen that glass breaking effects 'box' in action in a radio play. The college radio station had one two for on-air smashing. Cheers!