Mechanical Practical FX
I have years of experience in creating rigs to be installed and operated on set, as well as modifying or completely inventing new rigs spontaneously when things inevitably change on the day. This work has ranged from fog and atmospherics to water effects, pneumatics, and more. Below is a sampling of my work as a practical special effects supervisor and/or technician!
Belly of the Beast
Special Effects Supervisor | Dir. Mary Louise Renegar
My work on this gothic fantasy included a puppet used to create mermaid tail movement in a motion capture session, a monofilament rig to create the illusion of the stage build being a rocking ship, and a quick “smoking stove” rig using a bee smoker for a characters’ dinner gone wrong.
Homer: Great Teller of Tales
Special Effects Supervisor | Dir. Amelia Cameron
This film was set in Mount Olympus and the Underworld, so the team asked for thick low-lying fog. Dry ice fog gave us the density we were looking for and we created a plastic barrier surrounding the set to contain the fog.
Suga Brown
Co-Special Effects Supervisor | Dir. Clarke Phillips
For this water birth scene, my co-supervisor Jonny Weaver and I set up a system to regularly run cool water out of the bath and run warm water in to replace it. We employed this system between takes to keep the actress safe and comfortable.
A still from the first cut of the film
Over the Parapet
Special Effects Technician | SFX Sup. Lucas Saunders | Dir. Clarke Phillips
The equally tedious and satisfying task of electrical soldering is one of my favorite ways to spend time in the shop, so on this project special effects supervisor Lucas Saunders tasked me with executing the wiring for a pneumatic mortar control box he designed.
