breakaway glass

[goriddle]

I saw a post not to long ago about breakaway glass. Someone was asking how to make it out of sugar. Anyhow, I am not interesting in using sugar because I need a rather large pane, probably about 4'x5'. Does anyone know a do it yourself method for a pane this large? I was even considering showing an interior of someone about to be thrown into the glass and then cutting to an exterior of them going through the window and not showing the glass actually break. The idea is to have a pre-cut plexi glass pane taped or hot glued in place. I read about this stuff called Smash Plastic, but I am assuming it costs an arm and a leg and unfortunately I can only afford to spend about $30 on this effect.

[Mommy's Little Monster]

I've used smash plactic and for what it is, it's not that great. You have to have a full shop to be able to work with this stuff and it needs to be vaccum de-gased and needs good ventilation as well as a place to actually set your mold on and you measurements have to be dead on exact 50/50 or else it will cure but be tacky. Not to say it's not a good product, it's just a waste of cash if you don't use it properly.

In the prop builders handbook, the author describes the use of something called Pico Resin, and this is what he used as break-away glass. However i have scoured the net and have not found a trace of the stuff, you may have better luck (if you do let me know and i will send instructions on how to use it).

Your idea of the quick cut with the plexi-glass sounds best and cheapest i say stick with that.

If for some reason you want to attempt the sugar glass thing then you can actually cast smaller panes and attach them together used wood trim so as to make it look like decoration on the windows.

[SeanHope]

Smooth on makes a clear rubber break away glass that breaks extremely nicely and is very safe and soft. you will have to add in the glass breaking sound effect, but this is much softer when landing on it or it falling on the actor that the other sugar or plastic break aways.

[goriddle]

does it actually break like glass or do you just make safe shards with it?

[SeanHope]

we've made a few bottles and a small window pane. the initial break. because it's rubber it doesn't mke the sound of broken glass - though sugar really doesn't make a great movie broken glass it. You can fall on it. because it's light weight you can grab pieces of it and apply it to your actor. We use metal molds for the bottles and a glass botton box for the window pane.

well here's the acrobat file on the product
www.smooth-on.com/PDF/rglass.pdf

During our testing of the product - I broke a bottle over my head and then chewed on another once filled with liquid. The results were fantastic. The window pane was used in a TV pilot and we have been commisioned to make a lot more. The only problem with chewing on it, is it does break into very little pieces that could be easily swallowed - I had to rinse my mouth out several times before getting the all clear and I still think I swallowed some - which is bad ummkay.

[goriddle]

I don't imagine the trial size is enough for a 3.5'x4' pane is it?

[SeanHope]

I would go with the 3 gallons
Gallon Kit = 2 Gallon Pails A + 1 Gallon Pail B = 24 lbs. = $211.20 - this is an awesome investment.
because you might want to make several copies just in case.

[goriddle]

I dont think I will go with that then. The crashing through the glass scene really isn't important enough to my project to spend that much money.

[AJ]

I know you prefer practical effects to CG Goriddle, but I could do the shot for you if you like. No charge.

All I need is a locked off shot(or shots) of the actor going through the empty window frame, I'll add the glass panel, camera movement and the smash digitally.

[goriddle]

I wouldn't mind all that much as long as it didn't look incredibly cheesy.

[AJ]

Shouldn't look cheesy at all.

Get in touch if you want to talk specifics of what your shot requires.