Real tree branches in front of the tv screen add to the outdoor effect.

The Making of

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Camera Tricks
continued...

Another in-camera effect we like is making toy weapons seem to fire real lasers. Fortunately for poor, indie-filmmakers, smoke machines and laser pointers are relatively cheap and easy to come by these days (bargain hunters could get both for under $50).

Creating the effect is just a matter of camera trickery using perspective to your advantage. There are two ways to do it, depending on the camera angle. If you see the gun from the side you can hide the laser pointer behind the toy and match the angle of the gun. This way you can see the laser coming out of the end of the gun and even hitting it's target. When the camera is looking directly down the barrel of the gun, the laser pointer is held out of frame and aimed directly at the gun from the direction of the target. Both ways become more difficult if the subjects move, which they almost always do.

In-camera flamethrower effects are fun too, and accomplished simply with a lighter and a pump-action bottle of hairspray held just out of frame. Obvoiusly this or any type of pyro effect should only be practiced by adults, using extreme caution: having a fire extinguisher ready and wearing protective gloves when puppeteering in the path of the fire... and since we're talking safety, don't forget to stop, drop and roll. Our motto at Probot is: Nobody Loves A Smartass, but our other motto is:
Don't Burn Your Face Off.

Another in-camera effect we often use is Rear-Screen-Projection. It's one of the oldest tricks in the book, but i think it's especially effective in action-figure cinema, because even a relatively small tv becomes a large rear-screen for toys.