Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Prop Landmines

POSTED BY Wesley Scoggins, 01 October 2008

 
A common prop from War movies landmines have been a part of a lot of tense and dramatic moments on many many war films. Now, i'm going to show you how to make a type of landmine today that you can fit into your film.
 
 
 
First, I started with a styrofoam ball that I purchased at my local hobby and craft store.
 
 
 
Then I cut it in two...
 
 
Then roughly marked where the pressure pins were going to be pushed into the foam.
 
 
 
I then pushed wooden dowels into the foam, and glued them into place. 
 
 
 
 I then got a nut jar with a rubbery plastic top, and cut a hole in it. 
 
 
 
Then pushed this can into the hole. 
 
 
 
Then I hot glued the foam sections onto the top of the can. 
 
 
 
I then painted it with a primer coat of dark silver paint. 
 
 
 
I then painted it with a layer of Olive-Drab paint to make it look closer to military equipment. It would also be pretty easy to stencil a serial number or something on it to make it look more "official". Just do some distressing on it to reveal some of the silver paint underneath it, and you could even speckle it with some brown and red paint to give it an older rusted look. 
 
But just bury it (if you're going to pull it up and defuse it or throw it around or something, make the entire thing) but to just have them spread on the ground, just make the top "mushroom" part and stick them into the ground.
 
When your character steps on it, just get a metal click noise (which you can either get off the free sound project, or record yourself by lightly hitting two metallic objects together) and add that in, then use something like the "Disappearing" trick where you just turn the camera off, then turn it back on, and toss in some debris flying in the air from detonation films, and it becomes pretty easy to make a really easy Exploding Landmine effect.
wesleys weekly, how to, prop, combat, war, explosion, grenade, battle, exploding, landmine, mine

Comments

  • Pat (guest) wrote on November 3, 8:50 pm

    its sooo cool and cheap i think its better than any other think that ive seen

  • ninja kyle wrote on October 12, 12:15 pm

    100th

  • Rontowninc wrote on October 7, 8:00 pm

    how do i post a blog?

  • WesScog wrote on October 9, 1:45 pm

    Be hired as a blogger.

  • soyman wrote on October 7, 1:41 pm

    i could do this for 3 dollars i get more than that everyday

  • WesScog wrote on October 6, 8:36 pm

    It's loosely based on the Valmara-type landmine. I think it looks far more distinctive than the based "Coffee Can" design of many other mines.

  • Aspiring-screenwriter-pat wrote on October 6, 7:34 pm

    What kind of land mine is that?

  • AlyS (guest) wrote on October 5, 9:04 pm

    sorry am late getting here..This is so neat. Can't wait to
    see what all this stuff will be worth when you become famous :) Glad I know you.

  • Gwiz wrote on October 5, 6:53 pm

    Just wondering... where might I find some super small alphabet stencils?

  • WesScog wrote on October 5, 9:52 pm

    I found some letter stencils at my local Wal-Mart over in the school supplies and craft section. They have little plastic pannels that have stenciles for the entire alphabet, and like a ruller built into the side, and some shape stenciles and stuff.

  • Westcroft (guest) wrote on October 3, 4:18 pm

    I really liked this one, wes... can you do me a huge favour and make a claymore version :D I'm sorry... Call of Duty 4 is still in my system :(

  • WARdocGirl wrote on October 7, 10:20 pm

    SWORDFISH (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0244244/)
    Has the most BASASS claymore scene!
    I Love Claymores.

  • SeatonStudios wrote on October 2, 6:37 pm

    Cool build, as usual!

  • evmo wrote on October 2, 5:05 pm

    i thought people were going to stop this first, second crap its relly annoying

  • matthew.cypert wrote on October 2, 8:10 pm

    i kno. its really dumb

  • IndyMogul wrote on October 2, 4:22 pm

    i seen cooler ones

  • WesScog wrote on October 2, 4:32 pm

    Then use those.

  • dac0705 wrote on October 2, 7:02 am

    Fifth!!!!

  • Fredrik wrote on October 2, 5:51 am

    Wow! Awsome!

  • BlackSnake456 wrote on October 2, 2:19 am

    3rd

  • mathijsdemachtige wrote on October 2, 12:52 am

    second, great bild
    sweet I love this good for my film

  • treasurebox Films (guest) wrote on October 1, 11:35 pm

    first!