The Quicksilver Special Effects Blog

Waiting In. - 13-May-2010

As the election results drifted in and the outcome, or lack of it, unfolded I started to feel sorry for the Queen on Friday. I can just imaging her conversation with Phillip over tea at the Palace – ”they promised that a new Prime Minister would be delivered on Friday, I waited in all day and nothing has arrived. One should have been out trooping the colour and walking the corgi ...more

Filed under: General,Random — Tags: media city — Darren Wallis @ 10:39 am

Morrisons - 13-May-2010

I’m sure many of you have seen the latest Morrison’s commercial showing Top Gear’s Richard Hammond pushing his shopping trolley through various rural locations. We werent involved in every scene but the one scene we did work on is the part where he’s in the rain pulling his trolley across a cattle grid. That 10 seconds of footage took all day to film and for us, ...more

Filed under: General,Rain SFX,Random — Tags: morrisons, Rain, richard hammond, special effects — Wayne Bennett @ 9:28 am

Red Hot Chilli Peppers - 7-May-2010

I started writing this blog last year (yes, last year), but thought I had best finish it while references to current politicians were still accurate, I think I may only have minutes to go as they are assembling a lectern in Downing Street as I speak. Our office is at our shop/trade counter and on quieter days I will often serve customers to allow me to get away from doing the ...more

Filed under: Random — Darren Wallis @ 12:43 pm

Where have we been?? - 14-Apr-2010

Well, it’s been many months since we’ve posted a blog and we noticed it looks like we’ve been quiet and not done any work, which i can assure you is not the case. We’ve been busy with many TV productions and commercials since our last blog and my aim now is to try and remember what we’ve worked on and write a little about each project. So hopefully over the ...more

Filed under: General,Random — Wayne Bennett @ 2:15 pm

A rainy day - 13-Aug-2009

As I suspect with most other eager youngsters my view of special effects involved lots of setting fire to things or blowing them up or both. However, in reality for every caravan you blow up there are days and days of making it rain – it isn’t glamerous and you don’t get much of a smile from the crew. In fact there is a lot of water on TV that isn’t all that it seems ...more

Filed under: Mechanical SFX,Rain SFX,Random — Tags: BBC, Cutting It, ITV, Rain, special effects — Darren Wallis @ 6:10 pm

Is there anybody out there? - 9-Jul-2009

When we started to put this site together the web designers stressed the importance of the blog – these days you’re nobody if your not twittering, blogging or on face-book, but is anybody reading it? Clearly there is as I have had lots of feedback from well meaning potential customers offering to replace my Rolex (they must be confused as it my Plastic Casio that needs a new strap) ...more

Filed under: General,Rain SFX,Random — Tags: Add new tag, Asda, Nike, Pataks, Rain, Virgin Trains — Darren Wallis @ 10:05 am

Virgin Trains - 21-May-2009

The New Virgin Trains ad is now being aired. We worked on the ad a few weeks ago over two days. The 1st effect was the large bonfire seen in the background during Becky’s ad. As she looks out the window there are a few “hunky” guys working in a field with a large bonfire burning away to the right. Usual stuff really, Gas fed bonfire that can be ignited and ex ...more

Filed under: Fire & Smoke,General,Mechanical SFX,Random,Wind SFX — Tags: Virgin Trains — Wayne Bennett @ 1:30 pm

No Goldfish were harmed in the making of this production - 23-Apr-2009

It is a couple of years since we were involved in producing a comedy pilot for Granada TV with comedian Justin Edwards AKA Jeremy Lion, Children’s Entertainer, but the memories are as clear as if it were yesterday. Picture, if you can, a large (in fact very large) feathered pantomime goose, strapped to the roof of a Hillman Imp -if you are old enough to remember how implausibly small they ...more

Filed under: Fire & Smoke,Mechanical SFX,Random — Tags: Chocolate eggs, Granada TV, Jeremy Lion, special effects — Darren Wallis @ 9:52 am

Hollyoaks - 11-Apr-2009

“I’ve never worked as hard in my life as I have this week”. That was the comment made by Jonathan on Thursday evening after his involvement in his first major SFX job. I have to admit, I found it hard work myself, but then again I am used to it. Darren, Andy, Steve, Jonathan and I have been at Hollyoaks all week working on an episode involving lots of fire and collapsing stair ...more

Filed under: Explosion SFX,Fire & Smoke,Random — Wayne Bennett @ 7:51 am

Week ending 3/4/09 - 30-Mar-2009

The Bookies Fire episode for Corrie is being aired this week and we’re all looking forward to seeing the final cut. The scenes involving our effects were filmed over 4 days about a month ago. Some great pictures and footage were available on ITV.com prior to the episode being aired which was good. I was interviewed at one point so that might end up on ITV’s website. ...more

Filed under: Explosion SFX,Fire & Smoke,General,Random — Tags: Coronation Street, Corrie, Man United, special effects, Virgin Trains — Wayne Bennett @ 11:04 am