In the video below SawStop’s creator Steve Gass bravely demonstrates its effectiveness on his own finger:

Special effects for movies and television involve a potentially dangerous mixture of art, science, magic, and dynamite, but often the most difficult effects to create don’t involve explosions at all, says Gerry “Boom Boom” Johnston, SFX guru, founder of SFX Ireland, and speaker at the second of this year’s Science Week lectures in Dublin’s Science Gallery.

“You have to be tough in this business,” says Johnston, and he doesn’t mean being able to hold your own during a makeup fight between leading actors.

Johnston’s world is one of explosive chemicals, pyrotechnic equipment, modified hot-water boilers and towering infernos. And with a fine line between success and failure in a dangerous environment, people get hurt:

“In one sequence for The First Great Train Robbery, one of the stunt co-ordinators jumped the wrong way and broke a few limbs,” explains Gerry.

Asked why this was his favourite stunt, Johnston quipped: “No one liked this particular guy.” (That must be why they call him “Boom Boom.”)  

So, SFX can be a perilous business, but the most difficult SFX to achieve are often much more genteel, says Johnston, author of the recently released “Lights, Camera, Dynamite! Adventures of a Special Effects Director.” (Thanks for the headline!)

“It might be getting a cake to rise right on cue, or getting a small kettle to boil at just the right time,” says Johnston.   

For Johnston, a background in engineering and science can be a positive advantage in the special effects business due to the amount of machine tooling and mathematics involved. And he should know, as he started his (albeit unconventional) scientific education early:

“When I was 8 or 9, I was making my own bows and arrows to play Indians. As I got older, I started making little explosives, planting them in trees. Then, we started to experiment in science class with gas-filled balloons, putting a little fuse on them to cause explosions,” says Johnston. 

Special effects is also the perfect playground for DIY engineers.

“All our stuff is specially built from scratch. We make our own stuff, because you have to be able to adapt and adapt quickly,” Johnston told myscience.ie.

For one movie, Johnston’s team modified a hot-water boiler by mounting it on a trailer, adding manifolds, and installing cabling for outdoor use. 

“It’s like hot-rodding a car,” explains Johnston.

Johnston has provided special effects for movies like Saving Private Ryan, Ryan’s Daughter and Braveheart.

You can hear Johnston’s conversation with M.C. Dave Fanning when the video goes up on the science week website next week. Make sure you do, or you’ll miss out on hearing what it’s like to work for Saddam Hussein, to meet some of the world’s most famous directors and actors… and why the set of “Saving Private Ryan” reduced grown men to tears.

In the meantime, watch these scary makeup videos, read these tips for creating weather effects on a budget and check out the brief video tutorial below about how a gruesome looking fake hand wound was created.