MovieChat Forums > Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956) Discussion > The Flying Saucers' Force Field?

The Flying Saucers' Force Field?

posted 18 years ago by moondoggiedaddy2007
6 replies | jump to latest

Ray Harryhausen stated that the force field projected by the flying saucers was accomplished by using a piece of distorted material that he called a "shimmer glass". Does anyone know what its actual stock title/description and stock number is, and where we may purchase it? [FYI, this same force field effect was utilized in the "7th Voyage of Sinbad" when the boy genie created a barrier between the cyclops and Sinbad's landing party; as a "jelly-like substance" barrier to protect the King Selenite moon-man in "First Men in the Moon"; and, the underwater effects with the giant Octopi in both "It Came from Beneath the Sea" and "Mysterious Island".]

[–] obit1 17 years ago

it's a piece of warped glass sheet (or plexi glass these days) and you rotate a side of it in front of the camera (he did it in stop motion) so the section of the rear projection he is rephotographing "wobbles"....
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[–] moondoggiedaddy2007 17 years ago

Where can I get it? There's got to be a supply company somewhere that carries it. It would probably have a specific stock nomenclature, name/title, number. etc., as well as a price. Thank you.

[–] strntz 10 years ago

You can make your own.

Locate one of those round heavy plastic water bottles that go on top of water coolers.

To get the affect, mark around the perimeter certain areas that you will contour. Get some 220 grit wet/dry sand paper and sand down areas in vertical strips around the perimeter where you've marked. When done, you will have certain areas untouched, and others that are sanded down in various depths. You don't need to go too deep to cause a visual distortion as the barrel is rotated in front of the camera lens.

Moving to finer sand papers, continue to sand the areas that you lowered in order to clear up the cloudiness left by the sanding marks. As a final clarifying procedure, you can use a kit used to clean and clear automobile headlight lenses.

You will need to attach a bearing plate to the bottom of the barrel and get it centered enough to where it won't cause too much wobble when spun in front of the camera lens. A cheap Lazy Susan will have a bearing you can scavenge.

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[–] strntz 10 years ago

Just discovered something..

While I was cleaning out a four sided glass vase this morning, I noticed that when it's rotated, the image looking through the vase gives that watery distortion.

Pick up a four sided clear vase or drinking glass, epoxy it to a bearing (Home Depot), spin it in front of your camera, and voila: a force field for cheap.

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[–] powersroc 11 years ago

While its noted that EVTFS was Ray's least favorite film of the ones he has done,he was very pleased with the force field effect that he created for the aliens saucers.

[–] liscarkat (19445) 7 years ago

They have this stuff at Home Depot.