# Colored Fog?



## jerekb (Nov 17, 2008)

Is there a way to get colored fog like green. Without using a special light?? If so how?


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## derekleffew (Nov 17, 2008)

Gas Dyes. 

Coloured Gases - Science Forums, The Original.


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## len (Nov 18, 2008)

jerekb said:


> Is there a way to get colored fog like green. Without using a special light?? If so how?




You really need to burn something, like phosphorus or magnesium, to get a color. And that means pyro, and that means hiring a professional, and is also outside the TOS of this forum, I suspect.


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## TheDonkey (Nov 18, 2008)

len said:


> You really need to burn something, like phosphorus or magnesium, to get a color. And that means pyro, and that means hiring a professional, and is also outside the TOS of this forum, I suspect.



And you wouldn't want people standing in the cloud without full respirator gear >.<


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## maccalder (Nov 18, 2008)

Beware the "dies" that people sell for fog machines - they ruin the internals of the machine, and will almost certainly stain anything the fog comes into contact with (and it smells naff). The best looking and easiest way is with lighting.


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## MNBallet (Nov 18, 2008)

As others have said, the answer is no. you'd have to go pyro. There are smoke cartridges that come in colors. I use a 7 sec blue for our Sleeping Beauty production and a 30 sec white for our Cinderella. But since your a HS student, pyro is out of the question.

However, I have seen a couple of new fog units that shoots straight up with a small light built in for around $70. I'm thinking of getting some for when I tour into a school that won't let me use pyro. Besides, getting two units for around that price would be the same as the hazmat shipping costs for any pyro (not counting the price of the pyro you're buying)

Just curious, why would you be against a green light?


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## themuzicman (Nov 19, 2008)

Don't just stop at colored fog! Get smelling fog too!

Mega-Steam Smoke Fluid

make your fog smell! (4-D Fog!)


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## gafftapegreenia (Nov 19, 2008)

themuzicman said:


> Don't just stop at colored fog! Get smelling fog too!
> 
> Mega-Steam Smoke Fluid
> 
> make your fog smell! (4-D Fog!)



Dude, they have frying bacon scented smoke.


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## maccalder (Nov 19, 2008)

Just as a bit of general advice... don't touch scented fog either... again, it clogs machines, it can also irritate and generally, it smells god **** awful.


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## dannyn (Nov 19, 2008)

I agree maccalder. 
I have used the fog scent before. I used the rum scent, and it clogged the machine, and didn't smell much like run. 
I was speaking to Retro Scent at LDI this year, and the guy there said that the fog scent is not really all that safe. 
He said the manufactorers do not have the proper documentation to prove that buring scent at high tempetures is safe. I cannot verify this though. 
Back to your question of colored fog. As has been stated, you need a pyro.
You could though use something like this: Eliminator Dynamic Duo Mkii Fog Machine & Light -  Fog & Smoke Machines- Fog, Snow & Bubble Machines- Lighting- PSSL.com


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## WestlakeTech (Nov 19, 2008)

MNBallet said:


> As others have said, the answer is no. you'd have to go pyro. There are smoke cartridges that come in colors. I use a 7 sec blue for our Sleeping Beauty production and a 30 sec white for our Cinderella. But since your a HS student, pyro is out of the question.
> 
> However, I have seen a couple of new fog units that shoots straight up with a small light built in for around $70. I'm thinking of getting some for when I tour into a school that won't let me use pyro. Besides, getting two units for around that price would be the same as the hazmat shipping costs for any pyro (not counting the price of the pyro you're buying)
> 
> Just curious, why would you be against a green light?



My HS has used pyro, but it was with the hired help of a licensed pyrotechnician.


Just wanna remind you guys that y'all are such a help and really know you're stuff. I feel smarter just for being a member on this board.


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## EBB (Aug 14, 2012)

*Colored smoke*

So I have a few shows coming up that have the need for some colored smoke or fog effects and I'm not super good in that area. I'm doing Edith Stein at some point in the next few weeks, and generally I just throw a light under the fog machine and make it the color I want. But the fixtures I have available to me are limited due to power, so I was wondering what my options were in the fog area. I'm told the fire marshal will be on site for a few things because candles and whatnot will be on stage, so he will have a bit of say in it. But supposedly he is a pretty lax guy for the production and will point me in the right direction if something doesn't work for him. But I want to use this as a learning experience in something different. I just can't think of anything at the moment and don't know fog all that well. 

Do any companies make a fog fluid and machine that can produce a color for a desired effect? Like a green or a yellow? Budget isn't an issue and it can always be sold off or rented out after show. And the desired area isn't going to be a large space. Probably a 10x10 spot for the smoke to stay around and settle after the death scene. 

Or is there any other suggestions that I'm not really thinking of? I would prefer to leave video out of it if possible. I attempted through a grey silk drop and onto a cyc and the effect looked a bit odd. And attempted it again with a Mac 550 animation wheel and a breakup. But it still just didn't look as authentic as I would prefer.


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## kiwitechgirl (Aug 14, 2012)

*Re: Colored smoke*

You can get coloured fog fluid, but every time I've seen it, it's ended up being cut because it stains EVERYTHING. Whatever the fog touches, ends up the colour of the fog. I'd stick with throwing coloured light on white smoke.


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## techieman33 (Aug 14, 2012)

*Re: Colored smoke*

Why not use some LED wash fixtures? The power required would be very minimal.


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## Les (Aug 14, 2012)

*Re: Colored smoke*

I have never heard of any kind of colored fog fluid, and a quick Google search doesn't yield any reliable results. The best way to do this, as mentioned, is with lighting. Just enough (not too much) and you will only see the light when the fog is present.

These CRYO jets, for example, are not capable of producing colored effects -- only the lights under them are.


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## EBB (Aug 14, 2012)

*Re: Colored smoke*

Well my issue is for LED's that there is literally not a single edison on the stage. I don't know which genius designed that, but I have searched high and low for a single one. It is a sensor rack, so I could swap out one of the dimmable modules for a universal one. I would still be losing a fixture though and the rig is already small on fixtures. I guess that is a bit more incentive for them to buy some LED's if I can put a couple on the same pipe and lose two conventionals. 



kiwitechgirl said:


> You can get coloured fog fluid, but every time I've seen it, it's ended up being cut because it stains EVERYTHING. Whatever the fog touches, ends up the colour of the fog. I'd stick with throwing coloured light on white smoke.



Really? Is that specific to an oil base or does that include water as well?


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## StNic54 (Aug 14, 2012)

*Re: Colored smoke*

We use slim, battery-operated LED units that are perfect for these sorts of issues. I wouldn't attempt any colored fog fluid - if you even find it, it would probably be a hefty bill for a problematic effect. Using LED's on your fog at least gives you the option of controlling the color and saturation that you see in the fog, rather than being married to one color that the director may or may not prefer.


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## Kelite (Aug 14, 2012)

*Re: Colored smoke*


StNic54 said:


> We use slim, battery-operated LED units that are perfect for these sorts of issues. I wouldn't attempt any colored fog fluid - if you even find it, it would probably be a hefty bill for a problematic effect. Using LED's on your fog at least gives you the option of controlling the color and saturation that you see in the fog, rather than being married to one color that the director may or may not prefer.



Amen St. Nic! 

There are several ways to skin this cat, and this particular suggestion is well worth a look-


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## chausman (Aug 14, 2012)

Where are you powering your fog machine if there aren't any outlets?


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## wiscolighting (Aug 14, 2012)

*Re: Colored smoke*

Simplest way is just use a light preferably LED color mixing work really well. Colored fog fluid is not all that great and depending on what machine you are using it can do a real number on it leaving you with a disfuntional unit. Find some AC and run it I've worked events where we have run power all the way to the other end of buildings or across fields just to get the power needed. It might be a pain but your color options if you have a good control console are endless with one or more LED color mixing lights with fluid its one color at a time no ability to change it quickly and very few color options.


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## EBB (Aug 15, 2012)

*Re: Colored smoke*


chausman said:


> Where are you powering your fog machine if there aren't any outlets?



I'm still trying to work that out. haha. That's why I may possibly get stuck with using a projector since there are outlets at FOH in the air and a projector already up. I just might need to get a program like Isadora to do what I want. 

I've considered the possibilities of battery powered LED's and found a company that may have some Chauvet Wells in the area. So that is my second option. But I am still of course using this as a learning experience to play around with different ideas. for funsies. I'm sure I'm going to use the LED situation anyways since I think I actually have a dimmer blade I have from an install that I can swap out and make things work for them. And that would make the fog power more accessable.


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## porkchop (Oct 30, 2012)

I totally want bacon scented fog now.


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## Grog12 (Oct 31, 2012)

porkchop said:


> I totally want bacon scented fog now.



I may allegedly know of a production that used patchouli in their hazer for Hair...(thank god I didn't work that show)


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## JohnD (Nov 1, 2012)

I just ran across this new item from Chauvet.
Products » Geyser
Also some info on patchouli:
Patchouli - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Of course, for a performance of Hair, they could have just had the ushers wear a dab of patchouli oil to suitably stench up, I mean enhance the experience.


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