Filming Dancers with Smoke Grenades (How to & Tips)
First time using smoke grenades for videography or photography?
Well, this is a must-read for you; I could NOT find this information all in one place myself and as such, I’ve decided to sum it all up for you with these insights. And you’re going to want to read and watch the videos before your first smoke grenade filming session. So, let’s get into it!
About the Grenades
I bought the most widely used smoke grenades “Enola Gaye WP40”. Smoke grenades are considered explosives. They are delivered to you with a very clear label outside the box, “WARNING: EXPLOSIVES” ..LOL. There is a small cap on each grenade which, annoyingly, comes off very easily, exposing the ring that triggers the smoke release. Each grenade lasts on average 60-80 seconds. I used the ones with smoke coming out of just one end instead of both, which are cheaper at $11. Each product that EG sells give you a “Cloud Size” so you know comparatively how powerful a grenade you’re getting. These were considered a “3”.
How to trigger the smoke:
The EG website says that 5lbs of force is required to pull the wired ring to trigger the smoke release. It’s not difficult. If you watched the video linked above, I include footage of Lee pulling the trigger. A note, you MUST pull at a 90-degree angle (not upwards). Here is another useful link with a closeup/slow motion of it being pulled, from the EG Facebook.
I researched this product heavily before reaching out to my subject to use it, because I wanted to feel comfortable shooting with it before doing bigger shoots with it later on. The customer service rep at Enola Gay immediately put me at ease. I highly recommend calling the distributor if you have specific questions, instead of trying to find your answers on the internet, where there can be a lot of variety. Since everyone uses them for different reasons and in diff spaces, your answer on what precautions to take will also be different.
Since I was going to shoot it with a dancer, a moving subject who is actually moving with it in hand rather than throwing it like a paintballer (most commonly used), I wanted to hear straight from the rep’s mouth that it was safe. While she said that they don’t usually recommend people holding them (gasp!), people still use them this way, and it would be fine.
She said that the hottest part of the grenade would be the top, where the smoke rose out from, but that they are definitely cool enough to hold comfortably. I can confirm this, as my test subject told me this after he used it. I asked him if he thought anyone would get afraid by how it felt holding it and he said no.
I wanted to address the “fire hazard’ as this was my biggest concern. The rep said that as long as you don’t place the grenade on dry brush, we should be fine.
Another note: I recently talked to someone who used these during a pole performance and they said the purple smoke got in their noses and stayed there for several days… EEP! So be careful if you are using in an indoor space. From what I read, that is not recommended. Plus, the smoke will stay in the air for a bit before dissipating.
Pulling the Ring
Angle the smoke bomb away from the body and grip it towards the bottom 1/3 of the column. As we mentioned above, there will be some initial sparks flying so hold it away from the body for a couple of seconds and then use as needed.
Once the cable is pulled, you’ll have to wait 5-10 seconds before you have usable smoke that will fill the frame. We recommend having an assistant with you to help pull the cable, especially if you firing off multiple smoke bombs.
Once the smoke bomb is lit, if a lot of smoke goes into your subject’s face it can cause them to tear up and it doesn’t necessarily smell good. Instruct them that they can move around and move the smoke bombs as well to avoid having the smoke blow into their eyes/face.
When the smoke is coming out there is a lot of powder that comes along with it. If there is any wind or the smoke bomb is angled back towards the body, there is the potential it can stain light colored clothing.
; When I learned that they could be flammable, I wanted to ensure that I did everything I could to make sure this was not a possibility. I watched as many YouTube videos as I could find of people using them. I observed how the subject held them, where the smoke blew, how it dispersed from the grenade. I took notes.
I sent my subject a couple videos on their use so they wouldnt be clueless going into it, so they’d feel safe, and so we wouldn’t have to spend much time discussing how to trigger the smoke.
Do your research
One thing I wish EG would be more clear about on the packaging is that the plastic film on it should be removed. They go under the assumption that the subject knows, but really, I wasn’t sure. Since you only get one shot (unless you have extras), it’s important to know exactly how the product works.
I got back up grenades. Ideally you will have a backup for every shot you plan to capture. 2 backups would be even better, because if your first grenade does indeed fail, then you only have one opportunity to get the shot. If you want B-roll, this wont be possible without a second clip. Make sure to do your research - read articles, watch Youtube videos, and do a TEST!
Feel free to join my Facebook group to ask specific questions regarding smoke grenades: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theinspiredcapture