+44 (0)7968 613040 or +44 (0)7968 613030 info@elementsfx.co.uk
Created by Raphael Jackson Jr. Damione Macedon, Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan
Directed by - Otto Bathurst, Tessa Hoffe, Colme MCarthy, Sebastian Thiel
DOP - Aske Foss, Milos Moore, Rob Reineke
Production Designer Ed Tuner
Working hand-in-hand with the stunt department, Elements orchestrated several intense shootout sequences. In the heart of London on a building site, our team of eight pyrotechnically trained technicians and supervisors executed practical effects for a high-stakes ambush, using a mix of pyrotechnics and air-fed systems where safe and appropriate. The scene featured our newly developed "Air Strafe Kit”, a compact, plug-and-play system powered by self-resetting pressure vessels that only require a quick debris reload between takes. Safe and remarkably quiet, these devices can be placed directly next to the actors, putting them right in the thick of the action to trigger genuine reactions and elevate scene realism.
Amongst a badass murder montage, a poker game gets rudely interrupted by machine-gun fire, we adapted our Air Strafe Kit to run off a dive bottle, giving us precise control over the duration and power of the blasts. Rigged directly beneath the poker table with multiple outlets, the system launched lightweight props including poker chips, breakaway glass, and playing cards into the air, whilst being completely invisible to camera. The quick resets paired seamlessly with actor pyrotechnic squibs, the result was a beautifully synchronised, cinematic montage shot.
A Van explosion on a pier in the River Thames was the biggest challenge of the season, not the practicality of the effect itself; but the health and safety and security process surrounding ‘blowing up’ an object on the Thames. A couple weeks of liaising with the Met and other forces and we had the go ahead, water safety was in place, strict area guidelines were to be met. But the final piece was astonishing, the car gets engulfed in flames as the character throws a match and drives off.
Beyond the shootouts, the series also required a plethora of physical effects, including a leg brake gag, where special effects crafted a soft replica leg on a hinge, which when kicked collapsed in on itself, which was quite nauseating to witness in person. We also had on standby an arsenal of blood pools, stabbings, gunshots, explosions and soft props. As well as many soft replicas makes of items like hot coals and the O2 Arena Doors that blew off in one sequence.
