Lava, Quicksand and Swamps

 

Effects of this nature range from a person sinking slowly into the ‘inexorable quicksand’ to the making of footsteps in wet cement. There are basic recipes that can be adapted for many different purposes, but the techniques for their use differ widely.

Hot lava

Oatmeal, sawdust, broken cork and many other things can be used to simulate lava. Mixed with water these materials have a suitable texture, but the addition of sand adds weight when it is required for them to roll down a sloping surface.

Without ‘red hot’ ash and smoke they appear lifeless, but these effects have to be added independently.

Smoke may be added by pumping it into jets just ahead of the rolling lava. (It is always a wise policy to study film of ...

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