https://hackaday.com/2021/11/14/those-bullet-effects-in-terminator-2-werent-cgi/ Skip to content Logo Hackaday Primary Menu * Home * Blog * Hackaday.io * Tindie * Hackaday Prize * Submit * About * Search for: [ ] [Search] November 14, 2021 Those Bullet Effects In Terminator 2 Weren't CGI 8 Comments * by: Donald Papp November 14, 2021 * * * * * Title: [Those Bullet Effects] Copy Short Link: [https://hackaday.com] Copy [T2-Bullet-] Remember Terminator 2? Guns were nearly useless against the murderous T-1000, played by Robert Patrick. Bullets fired at the "liquid metal" robot resulted only in a chrome-looking bullet splash that momentarily staggered the killing machine. The effects were done by Stan Winston, who died in 2008, but a video and short blurb shared by the Stan Winston School of Character Arts revealed, to our surprise and delight, that the bullet impact effects were not CGI. [T2-Bullet-Effect-Square-Anim]How was this accomplished? First of all, Winston and his team researched the correct "look" for the splash impacts by firing projectiles into mud and painstakingly working to duplicate the resulting shapes. These realistic-looking crater sculpts were then cast in some mixture of foam rubber, and given a chromed look by way of vacuum metallizing (also known as vacuum deposition) which is a way of depositing a thin layer of metal onto a surface. Vacuum deposition is similar to electroplating, but the process does not require the object being coated to have a conductive surface. These foam rubber splash patterns -- which look like metal but aren't -- were deployed using a simple mechanical system. A variety of splashes in different sizes get individually compressed into receptacles in a fiberglass chest plate. Covering each is a kind of trapdoor, each held closed by a single pin on a cable. To trigger a bullet impact effect, a wireless remote control pulls a cable, which pulls its attached pin, and the compressed splash pattern blossoms forth in an instant, bursting through pre-scored fabric in the process. Sadly there are no photos of the device itself, but you can see it in action in the testing video shared by the Stan Winston School, embedded below. When you're done checking out the video, maybe take a peek at this fan's effort to create a T-800's arm. View this post on Instagram A post shared by StanWinstonSchool (@stanwinstonschool) * [share_face] * [share_twit] * [share_in] * [share_mail] Posted in classic hacks, Weapons HacksTagged cgi, special effects, stan winston, T2, terminator Post navigation - Stardew Valley Preferences Bot Is A Gift To The Player Tiny Talisman Warns Wearer About UV Exposure - 8 thoughts on "Those Bullet Effects In Terminator 2 Weren't CGI" 1. DainBramage says: November 14, 2021 at 8:07 am Fascinating! I had no idea that those were practical effects! Report comment Reply 2. Bort says: November 14, 2021 at 8:50 am Ummm no shit. In the scene where he is running through the parking garage you can see them jingling around with his shirt and not moving with his body. I love what that movie was able to pull of when it was made but that was one effect that didn't work (at least not when he was running). Report comment Reply 1. Mike says: November 14, 2021 at 9:15 am I'm going to have to pull out the laserdisc and watch again. I remember something weird with his chest when he was running and I think that's it. Report comment Reply 2. GameboyRMH says: November 14, 2021 at 9:19 am I assumed those were a mix of CGI and practical effects, with the opening being done in CGI...very impressive that it was a practical effect! Report comment Reply 3. jpa says: November 14, 2021 at 10:05 am But IIRC the shirt is also formed out of the same liquid metal material. So it would make sense that if the shirt is kept separate from the body for natural look, the bullet entry hole would form out of the material in the shirt. Report comment Reply 1. JonM says: November 14, 2021 at 10:43 am But, the bullet would've penetrated deeper than just the front of the uniform, thus the extra mass of metal that wouldn't be needed just to make the shirt. Going that deep, the metal that bloomed out would almost certainly still be attached to the t1000's chest and would move as it did, not as the shirt might have. So while I think bort is being a bit too harsh, he's not wrong either. Report comment Reply 1. Shannon says: November 14, 2021 at 2:56 pm But we don't know how the T1000 is programmed. We know that the fabric of the shirt isn't fabric, it's simulating fabric, and we know the chest isn't made of meat, it's simulating meat, so maybe if material is moved from the chest simulation to the fabric simulation it just moves with the fabric simulation. Report comment Reply 3. Ostracus says: November 14, 2021 at 10:45 am "To trigger a bullet impact effect, a wireless remote control pulls a cable, which pulls its attached pin, and the compressed splash pattern blossoms forth in an instant, bursting through pre-scored fabric in the process." Ah, inspiration for a Halloween gag. A chest-burster. Report comment Reply Leave a Reply Cancel reply Please be kind and respectful to help make the comments section excellent. (Comment Policy) This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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