Need to create Back to the Future flames.

How would I go about creating flames like they had following the delorean in Back the the Future once it disappeared in time. Er...like in the below photo:

http://listverse.files​.wordpress.com …back-to-the-future-tm.jpg

I know that's obviously some amazing green screen work, but I need something that I can make a visible trail up a dirt ramp. They don't have to be huge, just good enough to make a trail and have it stick around long enough to get some photos.

That might not have been green screen. Maybe kerosene with flame-retardant clothing.

Do NOT use anything that is combustible. Gasoline and other flammables that give off fumes will explode. Very dangerous.

Kerosene is flammable, but safer.

I think what's really safer (if at all safe) is torch oil (Wal Mart, etc.). It doesn't explode when a flame is put to it. It just burns.

But be careful. Burns on just 30-35% of your body can kill you. The skin is the largest organ, and it's as necessary as your heart.


And keep a running hose next to whatever you do.


I bet if you run torch oil down a dirt ramp and light it, you might get good results. However, the dirt might absorb the oil too quickly.

You can also use resin from Home Depot (used for repairing boats...found in the paint section). It's thick, so you could pour it down the dirt ramp and light it. Just be careful. The can could explode. The resin out in the air won't explode (even though it smells), but the can could, so put it far away.

Also check the legalities of what you're doing. People get charged with arson all the time, and it's a felony.


I did these yesterday using a rock (in the backyard) and clear fingernail polish.

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Sterno or similar might work for you - you can spread it, control the placement, contain it more easily, and it should burn long enough to allow you to get a few good shots of the flames.

So there was an injury...

...But it was in the first 5 minutes and had nothing to do with fire. One of the kids (19ish, not much of a kid, but still) had a pedal brake on him and got a pretty deep 4" gash on his calf. We called his dad after we couldn't get a hold of his brother. Talk about an *******. He had to drive his truck up a path in the woods to get the the ramps they built and when he gets down there, all he does is carry his son's backpack. He didn't even mean to help him out of there. Me and one of the other out there had to help carry this guy's son out. I feel sorry for people stuck with parents like that.

Anyways, after that we weren't in much of a mood to do much else and with rain coming in, we headed elsewhere.

This is going to be done in a composite. I was originally going to try brown wick type fabric soaked in tiki torch oil. Another suggestion I remember on another forum about doing fire type shots is to try something like rubber cement.

Here's a previous photo I went pyrotechnician on:

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …4459453790/in/p​hotostream