Fishing line is an excellent tool to help you create some awesome, gravity-defying special effects, like books flying off shelves or capes flapping perfectly in the wind. In fact, if you do a lot of gags or effects in your work, chances are you know all too well its importance—and requirements. If not, you'll certainly benefit from a little how-to session with Jay P. Morgan of The Slanted Lens, who not only explains how to use fishing line to pull off different gags, but also makes a list of all of the items he keeps in a special kit dedicated to fishing line SFX. Check it out below:

Fishing line comes in handy for so many reasons during production. Sure, it helps you create interesting special effects, but it also helps you get certain items to do what you want them to do. For instance, if you want your subject's scarf to wave valiantly as they stand over a foggy pier, you could use fishing line to move it into the right position. Or, if you want a gun to fall into frame in a close up, attach a fishing line, pull, and then put that baby in reverse in post.

There are so many uses, and chances are if you're reading this post you've got a few in mind already. So, perhaps something that will help you a little more than just ideas for fishing line gags is a list of materials that would be wise to include in your kit. Here are the items Morgan mentions in the video:

  • Clear fishing line
  • Brown fishing line
  • Green fishing line
  • Glue (Morgan uses Hot Stuff Special T)
  • Glue accelerator 
  • Hot glue gun
  • Canned air
  • Tape
  • Putty
  • Safety pins
  • Clothes pins
  • Scissors
  • Sharpies

Now, once you get comfortable and experienced with using fishing line for filmmaking, you'll develop your own tastes. Maybe you prefer putty over glue, or maybe you like double-sided tape instead of normal tape. Whatever. This is just a list of essentials that will allow you to get going once you arrive on set.

Source: The Slanted Lens

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