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Dilated Pupils


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Atropine is what Dr.'s use. It lasts way more than 30 seconds though, so your actor will probably have to stay away from any harsh lights the rest of the day. Even then, you'd have to shoot him/her in very low light to protect their retinas. I'd shy away from using HMI's for the shoot too, for the UV rays.

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FX contacts would probably be your best, safest bet. Here this is what you're looking for:

 

www.9mmsfx.com

 

www.lensesbymail.com/special_effect.htm

 

www.fxeyes.com

 

www.allaboutvision.com/contacts/theatrical.htm#designs

 

www.customcontacts.com/contacts/special-effects-lenses.html

 

www.fashion-contactlenses.com/?gclid=CMe-qf6qlY4CFQyXXgod6hRK7w

 

These last ones are listed at $24.95 per pair, which is a lot cheaper than paying someone to do the GCI.

 

just type special effects contact lenses into google and dozens of places will come up. B)

Edited by James Steven Beverly
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Oh BTW, you should also read this as well:

 

Potential Dangers of Special Effects Contact Lenses

 

University of Iowa Health Science Relations and

Christine Sindt, O.D.

Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Science

First Published: January 2003

Peer Review Status: Internally Peer Reviewed

 

A University of Iowa Health Care eye specialist is reminding users of special effects contact lenses to wear them properly to reduce the risk of potentially serious problems.

 

Special effects contact lenses contain images that alter the appearance of the eyes, such as changing brown eyes to blue, or making a person?s eyes look like those of a cat. Sports fans can even order special effects contact lenses that bear the logo of their favorite team.

 

"Special effects contact lenses are very popular, especially as we approach Halloween," said Christine Sindt, an optometrist and director of the Contact Lens Service at UI Hospitals and Clinics. "Special effects contact lenses can contain almost any image that patients request."

 

Sindt has a few words of caution, however. All contact lens users must remove and clean their lenses as instructed. Also, serious problems can develop if special effects contact lenses are not fitted properly or if they are worn by more than one person.

 

"If contact lenses are not fitted properly, or are shared by friends and acquaintances, ulcers and infections can occur," Sindt explained.

 

"All contact lens patients should only wear lenses that are specifically prescribed for them, and no one should ever use any contact lenses that were worn by someone else."

 

 

www.uihealthcare.com/topics/medicaldepartments/ophthalmology/specialeffectscontacts/index.html

 

Just FYI you should be aware of to reduce any liability claims as the filmmaker.

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Thanks for all the replies. I'm going to be shooting some scenes where an actor is drugged out on coke, including some closeups, but we'll need him to do other shots without the dilated pupils during the same day, so we'll probably opt for the contacts if there isn't a simpler way. Thanks for all the links James, I checked them out.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think you can do it with strobes too. The set needs to be dark and lit with just strobes (I forget who makes cine strobes). Of course if you're shooting film you'll never see your actor because the strobe will fire during the exposure and not while the mirror reflects the image to the viewfinder.

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  • 4 weeks later...

If it can be done on set, physically, with say contacts, or lights, it will be cheaper then paying an artist in front of a computer for hours to do it. Way the costs, and the level of control you need. If you need more control, then...

The best way I think to handle it would be in post production, with this route the visual effects supervisor can specifically tell a compositor how much the pupils should be dilated per shot, the 'painted' enlarged pupils can be tracked onto the eyes of your actor and increased or decreased with something as simple as a slider bar once its set up, that way, you can archive the exact look you are looking for.

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  • 3 weeks later...
If it can be done on set, physically, with say contacts, or lights, it will be cheaper then paying an artist in front of a computer for hours to do it. Way the costs, and the level of control you need. If you need more control, then...

The best way I think to handle it would be in post production, with this route the visual effects supervisor can specifically tell a compositor how much the pupils should be dilated per shot, the 'painted' enlarged pupils can be tracked onto the eyes of your actor and increased or decreased with something as simple as a slider bar once its set up, that way, you can archive the exact look you are looking for.

 

Give your actor a nice hit of chuck norris and no acting will be required! perfect shot :)

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Hi,

 

Sounds like a contact lens job to me - but budget to take them to an optician specialising in contact lenses. Some people can't wear them. You'll need to find an optician who's willing to check the actor out for lenses, then go back once you've ordered the right size and have the optician put them in and check they're correctly fitted. I had to ask about four before I found someone who was willing to do this; the one who agreed worked for an independent optician and the others I believe were prevented from agreeing by company rules. We paid the cost of a normal eye test so it's affordable to do this even on small productions and you can then be confident that you are acting correctly.

 

Oddly enough the second time I did this the suppliers sent vastly the wrong size and we did end up doing a post fix. Since the eyes are so much the focus of attention, it's exacting work.

 

Phil

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  • 1 month later...

I would shoot the shot on a tripod, tell your actor to remain still for the length of his sequence. Then motion-track the eyes in the shot in case it shakes and replace his pupils with a simple keyframed expanding mask in after effects. Then add a shine that would naturally be over his eyes.

 

 

Simple.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 3 years later...

Give your actor a nice hit of chuck norris and no acting will be required! perfect shot :)

 

hahah

That’s a great list for FX contacts. In one of my projects, the actress needs green eyes, it’s a sci-fi piece. Could these be used?

 

(On another unrelated note, I saw something on a news clip that these guys in prison illegally tatooed the whites of their eyes. Very Scary and it looked like Halloween, these guys loved their eyes though. They literally dyed their eyes permanently)

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  • 2 years later...

Hi, this is a bit late but will see if anyone can answer.

 

We are wanting the pupils to dilate on rolling camera.

 

Obviously we cannot have light change as it will affect the shot so how can this be done?

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