Liquids under Blacklight

[David Matthews]

I have a shoot coming up where I need to show the amount of coverage that one spray bottle gives as opposed to the leading competitor. The agency wants to do a black light gag to achieve this look. Two actors will stand side by side and use their spray bottles to coat themselves with whatever the product is. Right now I'm using several black light sources for the UV effect along with several tungsten units gelled with medium blue for supplemental lighting. My problem is finding a solution that shows up well under the UV light. I've tried club soda, tonic water, etc. These work alright, but it's just not enough. I need a substance that's really going to illuminate once the UV light hits it. Preferably something slightly opaque, but thin enough to work with a household squirt bottle. Any suggestions?

[James Erd]

I had a similar issue last year and we went with cyalume ( Glow Sticks ) because it is self luminescent.

 

One of the suggested alternatives was fluorescein dye which glows brightly under UV light.

 

I understand a very small amount goes a long way. I haven't worked with it so I can't tell you more than that. If it is being sprayed on the actors you will probably want to look up the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) to make sure it conforms to your local safety standards.

 

There is also another substance called Yttrium powder which I believe is an active ingredient in several black-light paints. It can be mixed with paint or water as you like. Though most of these paints are sold as non-toxic, I have read that Yttrium powder can irritate the lungs and is bad for the kidneys.

 

This link might help: http://www.blacklightworld.com/Glow%20Pain...e%20Pigment.htm