Press the play button to see HVFX's work on the new Beechams advert
HVFX was asked to provide some hair raising special effects for the latest Beecham “breathe clear” Menthol commercial. This involved HVFX providing a number of Van de Graaff generators to lift the artists hair on cue as required. It was certainly a hair raising production!
HVFX works with Kaiser Chiefs
Press the play button to see HVFX's work on the Kaiser Chief's latest chart topping single
HVFX supplies a Tesla coil to Valencia museum
HVFX has recently completed the installation of an SG75 Tesla coil in a museum in Valencia, Spain. This latest order follows on from an order from the museum for electrical bolt guns and large Jacob's ladders that we fulfilled last year. We are proud to have been able to supply the museum twice and believe that the repeat order reflects well on our customer service and ability to supply high quality electrostatic effects.
HVFX and Top Gear
HVFX were excited at being asked to provide a Tesla coil to provide a lightning effect to strike a Porsche 911 Sport Classic and a Porsche Boxter Spyder for the BBC's Top Gear programme at 24 hours' notice.
The Tesla coil was set up close to the cars and the cars were repeatedly struck by lightning bolts up to 3 mtrs in length. Despite the cars being struck with the lightning they were completely undamaged and could be immediately driven away – proving that your car really is the safest place to be in a thunder storm!
Gavin Henson involved in lightning experiment
In the one-off show for Bravo Television, Gavin Henson had to decide if he would take part in an experiment where he would be hit by lightning.
To help him make his decision production brought in high voltage experts HVFX to provide a variety of equipment to demonstrate the effects of lightning. They fired electricity through a pig carcass, ignited a tent and a garden shed and demonstrated that a car really is the safest place to be in a thunder storm!
The finale of the show saw the Welsh rugby ace taking part in a stunt that saw 750,000 volts shoot towards his skull, in complete safety.
After the show Gavin Henson said: “I came face to face with my own death in this extremely dangerous experiment, and used every ounce of personal strength I had to see it through to the very end. I confronted it in the same way I face my opponents on the rugby pitch … head on. Except this time I knew I could lose everything.”
Lightning strikes Th13teen ride at Alton Towers
The team at HVFX was very excited at the prospect of installing a series of air effects and a large Tesla coil at Alton Towers for the exciting new ride, Th13teen.
The air effects are used to scare the ride users as they plunge down into the abyss. The air effects were custom made with precision control to allow the effect to be accurately repeated each time.
Press the play button to see the Tesla coil system in action on Th13teen at Alton Towers
Press the play button to see the Tesla coil system in action on Th13teen at Alton Towers
The Tesla coil, positioned inside a Faraday Cage within the queue area for the ride, will emit a lightning bolt 1 metre in length. It has also been installed with a custom made controller to allow it to fire the effect for 5 seconds every minute in complete safety.
As with all of MTFX effects, they have been designed for an extremely high duty cycle and will be working continuously for years to come.
To experience these effects, why not spend some time at Alton Towers this summer?!
Press the play button to see the Tesla coil system in action on Th13teen at Alton Towers
HVFX supply lightning effects at the Royal Mail's launch of the Royal Society Commemorative Stamps
HVFX recently provided lightning effects at the Royal Mail's launch of the Royal Society Commemorative Stamps. We shot the whole sequence at HVFX’s new warehouse on a very tight deadline.
HVFX supplies high voltage special effects for Most Haunted Live
HVFX supplied 3 different Cages of Death (or Faraday cages) for a recent Most Haunted Live. We placed three people into three different cages – sarcophagus-shaped, coffin-shaped and tube-shaped – and fired 750,000 volts at them. The results were safe but spectacular!
HVFX supplies high voltage special effects for the Discovery Channel
HVFX supplied a number of different high voltage special effects to Raging Planet for the Discovery channel to demonstrate how lightning works. This involved firing lightning over a mannequin dummy, showing how lightning can blow off someone shoes, blow bark off a tree and hit telephone wires and cause fires.
HVFX supplies all the high voltage effects for Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections
HVFX supplied all the high voltage special effects for the highly popular series Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections produced for the National Geographic channel. We were able to guide Richard through safely using our Voltrex stunt suit, which enabled him to control lightning with his fingers. He fired 500,000 volts into the air and a local earthing point. He remarked how great it would be to be a super hero with these powers. We are proud to be part of such a successful show.
Press play to see a clip of one of the programmes
Pyrotechnics at Red Bull X-Fighters finale
HVFX provided all the high voltage special effects for the Red Bull X-Fighters finale at Battersea Power Station recently. Because Battersea Power Station is a Grade II listed structure, special close liaison with the authorities and owners was required.
HVFX moves into a new, purpose-built unit
We are delighted to announce we have just completed our move to a new and larger purpose-built unit at our existing premises. The move means we now have space to have a permanent display of Tesla coils so customers can see them in action. And because all our contact details are staying the same, we won't have any of the usual difficulties associated with a move to new premises.
HVFX completes a permanent installation in Spain
HVFX has just completed a permanent installation in Granada, Spain for a science museum. It involved a standard SG75 tesla coil, controller and a domed Faraday cage.
