Recently, the MTFX team created a range of bespoke gunge effects, as well as supply and operation of CO2 Jets and Confetti Special Effects for a live event.
We spent a lot of time working very closely with our clients to create an array of powerful pumps, bespoke props, hoses and sprayers to blast a large audience with gallons of our own made to brief, glorious fluorescent green gunge!
As well as this, the team operated our Ingenious CO2 Jets, and Confetti Blowers to wow the crowd throughout a range of performances!
We have some very exciting news to break in the New Year!
Following our expansion into Wales in 2017, MTFX have acquired new premises at the Bottle Yard studios in Bristol.
A comfortable meeting space, offices and storage mean we can provide even more ingenious Special Effects in Bristol and The Southwest and get closer to our valued customers.
In our 25 years as an internationally renowned Special Effects Company, Bristol and The Southwest has always been an important hub for many of our projects. We are one of the biggest local providers of Snow, Pyrotechnics, Wind, Rain, Fire effects and everything in between.
We’ve been a part of many ingenious productions at The Bottle Yard such as Poldark and The White Princess including this Ingenious Snow Scene we created for Sky One’s Trollied.
If you’ve got a TV/Film production at the Bottleyard, Bristol or in the Southwest – Get in touch!
MTFX had another fantastic year promoting our Ingenious Special Effects at The Showman’s Show.
Matthew and Tom met loads of exciting people from the Outdoor Events Industry.
We exhibited our Ingenious Snow Range by Crafting a stunning Trade Stand using ouroutdoor artficial Snow Effects such as our Snow Underlay, laid over with our Bio Degradable Fake Snow Paper Snow Standard and our Ingenious Tree Waxing Machine to decorate our Christmas Trees with an Ingenious Snow Wax effect.
We also had our Snow Mini Foam Snow Machine for special demos controlled by DMX from the safety of our Chalet, catching people by surprise!
And our Showstopper the MTFX Smoke Bubble Machine, an Ingenious concept creating a high adjustable output of up to approx. 6000 smoke filled bubbles a minute.
To find out more about our Ingenious Indoor and Outdoor Snow Special Effects, our Snow Machine Hire or our New Ingenious Smoke Bubble Machine for your events. Contact MTFX today!
MTFX had the Pleasure of working with our Ingenious clients to provide a range of Special Effects for Gamescom 2017, an annual gaming fair held at the Koelnmesse in Cologne.
Alongside our Ingenious Technicians, Company Director Mark was there to provide Confetti, Streamers, CO2 and Spark effects as well as a really exciting project – the Earthquake Chair to create an immersive gaming experience live on stage to promote Omen gaming machines by Hewlett Packard.
The Earthquake chair was a bespoke build by MTFX from scratch.
Using a set of fully controllable High Tech Pneumatics, we lovingly constructed the seat liaising closely with the client to match their specs from prototype to final product. We did this by creating video content in house which was shared by email to ensure that we got really helpful feedback from the client.
Check out the Ingenious video case study here.
As part of our HVFX Brand we’ve got some rather Ingenious, Hair Raising Electrostatic Effects!
Our Van De Graaff Generators are the perfect attraction for your Show or event. We’ve used them for a huge range of clients over the years from Music Videos to Science Fairs, Parties, TV adverts, Performances and more!
A Van de Graaff generator is an electrostatic generator which uses a moving belt to build up very high amounts of electrical charge on a hollow metal globe most commonly used to make peoples hair stand on end.
Our highly skilled technicians will not only come out and operate the devices for you - keeping everyone safe whilst creating the optimum effect, but are also on hand to discuss your needs and requirements prior to your booking.
Contact Us Today to find out more.
We don’t just do Van De Graaff Generators; we have a wide range of High Voltage Effects from magnificent Tesla Coils, to Plasma Balls and more. Check out more of our High Voltage Special Effects Here.
Our 48” VW Wind Machine has been a part of the MTFX Family for many, many years and was starting to look a bit “weathered”. *Pause for laughter*
It has done us well on many jobs over the years working with some big names in adverts, film & tv, events and more creating some ingeniously adverse weather conditions:
We decided to give it the special treatment and have a full face lift, we are so pleased with the results.
We are so proud so gave the VW its very own launch video:
To see our full wind range click here!
MTFX Recently worked at the British Grand Prix providing a wide range of Confetti Special Effects using Blowers and Cannons.
The client wanted to create a spectacular moment for the Podium at the end of the main race.
Using 4 of our Large Master Blasters to create a ginormous shower, as well as one big hit on cue using 8 of our Double Barrel Confetti Cannons operated by 5 Ingenious Technicians we nailed a perfect cue as the traditional spraying of Champagne commenced.
Tom and Matthew had to do the last leg of their load-in on a bus! Always up for an adTom and Matthew had to do the last leg of their load-in on a bus! Always up for an adventure!venture!
Gender Reveal Confetti Cannons are now available to be filled with Metallic and Tissue Streamers! Click here to buy.
“What on earth is a Gender Reveal Confetti Cannon?” you may ask - Click Here to find out!
MTFX Handheld Confetti Cannons are an easy and cost effective disposable method of creating a spectacular confetti launch. These ingenious launchers fire from 5-12 meters depending on model and can be filled with a range of confetti and streamers.
We take the time and care to assist our customers with arranging their spectacular moment and recently had some wonderful feedback from one of them:
“Just wanted to say a big thank you for your advice and the ease we had ordering from you. Very impressed with the confetti cannon, couldn't believe how simple but effective it was. We will definitely be recommending you to our friends.” Abi P.
Abi and her other half used this spectacular 50cm Cannon to create a beautiful, different moment revealing their baby’s gender not only to their friends and family, but also themselves! They asked their scan technician to hand them one of two coloured cannons with a temporary label removed, keeping the surprise till their party!
All of our confetti products can be purchased from www.MTFX.com/Shop on a next working day delivery when ordered before noon!
The Brightarcs Musical Tesla Coil is a highly advanced Tesla Coil which can be programmed to play music. Set up to work with a wide range of options from keyboards to programmed tunes and melodies, this uniquely Ingenious effect will amuse, wow and entertain for hours!
Such an unsual effect can be incorporated into whatever you desire! Concerts, Museums, Shows, Theme Parks are just a few on the Ingenious ideas list.
Crank up the volume and wow your colleagues with this Ingenious Jam Session.
We have some new additions to our increasingly popular Winter Effects range. Alongside our Ingenious Fake Snow, Snow Blankets and more – we sell a lot of Fake Ice Products including Ice Cubes, Icicles and Ice Rocks. Perfect for Photography, Visual Merchandising and More!
At MTFX we love a project! Something that we can really get our teeth into that challenges our ingenuity!
Whether you want to create a unique visual special effect for a VIP party, or create a spectacle for a ride or a display at an attraction – we can help!
One of our favourite most recent projects was a VIP Party we worked as part of the Cannes Lions Festival.
In the Test Field, we built two huge 1.2mtr Indian Fire Bowls with LPG flames that were to then be shipped to France then installed supervised and operated by our Ingenious Technicians.
The bowls were floating as an installation in an Infinity Pool and the results were spectacular!
We also create and maintain bespoke permanent fixtures at theme parks, museums and various other attractions around the world.
We have worked many big named attractions on unique builds that use Mechanical, Tesla Coil and Flame Effects.
If you have a vision, why not contact us to discuss today.
MTFX have proudly opened a new office in Wales!
As a UK Based Internationally Renowned Special Effects Company, we are so proud to have worked on many Ingenious Welsh Productions and recognise the importance and value of the Welsh Film, TV and Events industry.
The significance of the Welsh Film/TV industry has been internationally recognised and especially in UK Government.
“Wales is an amazing centre of creativity. The Welsh broadcasting market reflects everything from S4C’s Welsh language provision to news and current affairs programmes and the ever-expanding range of high-quality drama and entertainment formats." Steven Crabb – Secretary of State for Wales.
With such a booming TV and Film and Events industry, not to mention some of the incredible venues such as The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Caerphilly Castle, The Liberty Stadium Swansea, Cardiff Castle, Cardiff Motorpoint Arena. Also the countless sporting events we have attended including 6 Nations Rugby. Working in Wales has always been an exciting prospect to us as a company.
Our value in the Welsh market has been recognised across the board working with BBC Wales, S4C and more. Here are some of the Welsh productions we’ve been a part of to name a few:
That’s why we have decided to invest in a new office just outside of Cardiff. This enables us to spend valuable time getting to know our Welsh clients, providing a new comfortable and welcoming facility where we can run our business and meet with customers new and old.
If you’re a Welsh based production company why not give us a call or send us an email? See our Contact Us Page.
Planning on creating a fantastic falling fake snow effect for the end of the year, but can’t use the standard foam snow blowers? Look no further than MTFX Confetti Snow.
This INGENIOUS product comes in 10mm Squares or Circles and creates a realistic look of falling snow for any production. Perfect for our Blowers and Spinners. Visit our shop to find out more about our effects to buy.
This simple yet effective product has been used at some huge venues creating a dazzling effect…
Visit our Shop. Or Contact Us to discuss hiring a machine to create the effect!
A stunning visual effect, our 15” Plasma Balls are an easy to use, plug and play interactive wonder. These beautiful glass spheres, mounted on a well finished wooden base are filled with rare gasses which react with electricity to create beautiful bolts and streams of plasma.
The attractive glow of the mysterious globe makes the perfect centrepiece to any darkened space, perfect for museums or as educational props.
To purchase please click here.
Or to enquire about Hire’s click here.
Our Plasma Balls have been used by a huge range of clients from private events to TV productions and adverts.
Flogos by MTFX are an INGENIOUS way to get your brand into the sky.
Flogos are an eco-friendly bubble cloud that can be formed into many shapes with few limitations. (Think of the limitations of a cookie cutter!)
Eye-catchingly brilliant, we use our 25+ Years of Special Effects experience so that our technicians provide the best quality and shape and design to your event whether your are based in the UK or worldwide. We also use a genuine Flogos Lite machine. Accept no knock offs or imitations!
Wow the crowd or why not draw people to your stand at a busy tradeshow!
More information on our Flogos can be found here.
Having a Gender Reveal Party?
The latest trend to take the web by storm is Gender Reveal Confetti Cannons. Creating a spectacular moment, our cost effective and ingenious confetti cannons are the perfect handheld disposable solution for easy confetti
Twist and go to reveal your baby’s gender with a burst of pink or blue confetti in metallic and/or tissue.
We’ve heard a few horror stories from customers when other companies have sent out the wrong colour and even multi coloured cannons. We can assure our customers that this will not happen as all of our cannons are carefully custom filled and hand packed by our ingenious team!
A top tip is to ask your midwife or a friend to place the order if you wish the surprise to remain a secret for yourself. We can leave the cannons blank or labelled by request.
For more information on our Handheld confetti cannons and our special Gender Reveal cannons, Click Here.
Check out our 80cm cannons in action – so easy and effective!
Our cannons are the highest of quality and are a popular choice from domestic right through to TV professionals.
It’s never too early to start planning your 2017 winter events, visual merchandising and more!
With a huge range of Winter Effects from Artificial Snow to Snow Machines, Ice Sparkles and Top Dressings; we’ve already received tons of enquiries for next winters events and displays already!
Visit our shop to find out more about our effects to buy.
Our INGENIOUS snow machines were almost fully booked from the end of summer 2016 right through to spring. Get in there fast! From Packmans, to Foam Snow Machines we can cater for nearly every event. Check out our main site for Snow Machines.
When operating Tesla Coils and other special effects in the UK and around the world, training is such an important part of what we do here at MTFX.
Not only does it keep our technicians, our clients and the public safe, it also means that we have the best expert knowledge to produce the INGENIOUS effects we do.
We spent some time "Tesla Training" our newer colleagues as well as a recap for those more experienced. Tom Lock & Jake White were brave enough to try the Faraday Cage!
To find out more about our Tesla Coils and all of our other ingenious High Voltage effects, click here.
When you need a solution for your winter event, MTFX have the right solution for you.
With a wide range of winter effects from fake snowballs up to a range of snow machines and bespoke services, we’re always ready to help!
Our snow machine range comes in a range of styles and sizes. From Snowboy Machines to Packman Snow Machines we can meet your needs and produce all types of falling snow effects.
One of our most popular Snow Machine Hires is the Snow Mini.
An evaporative snow machine, the Snow Mini creates a realistic falling snow effect for indoor and outdoor use. The machine is very cost effective and just 5L of our fluid can last up to an hour (depending on settings). Please contact us for specific pricing.
A full datasheet on the Snow Mini can be found here
Creating a falling effect, the Packman Snow Machine is perfect for indoor use. It uses our MTFX Show Snow.
The machine will run between 15 and 45 minutes allowing you to get a range of intensities and durations so you can tailor it to your needs. The Packman Snow Machine is truss mounted allowing the snow to fall from a good height.
A full datasheet on the Packman Snow Machine can be found here.
Contact the MTFX team today to discuss your snow machine needs.
All of our fantastic winter effects can be found here!
Are you holding a winter wedding?
Would you love to have snow on your big day?
Just give the MTFX team a call! We’ve got all sorts of tricks up our sleeve that will make your celebration spectacular.
You’ll be guaranteed to have a white wedding with our snow machines.
We can provide beautiful falling snow that will transform the exterior of your wedding venue into a winter wonderland. We also have machines that are suitable for indoor use, allowing you to enjoy the snow while staying warm!
You can also decorate your wedding venue with artificial snow balls and an ice crystal spray that creates a brilliant frost effect on windows.
To find out more about out snow special effects, click here!
Every wedding features that classic confetti moment however, with our technology you can experience a confetti explosion!
Our confetti cannons, blowers and other machines produce a professional shower of confetti that will really impress your guests and look amazing in your wedding photographs.
We can even create bespoke confetti in a shape of your choice.
If you want to add a bit of drama and atmosphere to your wedding, then try our smoke effects.
For atmospheric wedding photographs, we have the technology to create a misty, smoky look for you to capture some beautiful images. Alternatively, a bit of smoke on the dance floor of your reception will make any disco lighting look amazing.
Want to know more about our smoke special effects? Click here.
Find out how to book our services for your wedding here.
We recently attended The Showman’s Show 2016! Showcasing our Snow Effects and Flogos on our Ingenious Trade Stand.
Stacy and Tom met a lot of great people and had a fantastic reception.
Hundreds gazed at our Flogos and marvelled at our ingenious winter effects.
We also made a lot of sales promoting our fantastic fake snows including our Paper Snow Standard.
The MTFX team are getting busy making preparations for winter. We have a wide range of Fake Snow and further effects ready to be shipped to the UK and around the world.
This easy to use product allows you to create fascinating, decorative Frost effects simply by spraying on to windows, mirrors or any glass surface.
Artificial Snowballs are ideal for throwing and are safe for use indoors. They are the perfect artificial snow ball.
Great for kids and adults alike to have a snowball fight at any time, regardless of the weather! They can also be used for visual merchandising, window displays and table displays.
Made of polyester fibre, they ‘crunch’ like real snow and are washable.
With Christmas drawing in, the MTFX team have been getting ready for the winter period.
Many of our customers contact us for our range of Snow Effects.
We cater for all. With services such as Snow Effects for Visual Merchandising, right through to providing TV and Film Fake Snow and Special Effects.
In the coming releases of “Read All About It” we’ll be visiting some of our best Winter Snow Effects.
Buy it hereAn extremely popular product for this time of year is the MTFX Snow Blanket.
Our Snow Blanket is one of the favourite Snow Effects we provide. It comes in a range of sizes:
Our Snow Blanket is one of the favourite Snow Effects we provide. It comes in a range of sizes:
The Snow Blanket provides a soft, fleecy layer and is a perfect snow effect for visual merchandising.
It is also great for Snow Set Dressing, Window Decoration or as a Base for Christmas Tree Decoration.
Buy it hereFantasy Ice Flakes are a fantastic Snow Effect. An ideal Top Dressing, they can be mixed in with our Artificial Snow range to give a fantastic shimmer.
Check out all of our ingenious Snow Effects here.
March 2016 took MTFX to the United Arab Emirates where we were asked to help with some ingenious special effects for the opening ceremony of the Mother of the Nation Festival (MOTN); a festival which celebrates womens empowerment and rights in the UAE. We were asked to create a range of special effects to include a dry waterfall, a rippling cloth and a confetti rainfall.
For the dry waterfall we were initially sent a video link of a small dry waterfall. We were asked if it were possible to create a similar effect, on a larger scale, with a controllable 10m wide waterfall and the product falling in straight and determinable lines.
We put our thinking caps on and brain stormed some ideas. We spent a few weeks in the workshop coming up with ingenious equipment designs that fitted the brief.
But what could we use as the dry ‘water’?
We tested a range of products, whilst constantly sending videos and pictures to our client for approval; Lentils, couscous and oats were too heavy. Desiccated coconut and vermiculite were too light. Bean bag filling fell in the right way but it looked too much like falling snow. Puffed rice was close to what we needed but… Overall brown rice ticked all the boxes – it fell perfectly, but most importantly it could be controlled with the system we had created.
Although we already have a wide range of wind machines, testing the cloth effect revealed that we would need to invest in something a little bit different in order to create the look the client as looking for. So MTFX invested in 10 new look wind machines, each with independent DMX controls, with these sorted and tested we had just the right effect the client had been looking for.
As the effect was needed to cover the stage area, as well as sections of the audience, Confetti Spinners were used to create the dry rain. Virtually silent when in operation the confetti falls as if appearing from nowhere. Many different shapes and sizes of confetti were tested before we decided on small silver squares to create the most authentic looking rain effect.
There were a few technical difficulties to overcome when we reached Abu Dhabi, which our team of ingenious technicians worked tirelessly to overcome – they really are prepared for almost anything!
One thing they couldn’t prepare for, however, was the unexpected storm that hit Abu Dhabi whilst they were rigging for the show. All crew were locked inside the venue for their safety whilst the storm raged outside, blowing around stationary cars, flooding roads and inflicting considerable damage to nearby buildings, including the crew’s hotel!
Despite the weather beforehand, when the day of the show arrived, the weather could not have been better, beautiful sunshine. Everyone and everything was ready for the live show ahead. Each effect worked exactly as planned and rehearsed; MTFX left Abu Dhabi with another very happy client!
In March 2015 MTFX began working on a complex special effects project which involved developing a technique for releasing 1000 neutral buoyancy balloons from a huge 40ft pomegranate during the opening ceremony of the 2015 European Games – the inaugural European Games organised by the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) across Europe. The Games were taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan.
2015 European Games Opening Ceremony, Neutral Buoyancy Balloon Release from MTFX on Vimeo.
The balloons were representing pomegranate seeds, as the pomegranate is the national fruit of Azerbaijan. The brief was for the giant pomegranate to open slowly on cue in the centre of the stadium and for a generous and continuous flow of balloons to float out of it. Sounds easy, right? Surely you just fill them all with helium and let physics do the rest? Well, not quite…! Because the organising committee were very clear that although the balloons needed to float out of the pomegranate they must not float out of the actual stadium! They were very concerned about the potential impact to local wildlife by deflated balloons on the ground and in particular the risk to marine life in the nearby Caspian Sea, and therefore a strict limit on the number of balloons permitted to escape the stadium was imposed.
So, 12 weeks ahead of the opening ceremony, MTFX Technician, Tom Freeman, became our head balloonologist! He began researching how to make balloons neutrally buoyant – which means they would hover at a particular height rather than float away in to the sky or drop lifelessly to the ground. Turns out this is pretty hard. Actually no, it’s very hard. First of all we needed to purchase some very specialised gas delivery equipment that would allow us to inflate the balloons with an ultra-precise mixture of the two gases needed to do the job – helium and nitrogen. He then had to experiment… a lot. Eventually, after a two-week trial and error process, Tom had roughly figured out how we would make this special effect work… there was just one slight problem… the weather, humidity, temperature, air pressure and altitude conditions in Gloucester are very different from those in Baku, and those five factors make a massive difference to the magic recipe of gas required. So along with his trusty team of fellow MTFX Technicians James and Jake they flew out to Azerbaijan.
There followed a further two weeks of testing and tweaking until they had established the right formula for the hot, humid Baku climate. The level of precision required was crazy – even a single drop of the water on a balloon or a thin piece of sticky tape half the size of a postage stamp would throw out the balance and make it sink to the floor. But despite the many challenges the team persevered and constantly refined the process until it was pretty much perfect.
Eventually, two weeks or so before the opening ceremony, rehearsals began. These involved some intense, long (up to 19 hour) days, lots of gas cylinders and thousands upon thousands of balloons.
Due to constantly changing atmospheric conditions and the fact that due to manufacturing inconsistencies the balloons were not all precisely the same, to remain under the quota of balloons permitted to leave the stadium the MTFX team had to continue to fine-tune the filling process even during the rehearsal stages.
Finally, on 12th June, the opening ceremony began. The event was broadcast live to millions of viewers across the world who watched the pomegranate float into the middle of the stadium. It slowly opened up and assisted by some concealed MTFX fans inside, the 1000 ‘seeds’ gently floated up into the air in a graceful, bountiful display, exactly like they were supposed to.
This was one of those special effects that was far more complicated to perform than it looked on TV, with much more background work involved than many viewers would realise. But the effect looked great and got a huge reception inside the venue. The number of balloons that escaped the stadium was easily under the limit, and the clients we were working for (as well as the European Olympic committees), were delighted by the results.
Watch the short video here.
Or he extended case study video here.
