Lightning machine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A lightning machine was a special effects device used in the film industry to simulate lightning flashes.[1][2][3] It is part of the array of devices used to reproduce weather, exterior scenes, and other natural phenomena. These include the fog machine, wind machine, and storm towers.[4] These devices were also employed in live showings of some cinemas,[5] and in popular science exhibits.[6][7] Accounts cited that the lightning machine requires a considerable amount of electricity, causing a noticeable drain on the lights.[8] There was an incident when the enormous flashes it produced was interpreted as desperate calls for assistance by the fire department.[9]
One of the earliest forms of lightning machines was recorded in ancient Greece. A list of stage contraptions, for instance, was described by Julius Pollux in his Onomasticon and part of this was the keraunoskopeion, which was a lightning machine.[10]
