Basic "Rain Machine" Equipment
You'll need the following:
1. Water
Alternative Sources: a nearby lake, a nearby river, pre-packaged containers of water, water truck, ice that can be melted at location, containers filled at home and transported to location. Sixty-four gallons might only last a couple of minutes. If you choose to use water from a lake or river check to make sure you're not breaking any laws.
2. Large Containers
Examples: garbage cans, storage bins. These containers are to hold the water as it is fetched from the water source.
3. Submersible Roofing Pump
This is normally used to clean up flooding and, depending on the type, may look a bit different than the picture below. Home Depot usually rents these for about $15 a day. A garden hose attaches to the white part and the rest of the pump can be put all the way into the water. The pump will suck the water up and shoot it back out very quickly. Getting enough pressure shouldn't be a problem, however you might have to be conservative with the water if you have a limited amount or are taking trips to your source to fill up your containers. Be careful not to get large particles suctioned up. Even though there is a filter, you may accidentally damage the pump.
4. Garden Hose
This screws onto the white part of the roofing pump. Option: If you wanted to, as seen in other peoples' videos (here and here) you could puncture the hose in multiple places and hang it onto a makeshift frame above the actors. For my project I opted to attach a spray nozzle that would allow me to change the roundness of drops and have better aim.
5. Spray Nozzle or Sprinkler Head
The type of nozzle or sprinkler depends on your needs. Think about how large of an area you will need covered and if your camera will pick up small drops. Usually cameras have a difficult time picking up rain unless it is bouncing off of an object. You could either add milk to your mixture or create larger drops with the type of nozzle. You will probably want to experiment with a couple of different types. Remember to aim the hose/nozzle/sprinkler upwards so the rain falls to the ground naturally. You could cover the end of the hose with your thumb to create the same effect, but it might get cold quickly.
Power Equipment
The roofing pump needs electricity to work. If you don't have a power outlet available you will need the following:
1. Generator
An gasoline powered generator may be your easiest option. Most are powered with regular unleaded gasoline, but double check the label on your generator. Generators are very expensive (over $100), but they are also available to rent at some places. I rented one at Home Depot for $50 a day.
2. Gasoline (if needed to power generator)
Explained above.
3. Extension Cord
The cord of your roofing pump could be short so its a good idea to bring an extension cord just in case. While your roofing pump can be put in water, do not get the connection between the cords wet or it could be fatal.
Optional Equipment
1. Hand Tuck
To help transport containers of water or other equipment.
2. Dolly
To help transport the generator (they are heavy) or other equipment.
3. Rope
To attach to the dolly in order to pull it.
4. Rain Poncho
Just in case.
1. Attach spray nozzle or sprinkler head to hose.
2. Attach hose to roofing pump.
3. Fill containers full of water.
4. Place roofing pump into water.
5. Plug roofing pump into operating generator. (It should automatically start sucking up the water).
6. Aim the hose upwards to create natural looking rain.
*I am not a professional rain machine maker. This is based off of my own dilemma of creating fake rain without a water tap. I do not have video to demonstrate, as the day we were to film it snowed. We were going to fill our containers with water from a lake. (We didn't want to put the pump directly into the lake because the sand might be sucked up). I believe this will work as I did rent all the equipment and tested it with an employee of Home Depot.
**As an alternative you might be able to use a pressure washer with a water inlet tube that allows you to draw from a container of water. I was going to try this method first, but you would need at least 1800 psi or greater. Pressure washers of this psi were around $200 to purchase so I opted with above option which was about $100. Also, the nozzle of a pressure washer might not give you the coverage that you are looking for.
If you have any remarks or questions please leave a comment below. I'd love to know how this method turned out for you.
