How to achieve some lighting effects

[AlexMorse]

I'm doing a shoot this month for a book cover. I'd like to get an effect of golden light spilling out from a box.

Has anyone tried a similar effect? I'd like the light to be somewhat visible above the edge of the box. I've thought of dry ice, fog machine, one of those little water vaporizer things they use in fountains to make a fog/mist sort of thing. Haven't tried them yet, and expect I'll have to experiment to get what I'm going for.

Just thought I'd check here to see if anyone has experience they'd like to share. Any and all suggestions appreciated.

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Each of your 3 methods of creating effects will produce a slightly different effect.
The Dry Ice would be the easiest to do and the mist will tend to hug lower to the subject matter and be the cleanest. The Fog Machine will go everywhere and you also want to be sure to protect your lense with a filter since "fog juice" is made from seaweed (the glycols found about this from a sound and light pro), and could leave a film on the lense if you shoot for a while and use a lot of juice. As to the mister thing I bet it wouldn't look as fogish as the other two methods and of course your product will get wet.
Here is a home made fog machine link using an old iron and your own fog juice which you can control the mix on (does not use the seaweedbased glycerin but whatever type of glycerin that you find-one thing with true fog juice the stuff is made with high grade products and you will be breathing the stuff) With Haloween right now you should be able to find a fog machine and supplies more redially than during other times of the year.
http://softlyspokenmagicspells.com/halloween/fog.html

May not be quite as healthy but what about just plain smoke? Won't be quite as bright but may be better in producing the effect that you want.

[AlexMorse]

There is no "product" as such, so I'm not too worried about the wet. There is however a child in the scene next to the box so I'll have to shy away from fire, and probably dry ice unless I can find a good way to shield it from touch and still allow the vapor to spill out.

I will have several people on hand to help, so I'm not too worried, but better safe than sorry!

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

It doesn't take much dry ice to make a lot of fog, say a dozen pieces the size of ice cubes-you want as much surface available as possible. The smoke that I am talking about would be more like a couple cigarettes placed strategically to waft smoke up.

How old of a child? If under 3 I would tend to stay away from the fog machine because of the contents of the fog-the dry ice would be the safest breathing wise of any choice.

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

AS to shielding the dry ice get a cheap tupperware type container (like the chepos at a dollar store or the glad store and seal containers) and use a hole punch to punch out holes in the lid to let the fog spill out-nothing for fingers to get too.

[AlexMorse]

I think you've cinched it. The child is not quite a year yet :)

[exposedmedia]

you should try canned fog. i have seen some good effects with that, not to mention safer to everyone than dry ice.

[bondarnes]

You didn't mention the direction the light will come out of the box. To the side by the child ? Out the top? Out the side away from the child? How big is the box? ETC.????

[AlexMorse]

box flat on ground, flaps open (cardboard standard brown)

Light spilling up from the box straight up and the child peering into it.