Bristol. A derelict laundry facility down town. A car violently explodes after being struck by a rocket fired from a nearby rooftop.

Artem Pyrotechnic Supervisor Paul Gorrie and Artem Technician Toby Stewart spent a day in Bristol tasked with blowing up a car for an independent film called Eliminate Archie Cookson for Agent Pictures.

ELIMINATE: Archie Cookson’ is a witty, dark comedy which follows the life of disillusioned spy Archie Cookson as it gradually unravels. He is past his prime. Sidelined in his job and ignored by his estranged wife and eccentric, precocious offspring, things take a turn for the worse when he stumbles upon classified tapes that no one was meant to hear.

In very tight surroundings, safety was paramount and as such, every effort was taken to limit the fallout from the explosion. The shot required the bonnet, boot lid and doors to blow off, the windows to blow out then closely followed by a large ball of fire. The car parts designed to blow off were tethered to the car chassis after it was fully prepared by removing most of the flammable interior.

The explosion was filmed from three angles, one of which was at high speed on Phantom HD.

The effect was spectacular and went without a hitch. Everyone involved was full of praise for the Artem crew.