With airsoft being used as props for movies and films, how about adding muzzle flash generators for more realistic muzzle flash rather than use FX software? PewTube: The Theatrical Firearms Channel does an experiment... "Taking the experiment to a Spitfire airsoft muzzle flash unit, where things have to be a little downsized compared to last week's NERF unit. Also did a quick comparison between just the LED flash effect, just drop-in digital effects, and both together.

Now obviously digital effects are not my forte, so this is all just free effects I downloaded a while back, thrown on top, rotated, re-sized, and put at about 50-70% opacity.

I suspect the darker it is, and the closer to other things the muzzle is (things that can catch the light), the more that practical light effect will add. Smoke would also fall under that category to some degree.

Obviously this isn't a solution to every problem, but it's a great tool to have in the toolbox!

Skip to about 10 minutes in if you just want the demonstrations back to back."