Pile Crush
A pile crush is exactly as it sounds. You march and trample the pile of dead bugs after you’ve squished them.
Pile crushing is done at the end of any video that’s being done barefoot or in socks.
Regardless of whether it’s specified in the instructions or not, you should always do it after all the bugs are dead if you have a sufficient amount.
A pile crush should be nonstop, completely or nearly without pauses, and relentless. It should last from around 30 seconds to a minute.
Sole Shots
Whenever you see or feel that there are a good amount of bug guts on your soles, or that a bug is stuck to your soles, you should do a sole shot. A sole shot is a brief period of lifting up your foot to show the bottom of it to the camera.
When you do sole shots, make them last for about five seconds. Flashing
your soles for a split second barely gives anyone time to look.Make sure to ALWAYS keep your feet and toes relaxed while doing these. Don’t spread your toes or tilt your foot. It should be totally perpendicular to the camera just like the examples to the left and below
All of these sole displays can be done barefoot and with shoes on
EXAMPLES OF SOLE DISPLAYS ARE BELOW. YOU SHOULD MIX THESE UP RANDOMLY DURING EACH VIDEO
REGULAR
* Keep the tip of your foot on or close to the ground at an angle when you do these
BALANCE
* Only do these when using the foot that shows less toes to the camera
ANGLE LIFT
CROSS BALANCE
* Only do these when using the foot that shows less toes to the camera
LEANING
Sole Displays
When you sit down to show insect remains on your feet/shoes at the end, try to get as many insects stuck to your soles beforehand if possible. Do this after the crushing is done.
Showing soles is an extremely important part of the video so be sure to do it correctly!
Feet must be 90 degrees relative to the camera
Toes must be together
Feet must be mashed together as close as possible
You should frequently switch between the positions listed below during any sole display
Standard
* Always default to this ~40% of the time for any video unless instructed otherwise
V-Pose
Cross
Do not space your feet apart!
Look at the short video below to avoid making this mistake
Techniques
There are a range of different techniques listed below. When to use them is up to you, so long as you follow the guidelines and instructions for each particular video
Only use the stomping methods when you have shoes on and even then only do it sparingly (i.e. occasionally)
Normal Squish
* Always default to this ~40% of the time for any video unless instructed otherwise
Twist and Grind
Rip and Tear
Multi-Squish
Jumping
CLICK HERE if you can’t see what’s happening in the .gif clearly
Insta-Stomp
CLICK HERE if you can’t see what’s happening in the .gif clearly
Twofer
CLICK HERE if you can’t see what’s happening in the .gif clearly
Multi-Stomp
Trap Pop
CLICK HERE if you can’t see what’s happening in the .gif clearly
Reverse Lever / Reverse Fulcrum
Pitter Patter
* Only use for worms
Foot Slap
* Only use for worms and particularly gooey bugs
60/20/20 RULE
You MUST make sure to follow what we call the 60/20/20 RULE when crushing insects and/or fruit. You should be facing sideways relative to the camera 60% of the time
THINGS TO AVOID!
DO NOT…
hesitate when crushing the bugs unless you are intentionally teasing or stalling to get into position.
crush with the ball of your foot EVER!!! [CLICK HERE TO SEE THIS]
exclusively crush with your heel, this is to be done sparingly
exclusively stomp, this is to be done sparingly
press on the bugs lightly. You should be putting all your effort into smashing them. These sorts of videos are not good for timidity.
try to shake off the insects from your foot. Let them accumulate
pile crush as the video goes on. The pile crush should only be saved for the end of the video right before the sole display.
Below is for Remote Models Only!
〰️
Below is for Remote Models Only! 〰️
Filming Tips
TIME
Always err on the side of too long rather than too short. You can fill unused time by kicking the bugs around during the video before you step on them. Use a stopwatch or timer to time yourself.
Environment
Indoors or a covered outside surface such as a patio are preferred. Do not cover the floor with any materials! Smooth low friction surfaces such as tile flooring are ideal. If you can’t rub your hand on it for a a few seconds without chaffing your skin then it probably isn’t a good choice.
Dumping
Roaches should be deployed in groups of one to three at a time. Superworms and other massed insects should be dispensed in small handfuls at a time.
“How the heck do I film this?”
Watch video below
Always wear a fresh coat of nail polish before each shoot.
Another thing to note is that the videos should be taken in 1080p, 4K, or 1440p widescreen 16:9 format, instead of portrait. Tilting your smartphone will normally set it to this automatically, but you may have to change it in your settings.
Great Camera Placement Playlist
CLICK HERE*
* THE ONLY TAKEAWAY FROM THIS PLAYLIST IS CAMERA PLACEMENT
Good Squishing Examples
That’s it! Thanks for reading.
-Zack