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Electrifying Entertainment!
...the mission of KVA Effects

In 1931 The Hollywood movie "Frankenstein" brought Mary Shelley’s novel to life. An electrician and special effects creator named Ken Strickfaden helped bring its monster to life in the famous laboratory scene. The sparks and high-voltage discharges used were very dramatic for that time and thus began the history from which KVA Effects was born.

William Wysock, Strickfaden’s friend and student, learned this fascinating art and developed it further in horror movies of the 70s and 80s. He is currently KVA Effects’ chief engineer and mentor for those learning the craft.

Jeff Parisse is the managing director of KVA Effects and took some time from a very busy schedule to answer a few of our questions:

E.C.: The history of your company actually goes back to Ken Strickfadden, a special effects engineer who worked on horror movies from the 1930s. Can you mention a few of those movies and the work he developed for them?

Above: The classic laboratory scene in the original Frankenstein movie

Below: Jeff Parisse tests the courage of a willing? participant

Jeff: Actually it was Strickfadden that was responsible for the creation of the high voltage special effects industry for movies. kVA Effects incorporated almost 50 years later based on the works of Bill Wysock.

E.C.: How does this tie in with your present day company?

Jeff: Bill Wysock apprenticed for Ken Strickenfadden in the sixties and seventies and I apprenticed for Wysock for about ten years starting in the mid nineties. Large Tesla coils transcend science to a degree and a passage of knowledge and skills over time is necessary to master them.

E.C.: What’s the range of projects that you’re willing to work on?

Jeff: We are geared for the large scale event but we also do trade shows and product announcements. Our smallest machine, which makes ten foot arcs, works well in ballroom type settings.

E.C.: Are there any types of projects that are personal favorites?

Jeff: Television and movie productions are always fascinating to me. I love watching the tight knit interaction between the various departments and workers. My personal favorite would have to be the time I spent with NBC and the folks at Fear Factor. The 2005 Halloween Special featured a “Lightning Bridge” of my design that host Joe Rogan said was “the sickest stunt we have ever done”. That was a career highlight.

E.C.: I know that you often use Tesla Coils to generate electrical discharges. Are there other generating devices that you also employ in your designs?

Jeff: We also use 60Hz high voltage AC power for some of our effects.

E.C.: Some of your displays have included live humans wearing metal mesh suits. Do these suits serve the purpose of a Faraday Cage as a means of protection?

Jeff: Yes, exactly, the suit serves as a Faraday cage and a conductive path for the energy. Usually the suits are worn under clothing or costumes so the public can’t appreciate how much metal the performer is wearing.

E.C.: Obviously safety is a major factor in what you do. Are there similarities and have you shared safety practices with electric utility companies that service high voltage power lines?

Jeff: Only the apprenticeship part; one must display to one’s co-workers character and trustworthiness over time. The tools, safety garments and precautions are totally different. We expect and encourage electricity to fly around everywhere, utility companies do not.

E.C.: Sparks tend to be scary things. I would imagine that despite your track record and safety precautions you often have to deal with some apprehension from both your customers and effect participants. Is this true, and if so, how do you handle it.

Jeff: Without a doubt, working to reassure our clients with experience and math is the most important of my job responsibilities. Our complex engineering challenges can only be overcome with a partnership approach and a common goal of thrilling an audience. I keep my focus on successful outcomes.

E.C.: Do the high voltage discharges in many of your effects ever affect nearby electronic equipment in unintended ways?

Jeff: The goal of successful planning and installation is to avoid interference and ground issues. However, once at a 70 year old steel factory, we encountered a conductive floor that was made of years of accumulated steel shavings, cutting oils and dirt that was not grounded. Conductive but not grounded! When the arcs from our machine hit the floor, the arcs popped up all over the set in unexpected places, Nobody got hurt and nothing got damaged but shoot had to continue on without the Tesla coil.

E.C.: Is there any electrical effect or project that you haven’t done yet that you dream of doing in the future?

Jeff: We’d like to install the giant Tesla coils we shipped to China at the beginning of this year. The are the World’s largest and each throw sixty foot arcs into the night air.

KVA Effects website to learn more