Muzzle Flash Test
 

First attempt at making a movie-sized muzzle flash for a friend's movie I'm helping with.

Muzzle Flash Test 1 - YouTube

Comments, criticisms welcome, I know I didn't have a proper fade in/out for the glow around the flash, and I'd like to add some smoke to future effects, but if you find anything else I can tweak, by all means let me know.

Based on Freddiew's tutorial:
Realistic Muzzle Flare Tutorial - YouTube

whoa, that looked pretty cool actually

Yeah pretty good effect. My only suggestions would be to position the flash slightly further ahead of the muzzle, and don't make it quite so abrupt. A real muzzle flash should take a frame or two to subside.

IMO, it look like hollywood.
If you want to make it look real, don't put a big flash. Just put some sparks and smoke.

Unless it's a scene shot in the dark.

Don't watch movies to find realistic muzzle flash. Watch videos of real firearms being fired, I own and operate a Tokarev TT-33, that's a 7.62x25mm round, it doesn't flash like the glock in your video

I think the shot needs to be more loud, just take the audio from a real gun (what GBB were you using? just find audio of that real steel pistol and use that) and maybe either

a.) simulate more recoil (you're shooting with one hand so I'd think that there would be more recoil)

or

b.) shoot with both hands, you know like you normally would

As for the flash, it's too big and you need to add some smoke, also maybe you could add light flashing off the wall from the flash of the gun.

Just my 2 cents.

This ^ Movies = Fantasy

+1.

Thanks for the comments, but like I said in my original post, I'm doing this for a friend's movie, so it's supposed to look "hollywood".

Im not sure what quality you will be filming in, but it very important to match the quality of the film to the editing. Your muzzle flash looks very clean and crisp with rich colours while the film looks home movie quality with slightly muted colours.
Not sure, but i believe making the flash a little more transparent may help. It maybe also make your flash look less abrupt than it is now.
Also, little gas/smoke wouldnt hurt either.