I had the same thoughts as Dex, and I have a few more ideas to add: First, I'd create a solid piece of glass which is visible just until the point of impact. Once the word hits the glass, I'd make that solid pane invisible and reveal the shattered (but initially flat) glass, ready to go. I also imagine that there should be small shards at the points of impact, and larger ones further out on the surface of the glass. The simplest way to make all these little pieces might be to draw them out in a program like Illustrator, and then import them and extrude them a bit to add thickness. If you use physics for the motion, you might consider adding a flow force (something I have never really used) to impart some extra spin to the shards. Plain old gravity won't be convincing. Finally, consider adding some depth cueing to the scene, so the pieces blur as they fly toward the camera. This might increase the sense of drama. - Joe