So I'm making a survivor film about two hikers. They fall down the side of a mountain. I need to know how to possibly recreate a scene like the one in "lone survivor" , how the navy seals fall down the cliff. I need to make the scene brutal and realistic without getting the two actors hurt. Any suggestions?
Need help with shooting scene
- Thread starter Jminchew
- Start date
Rule number one: keep it safe.
It is tempting to try to emulate big budget scenes, but it was the budget that helped to keep the actors and crew safe, because money can hire experts.
(Although even money is no garantee nothing will happen: people died during shooting stunts for Quantum of Solace. A Dutch stunt crew declined the job because they believed the schedule was too tight to be safe. Unfortunately they were right.)
You will need to look into the power of suggetion.
Use sound design.
Look how you can cut the action in little pieces AND how you can 'look away' from the action while still having a brutal impact.
It is tempting to try to emulate big budget scenes, but it was the budget that helped to keep the actors and crew safe, because money can hire experts.
(Although even money is no garantee nothing will happen: people died during shooting stunts for Quantum of Solace. A Dutch stunt crew declined the job because they believed the schedule was too tight to be safe. Unfortunately they were right.)
You will need to look into the power of suggetion.
Use sound design.
Look how you can cut the action in little pieces AND how you can 'look away' from the action while still having a brutal impact.
For some reason I feel like there HAS to be either BTS or an article or something explaining how Hot Rod (made by "The Lonely Island") did their EXTREMELY long mountain fall scene. I *think* that movie was done a pretty small budget considering who they are... so perhaps you can find some information by looking for that.
Hi original thread starter, keep it safe. If you have a budget then perhaps shop around for a reasonable cost freelance indie artist/independent VFX studio and think about using a VFX animated CGI shot for the mountain fall.
CGI 3D characters can be used for the fall sequence and then you can cut to the live action actual ground shot where the real actors will be there in makeup etc. showing their "fall injuries" sustained.
Using materials online for non commercial use I have provided a rough mock-up for you of the fall sequence in the below video. Good luck!
https://youtu.be/9X_UC6uSnuI
CGI 3D characters can be used for the fall sequence and then you can cut to the live action actual ground shot where the real actors will be there in makeup etc. showing their "fall injuries" sustained.
Using materials online for non commercial use I have provided a rough mock-up for you of the fall sequence in the below video. Good luck!
https://youtu.be/9X_UC6uSnuI
I used Poser to create a fall from a cliff before, worked pretty well. You can also do the old low budget trick of throwing a dummy 
I used Poser to create a fall from a cliff before, worked pretty well. You can also do the old low budget trick of throwing a dummy
Yup, I like the dummy approach because they can look so real sometimes! I say get some dummies made with matching clothing and do a few takes throwing them off the cliff. Be careful and get professional advice when throwing the dummies though because one can throw oneself off the cliff if professional throwing technique is not applied. So best bet would be someone who did that before.
You better do it with a green screen and add the cliff later on.I mean shoot it around the cliff,so that the location and lighting can be accurate.But,shoot the fall in front of a green screen and also shoot an empty plate of the Cliff.
Then later join both of them in After effects using the green screen effect.Once you know,its pretty easy.
Then later join both of them in After effects using the green screen effect.Once you know,its pretty easy.