My Vehicle Crash

[hillcity]

It's like that moment when by logic, Nic Cage is compelled to admit to himself: "I'm going to steal the declaration of independence!"

Well I was mulling over a script today, and I decided on a very intense and raw car crash scene to start one of my movies.
"I'm going to start it with a crash!"
Unfortunately, I don't know how to wrangle cars or stage crashes for film. It seems like it'd be dangerous, and I know just how I want it to look...so it'd have to be engineered perfectly...how's this done?????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????? ???

[J.R. Hudson]

Seriously consider paying a professional to do this for you. That being said; can you give us the jist of the crash? The set-up? Amorres Perros has a killer crash by the way.

[BLUESPIDER]

The safest way is the CG way. You can download pre-made car models and if you look carefully enough you might be able to find already pre-made CG car crashes. It all depends if you have a 3d app to render these models.

The other way is the practical way. Maybe your local car scrap or pick n pull. Its going to cost money.

You can shoot it creatively without actually showing the crash maybe just a sound effect. I don't know dude. Good luck.

[kappa22]

To get the full effect, you need to combine CG debris and effects with a very well staged wreck. Usually, cars destined for the proverbial "concrete wall" are heavily rigged with hydraulics and pyro which cause them to collapse as if traveling at high-speed, when in actuality, they are moving fairly slowly (maybe 30-35 mph). This also allows much better slow-motion capture without using those pesky high-speed cameras, which jam more often than MG-42's.

For all situations, though, 3ds max is your best friend.

[pookie_old]

Unless you're extreamly well off, or have an exceptional liability policy, either hire pro's, or forget it.

You won't be able to pay off the lawsuit[s].

[GenJerDan]

And you don't need to show the crash, anyway. The car can drive out-of-frame (cue: crash noises) then you cut to the aftermath.

Just need to go to the junkyard and buy a crashed model of the car and flatbed it to the shoot. :)

Dan

[BLUESPIDER]

And you don't need to show the crash, anyway. *The car can drive out-of-frame (cue: crash noises) then you cut to the aftermath.

Just need to go to the junkyard and buy a crashed model of the car and flatbed it to the shoot. *:)

Dan

I think Dan has the saftest solution. You should reconsider what it is that your trying to do. This is dangerous and should only be attempted by professionals only.

[Kirk Gillock]

I agree. Shoot from inside a car. Show another oncoming car. Flash and let the viewers imaginations take over. I think viewers still have imaginations. I havne't checked mine in a while.

[dakotapod]

An excellent example of a fake crash is "The Hire: Ticker" - It's a helicopter crash, so a little off base but should give you some ideas. The helicopter is supposed to crash into a bridge but it's done with editing, an effect explosion and dumping debris off the side of the bridge.

You could easily work something out so you can still make it look believable, cool and nobody dies.

Smoke and mirrors are your friend!


http://usa.bmwfilms.com/clap.asp?template=synopsis&country=usa&film=ticker

[Kirk Gillock]

I agree. You can do alot with smoke and mirrors. Here's a car crash that TC helped me with. *;D

http://www.isara.com/photos/explosion_tc.mov

;D

[kai]

haha funny stuff PK

[GenJerDan]

I think Dan has the saftest solution. You should reconsider what it is that your trying to do. This is dangerous and should only be attempted by professionals only.

I've been thinking about this for a while. One of the shorts I want to do involves a crash, so...

Dan

[hillcity]

Thanks, everyone for all the help. A mix of CG and stunts does seem to be the best way to do it...I wish I could upload a diagram, but I'l try my best to describe what I want to do...

First of all, there is a significant portion of BLACK in the beginning...maybe a minute of all black, with a designed soundtrack......So I'm trying to avoid the actual crash as much as possible...but I really want this one particular move to be shown..

so imagine a
"T" intersection.... The guy APPROACHING THE T from the bottom is supposed to stop, but doesn't, and he hits a truck pulling an RV IN the T.
So the truck approaching the T hits the RV, causing the truck that's PULLING the RV (already in the intersection) to do an awkward SWING motion which jerks it back down (like a the minute hand of a clock moving backwards from 9 to 7). I think this would be a really awkward and frenetic movement to have in the crash as one of the first images of the film. I've never seen this actually happen in real life, so I think it would lend some realism...and NO, the cars don't catch fire. When does THAT ever really happen? More than for just a COOL shot, it's necessary for the advancement of the story, because I have a lead character in each truck, and the idea is for them to be jerked out of their cars and flung together. (A pervading metaphor). And I really couldn't figure out a way to get them on the pavement next to each other as a result of the crash...because the other important thing is that the truck pulling the RV has to remain realisticaly unscathed...gaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr....

[Neil Rowe]

they wouldnt end up next to eachother due to the given inertia of the vehs, and the truck that s towing would have to have his window down and his seatbelt off to fly through the window somehow and not dmg the truck... IMHO it would look pretty "yeah .. whatever.. like that would ever happen".. unless you simply didnt show the exact directions that the vehs were traveling but just have the crash sort of disorienting so that the audience wouldnt really know how it happend and in turn would not know or think about the possibilty of them ending up on the road together.

if the accident happend like you described above you shold almost consider having the cab of the towing truck swing back very far 90 degrees so that the ds window ends up right next to the ds window of the veh that hits the camper. (assuming the towing truck is going right to left on the "T") then the people could be messed up in their cars right next to each other in their seats. that would be beleivable considering the accident circumstances.. espescially if you had the towing veh driving right to left on the t and making a left hand turn to head down the trunk of the "t" thats way the truck wouldnt have to swing as much.

[hillcity]

Heck Yes, Neil.
I forgot to mention the direction of the cab....yeah, i'm cool with that 90 degree angle...and in fact, it might be more impacting if they're stuck to each other staring at each other through the driver's windows...wow...I can see it.
Wow...seriously, that's way better than trying to figure something out on the ground...you're the man...
So now I have to figure out how to make it happen....
I just want that movment to be shown...the truck making that swoop. And I'm almost envisioning a master crane shot, and then quick cuts to POV's or over the shoulder's from each driver....

[Kirk Gillock]

Master cranes, POVs, multple car accident, ...So what kind of budget do you have for this film? If I knew you were rich I would have asked you for money a long time ago.

Off-topic: Can I borrow $20?

[hillcity]

;D
I was taught not to let my budget inhibit my writing. I'm patient with this project, so I'll hold out until I can tell the story right.
At the same time, I'm not trying to write an intergalactical apocalyptical somethingliptical thriller. Gross.

The rest of the film is relatively lo-fi. It takes place mostly in the other guy's truck or in the first guy's house...it's a really quiet film too...I plan on a lot of silence...one of those...
funny thing is that I usually fall asleep on those. Malkovich's "The Dancer Upstairs" was visually stunning..but I was in the theater WITH A DATE, visually SNORING. And I'm supposed to be Mr. Film Guy (TM) anyhow...that's what I'm after...
Slow even pace with situational humor, not necessarily stand-up humor...

[hillcity]

by the way...nice chimp.

[Erik Olson]

This will help you not at all, but I think it is a funny car-crash-for-film story anyway...

We were shooting a scene for Nash Bridges where Don Johnson is chasing a van - full of bad guys! - through the City in his 'Cuda.

At one point during the sequence, the van jumps off of Lefty O'Doul's drawbridge (the one right next to SBC/Pacbell/Verizon Park) and continues on its way.

Well, naturally, this turned into an all-day set-up with a crew of about 60 people milling about. Precision sequences and vehicle stunts were always treated with special care on Bridges - it wasn't uncommon to spend a full day carefully executing seconds of chase footage.

We constructed some special ramps which were attached to the expanded metal deck of the bridge and then raised the bridge about 8' above street level for the jump.

The van was lined up and run slowly down the imagined trajectory a dozen times. There was much discussion about distances, deflections, tire blowouts and compensation.

Around this time, other members of the crew noticed that there was a practical light signal pole right in the middle of the stunt path. Our steward told us to "stay out of it" and so we kept our mouths shut. Sure enough, they launched that truck off Lefty's bridge doing about 40 miles per hour and straight into that light pole.

Moments after the driver climbed out of the vehicle and celebrated with the crew, he was met by one of San Francisco's finest and given a ticket for wreckless driving.

Turns out the cop had warned the stunt coordinator about the same traffic signal just before the stunt took place.