Going to make a movie about a superhero

[tomahawk]

I am going to make a movie about a new superhero, and need help on how to make some things, like have him to fly, but i do not want to do it the new fashion way; ei. CGI, I want to make him take off from the floor up and make him land too. I want to do it like Superman the movie, in which they had to use cable and harnesses to do the trick and then blue screens, I know I will have to do the same but the problem is.. I live in a country where it is not easy to get this sort of equipment so we have to build everything and I have no idea how to build a harness and cable system for this purpose because I have never been even near to one.

Can Anybody help me on how do I do this or Where do i find some info on the subject?

[Pais]

Blue screens aren't considered part of the "new fashioned way"? :)

Seriously, I'd be pretty wary about building a rig that'll hoist a human being around ... that's a big liability. If you were to do it at all, definitely find an expert, or work around it (c'mon, be creative!).

I guess it depends on how serious you want it to look ... from what I can remember, the classic Superman flying sequences looked like he was simply propped up sideways on a green chair. :grin:

[tomahawk]

Thanks for bringin that to my attention.. hehe :laugh: Blue and green screens are part of the new fashion way for sure but what i meant was that i know i won't be able not to use a blue/green screen for the flying scenes but I do not want to rely completely to then like the hollywood type of movies that are using CGI for almost everything... I want the people to see that the hero is actually taking off the ground and "believe it" that is my real problem.. while the hero is in the air is another thing that I think I have Covered, but would appreciate ideas..

What I am About to do has never been done in my country.. where we are starting to build a movie industry and we almost have to invent the"Warm Water".. :grin:

So Please any sugestion will be taken in consideration..

Thanks

[jmproductions13]

some cool tricks for the taking off/landing:

an old way to accomplish this is for the takeoff, have the hero jump off of an object offscreen (the top of a phonebooth) and land next to it. when you get to the editing room, reverse the footage on this part. it will look like he's springing into the air. if you shoot at a high framerate you can even adjust the speed smoothly. you can incorporate this "old" technique with some new chromakey (greenscreen/bluescreen) work to create a different setting or incorporate other effects. any questions or if you need compositing work done for a low price please email jmproductions13 (at) hotmail.com

[tomahawk]

Thanks JMP it has never crossed my mind, but this method can solve only part of the problem because I have plenty action scenes where the hero interacts with other caracters using its "hability" for example when he is fighting its enemies at close cuarters, the hero is constantly jumping and flying over and over everybody and doing all sorts of stunts while in the air.

PS

This is a very serious project with a very modest budget. We can later talk about your services... We might need some help in the near future as we become the pioneers of this sort of films in countries that are not used to this genre as part of their industry. :thumbsup:

[jmproductions13]

when youre talking about doing stunts in the air... if you mean stuff like the matrix it will definitely require wire work. there are other ways to fake things if youre good with compositing. i am not a particularly good 3D modeler, but your most cost effective alternative might be to have a photorealistic 3D model made of your actor that you can animate for all the stunts.

[maverickprods]

The best way to get what you want is to have a pro rig a flying rig for you, and remove the wires in post, especially if you have to have him or her fly during a fight. Having your actor jump off the top of a phone booth is just asking for liability. What if he/she sprains or breaks their ankle, blows out a knee? If you are going to do simple stuff like take off's and landings, use a mini tramp through a window (ala superman television). For flying sequences in the air, use a dolly rig. Have your actor lie down on board you have rigged to a dolly with some green screen material on it and
voila' he flies.

[tomahawk]

Ok. How Do i get a Flying rig in Dominican Republic??? See? That's what i'm talking about, How Do i build a Flying Rig? I can not afford bringing one from the states and / or hire professional stunts coordinators... We have to do this on our own.. so if anyone has some blueprints, pictures, or want to learn with me how to invent the warm water then welcome aboard... This can be everybodys project.. and do not worry.. if anything goes wrong I can not sue anybody hehehehe just kiddin, so please keep ideas coming.. So far Every given idea has been taken as good and doable by my team.. so Thanks again!!

[maverickprods]

Dude, I just told you how to do it without the flying rig. Your going to have to use a mini trampoline or something similar to get the guy in the air. When you want him to take off have him jump off the mini tramp and go to pads on exiting the frame, have him vault or jump through a window, door or to a rooftop from a parallel for the landing. As far as having him fly in a fight sequence, your on your own. I could rig it, but then again, I know how and have the equipment.

Use a dolly for the flying sequences, with green screen......if you don't have a dolly use a hospital guerney, a wheel chair that has been modified or a skateboard, sheesh

[eignacio]

Hmmm....probably a little over your budget, but I thought it was pretty cool. Just thought I'd share it.
http://www.bluetights.net/video_large.php?id=10

[GenJerDan]

Another thing to remember for flying scenes and such. If the character is supposed to be horizontal, there's no reason not to have the character be vertical while shooting...and turn the camera on its side.

If you're going to rig someone to fly (AND YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T), a simple up-and-down rig, like repelling, would probably be easier, if not safer.

Got two flying characters zipping around in the air, fighting, spinning, tumbling? Let them stay in one spot and you move the camera around to hit them at the different angles.

What winds up in the finished film is what you choose to show the audience...you can lie to them and they won't know the difference.

Just remember, it is considered very rude to kill your actors, so find a safer alternative.

Dan

[tomahawk]

Thanks Dan but still need to do some scenes that will require a rig, the public is very rude and will notice simple special effects, they want to see the flying Neo kind of things, so yes there are not two flying caracters but there is another caracter capable of high jumps, so we have to see him jump over things and landing quickly so the viewer believes it is there and is not CGI, but still... I need to build the rig and have no idea how does it look or the measures.

Edward

[tomahawk]

Thanks eignacio That has helped illustrated me a lot, and as you say it is over my budget but i thing i can figure out a way around building something not as complicated as that huge thing but i thing it'll work.

Edward

[maverickprods]

two words.....................air rams

[Zack Birlew]

I'm sorry, but it just seems like this is out of your budget no matter what. Maybe you'll have to do without the flying during the fight scenes unless you do some B-movie effects transitions. For example, guys fighting with karate, someone tries to sweep hero, switch to shot of hero flipping through air simulating that he flipped over the guy, then he lands behind his foes in the next shot. See it in kung fu movies all the time.

[eignacio]

no problem.

I'm sure all those HK stunt guys were in your shoes 30 years ago. You might just be the guy who might invent some new low budget technique for all I know. Anyways, good luck and uhh...Safety First :) .

[tomahawk]

You are soooo Right!!! I am almost blind at this point with a few glimpses of light from time to time.. that is why I really apreciate the help you are all giving me on this project..

And for all those concerned about security.. let me tell you that security is priority #1, I am working very closely with experts from fire dep., Police, Air Force, Army, and Mechanical Engineers just to assure that what whatever we get to build would be safe for talents and crew to handle, and use.

So I have the experts, a brief look at what i am trying to build, but I think and know that more info on the subject will be much helpful for the engineers that would build the device, and whatever achievent acomplished will be shared with everyone of you.

Thanks..
Cornelio

[kprince]

What a ridiculous thread. This post is bogus. Tomahawk, you are out of your mind.

[tomahawk]

I am sorry that you think that way brother! but the truth is that we are trying to build a film industry in our country, and as you may guess "building" means that nothing related to... exists, to be more clear... I can not find anything like a flying rig, or pyrotechnics, or Weapons, or animatronics, or trained stunts or anything else we may need for our purposes, so we have to start somewhere or somehow to build or invent whatever we might need.

But.. everyone deserves to be heard... so thanks for your opinion man but if you do not help, at least don't encourage others to do same as you.

Tomahawk