FINAL SHOT OF MOVIE: Hit by a car. How to?

brock2621

brock2621

Well-known member
So the final shot of my short is a man being hit by a car and rolling up and off the back of the SUV. I really need to sell this shot and since i only have one camera and need 3 angles which means i'll have to do the shot 3 times as well. Can anybody direct me to a film where they did this and how? Or if anybody has any experience with this that they wouldn't mind possibly helping me out? I really appreciate it guys.
 
The easiest way would be to shoot telephoto from behind the vehicle and having it slam on the brakes 5 ft from the talent. From that angle you can't tell the difference of 5 ft. Wasn't there an awesome car hit in Meet Joe Black i think it was. That must have been alot of cg though.
 
Yeah... i need it to be abrupt and very surprising. I thought of that scene right off hand. I need a front angle of it hitting, a wide angle of the body rolling and bouncing up the car and then the final shot is of him falling off the back onto the concrete from behind.
 
I just saw it a few minutes ago, I never laughed and jumped at the same time, I thought my eye balls were gonna pop outta my head...
 
For a side shot I would do a 'double exposure' thing, digitally of course.
lock in the shot on a tripod,
shoot the vehicle driving through
shoot the victim standing
merge
use a little angle or some digital motion to add some life

For a wide, get a 'gymnast' to do some somersaults on a red/green mat (in costume) and then key the mat out.

For the final shot I'd stick with a dummy, since your subject is probably toast by that point anyway.

Are you going for drama or comedy with this?
 
ProfessorU said:
For a side shot I would do a 'double exposure' thing, digitally of course.
lock in the shot on a tripod,
shoot the vehicle driving through
shoot the victim standing
merge
use a little angle or some digital motion to add some life

For a wide, get a 'gymnast' to do some somersaults on a red/green mat (in costume) and then key the mat out.

For the final shot I'd stick with a dummy, since your subject is probably toast by that point anyway.

Are you going for drama or comedy with this?
Click to expand...

Yeah i actually saw this video earlier today looking for stuff on YouTube! Lol, it got me the first time. I'm going for drama. I want it to be as suprising as it was in meet joe black. Here is the thing, i'm not experienced with green screens n stuff. I HAVE to sell this shot. It's the final one. Can anybody figure out way with frame rates or stop motion or anything? I'm sorta at a blank... has anybody else on here ever done a shot like this?
 
What state are you in? Do you have after effects?
I've done a bunch of VFX for short films.
The first shot I mentioned would be really easy and effective and free. The other two are more complex but you could probably borrow what you needed.
 
Hey ProfessorU, I live in Lexington, Kentucky unfortunately. So not that many special effect people are near here. I feel like i would need a VFX guy on set to help me with the shot to get everything to match right. I dunno. And Greggl, that short was really really well done. Her being hit by the car was PERFECT. I couldn't really see the cut. I had to watch it 3 times. I need to get a hold of that guy and see exactly how he did it.

ProfessorU, could you possibly help me out. Help me set it up and pull this off?
 
He gave me a breakdown last night... its three cuts actually with two
composited elements and a LOT of cleanup.. someone moved the flowers
on the dash between takes :)

Wire pull on the girl after she steps back, she's digitally blended with the
bottom half of the dummy that was actually hit by the car in the 'car plate'.
The camera is handed off three times to different operators as well... driver
seat/back seat, outside car.
 
Wow, that's impressive! I guess i'm going to have to buy a dummy and try to pull this one off. I need to do a lot of research. I'm sure i'll be back on here with questions soon enough. I appreciate your guys' help!
 
Yeah... i need it to be abrupt and very surprising.
Click to expand...

Lately I'm suprised when a film DOESN'T end with someone getting smashed by a car. Seems like everyone is doing that.

What if you did something else?
 
Weston said:
Lately I'm suprised when a film DOESN'T end with someone getting smashed by a car. Seems like everyone is doing that.

What if you did something else?
Click to expand...
Do something different? Something that hasn't been done? Something that isn't cliche?
Surely you jest.
 
I think the single-shot is more emotional, ratchet-and-clanky.
But doing it as two or three shots might be more convincing on an ultra-low budget. I guess your decision has a lot to do with what you have available. Greenscreen? Wires? Dummy? Stuntperson?
 
Well... here it goes... my budgest is $700. That's it. To be honest, that's what i've used and i'm drained basically. I'm so lost on this shot. I know nothing of wires and greenscreens really. I usually try to keep effects shot to a bare MINIMUM because i think effects aren't too the point to where they look so real you can't pick it out. At least not in independent films yet. If anyone is interested here is the link to my updated forum on production...

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=104380
 
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