anyone have pointers on how to do this?

Jay Rodriguez

Jay Rodriguez

Coffee Member
Shooting a scene for my horror film where several dead bodies are hanging upside down (quick shots) in a room. Problem is, I can't figure out how the hell to achieve this!

So, anyone have any ideas on how to hang someone by their feet upside down?

I'm going to film this in a basement where the joists (if that's what their called) are exposed.

Here's a shot of the basement ceiling.

1191017692.jpg
 
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Screw some big eye bolts into the joists, run the rope through the eye and tie it around the "victims" ankles. I would assume that if you tie the rope on the outside of the cuff of their pants it would keep it from digging into their legs long enough to get the shots.
 
BE CAREFUL!

Anytime you suspend someone it can be risky - and doubly so upside-down.

I wouldn't trust any one of those beams with the weight of a person upside down. If you doubled up - having 2 separate anchor points (on separate beams) for each person [standard procedure for climbing] you can greatly increase the safety.

Presumably the bodies arms will be hanging down freely? If this is the case, how low can you go? can you have the "bodies" hands actually on the ground a little? Perhaps don't have a wide-shot but show just closeups of both hanging feet, and hanging hands?


Instead of just tying a rope around some-one's ankles, use a proper suspension harness.

- Mikko
 
You know, for some reason, when I looked at that photo I had an image in mind of a low-ceilinged basement, so I was thinking of them hanging just a few inches above the ground.

Mikko is right, you need to take great care. Assuming it's dark you could use dummy's.
 
You can make a rapelling harness with a piece of nylon webbing about 10' long. Tie around waist then bring through legs & wrap around belt part, bring to front and tie again. Attach a carabiner through both tied sections. It's easy to find a balance point and let yourself hang down head first. I'd put a thick rubber mat on the floor to save on pesky medical bills.
 
Hey guys!

This is tough because I'm trying to plan this one with minimal costs so having a suspension harness is pretty much out of the question. Sucks. I know the beams will hold the weight of an average person with no problem but my problem is how do I do it

The shot will be a quick (3 or 4 second) establishing shot of the location and the gore that happens there. I'd like to have the people suspended off of the ground but then again the ceiling is about 9 feet high so they'll be a few feet off of the ground. eek!

hmm...

Maybe I can make this scene happen without having everyone hung upside down? lol.
 
Is it a wide shot where we see several people hanging (full body in shot), or is it a series of closeups?

If it's a series of closeups you could cheat the feet hanging rig, with closeups on the feet, then cheat closeups of tied hands hanging free. Maybe have people lay over the edge of a table so you can get closeups of their faces with their hair hanging down and duct tape over their mouth, etc, etc. Just a rapid succession of shots that imply these people are hangning from the ceiling, without actually seeing it ... if that makes any sense.
 
Yeah that's an idea to think about. Let me soak it in and see what I might be able to come up with. I enjoy those type of shots but I also enjoy the over whelming feeling of seeing it all at once through a wide shot and then cutting to those various close and medium shots.
 
If its a quick 3 second shot you can probably use beams built up from floor to the ceiling and tie them to that. Get a shot of the place before the beams go up and don't move the camera, temporarily put up some 4x4s with some screws and tie them to it. Get your shots and erase the beams from the shot with the master in after effects. This way you don't have to worry about breaking someones neck or ripping through someones ankle.
 
Have them stand on a floor that looks like the ceiling, arms raised, and turn the camera upside down. Make it look like their feet are lashed directly to the "beams" and have them sway in place a little bit. I think it'll look real.
 
if he can't afford a $20 safetly harness he can't afford a dummy. Unless it is a really really bad dummy.
 
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