Body floating

[New_Zealand]

I was thinking of using one of our talents to float down a creek but then thought it might be better to make it look like a body floating to keep it safe. I wonder what the best way to do this?

 

[Michael Carter]

I doubt there's a post method that would look real unless you can hire WETA. Maybe a dummy/mannequin, but you need a pretty good one to not look like a dummy.

Remember though, in many shots like this, you can creatively suggest what you can't afford... enough frames of a dummy to establish but not show the fakeness... someone tracking with their eyes and reacting... a closeup of a stiff hand or legs or feet drifting - something easy to do with a real person but still safe.

Is there a high spot where you could get a very distant angle and track someone in, maybe shoot a talent plate in a shallow area, where the figure would eb very small in the frame and only for a second or so?

Can you dress the person to hide one of those slender life jackets? Is there a SCUBA school or club in your area where you could use a "stunt" man (strong swimmer, used to water) and also a lifeguard who could get to the guy quickly? Is the creek too fast or deep for safety, or full of debris? or just nasty water?

You could dress talent with fake legs under their shirt, so they stand and bend over and walk but "legs" float out behind them...

Or does a body washed up on the shore tell the whole story without the creek shots?

 

[ssvet]

A strong enough current in the creek, and if the talent can float comfortable, might be all that you need.

 

[New_Zealand]

All great ideas. I haven't been to the location yet only seen photos of it. By the photos it doesn't look bad but then you know how photos are.