Flipping a CAR OVER....

F

FilmBoy77

Veteran
Anybody know how to achieve this effect in the opening sequence when the car is flipping over....also at the end of the video it looks like the car is flipping over as well (you see it from the outside) but its a very quick shot and almost makes me think it's not real....looks real though: http://vimeo.com/36952225

Trying to figure out what would be involved in getting a stunt done like this...where would I find the resources (professionals) to assist with this?
 
Pretty sure the two crashes aren't in fact the same - the one at the end looks suspiciously like the car has no one in it. The one at the start involves only close-ups of actors - they probably aren't really in a car at all and are only being carefully tipped by eg 90 degrees at a time. Even then it's still a potentially dangerous stunt.

Either stunt needs a professional physical effect team and won't be cheap - a bunch of amateurs could easily put someone in hospital (or the morgue) or jail.
 
Yea I had noticed that at the end when nobody was in it, I was wondering if anybody would pick up on that. It ALMOST doesn't even look real to me at the end but I couldn't figure out how it could be FAKE which is what was throwing me off.
 
I'm not 100% sure there's noone in the car for the exterior shots of the flip. Certainly there aren't 3 folks in there... The exterior flip looks to have been handled professionally. For capable stunt people, it's not particularly hard to do this with a pipe ramp. Nowadays though, for a lot of "stunt" stuff, cars are stripped of their engines etc (making them much lighter) and they can be flipped without the need for a driver. Compressed air can be used to "fire a car" at a ramp or similair. Either way, you want to talk to professionals. If a stunt driver was going to do it, he would want to put a roll cage inside (so the roof doesn't collapse on his head), and perhaps fit a small fuel tank with minimal gas/petrol inside to limit chances of an unwanted big-ass explosion.

If you talk to stunt or SFX pros you may be surprised. Most may not want to do low/unpaid work, but some will be happy to recommend a colleague who might. As one SFX veteran said to me recently, "If I'm not on a paid job, I would rather have a day playing on a set than sat at home". They may have access to a car already used and kitted for such a stunt. Whatever you do, talk to experienced pros. Don't take chances.
 
Oh yea for sure, it's definately something I would never half a$$ and deal with amateurs or try to do it myself. Any idea where I may find these types of professionals? I was thinking possibly the local film commission might be a good start.
 
If done right.......using a model/miniature can really sell it. Let me see if I can find the footage of a Humvee being flipped........looks really good to me. It's a film I worked on.


This is the trailer for the short.
 
Last edited:
Hey Doc that was pretty cool man. So this was a miniature car model? I seem to vaguely remember a book I read a long time ago talking about this method...Dv Rebel or something? Can you talk a bit about how you filmed it and how it was edited?
 
LOL, I was the armorer.....an actor.......and a humvee driver....... But the director (Paul DeNigris) has something online about how he accomplished that shot. Let me see if I can find it, may have to give him a call.

But yes, the "flip" was a miniature, all the rest was a real Humvee.
 
Last edited:
To successfully shoot miniatures, get a decent sized miniature, rather than a little toy. The reason for this is that to make it look realisitic, you will have to shoot at a proportionally higher frame rate. I think shooting at 60fps, you can get away with a 1/6, maybe even 1/8 scale model. It has something to do with the action of gravity on a model being more obvious than on a full scale item.
 
Doc Bernard said:
LOL, I was the armorer.....an actor.......and a humvee driver....... But the director (Paul DeNigris) has something online about how he accomplished that shot. Let me see if I can find it, may have to give him a call.

But yes, the "flip" was a miniature, all the rest was a real Humvee.
Click to expand...

Oh my fault man, when you said you worked on the film I just assumed you DP'd or directed it.
 
To do something like this for a micro-budget movie, you could shoot the car interior with a green or blue screen outside the window. In post, replace the greenscreen area with footage taken while the camera was being turned over. For the exterior shots, super a computer model of a car over an actual photo or video of a road. If you used very quick shots (less than a second each), the audience might not notice the "phoneyness" of the shots. I know it wouldn't look as good as the video you linked to, but it would be safe and cheap. You should be able to find some ready-made computer models on the internet, probably under $50. Of course, it would be helpful if you could find someone who plays around with 3D computer animation.:)

-- Ken
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top