Kinda OT: Amateur affects

[malcolm man]

Some of my friends and I are doin' a small short just for the fun of it.

In one scene, I Want to be able to kick a guy through a wall.

I was trying to think of ways to do this. First thoughts: create a thin sheet of plaster, balsa wood and paper and put some wallpaper over it. My only concern is whether or not it would stand. I mean, I need to create at least a 6'x2' panel.

2nd thought: Use Styrofoam. I just don't know where I would find a sheet big enough, and I don't know how it would look as it "shattered".

I know this is kinda off topic but didn't really no where else to post it.

Thanks!

 

[rocketguy2]

Just a thought; if you took a large piece of sheetrock and scored the back side in several places, only the outside paper surface would hold it together. You might even try cheap wallpaper on the outer side for better temporary strength. If this section were then placed in front of a large, open door frame for support, your stunt man could crash directly through the sheetorck into the door opening. Also, by "pre-cutting" the opening, you might better control how the wall breaks apart during the stunt. Maybe a few trials with paper would give a better idea of how to best score the sheetrock.

 

[Jon Starr]

If you're going to use Styrofoam, go to your local hardware store and buy the kind used for insulation. It's basically large sheets that you can chose the thickness. This will be very fine Styrofoam, that will break without those "beads" that we're used to seeing in packaging Styrofoam. But precut a bit of it so that when you break through, it's a controlled break, rather than the entire wall just splitting in half.

I also like the idea of using sheetrock. It is tough when compact and together, but you lose the cohesion one of the papers holding it together, and it becomes very breakable.

You would have to try it out though.