Questions Regarding Making a Head Cast for Actors

R

romantico

Member
I am going to be doing a film short this fall and am just trying to figure out my budget.

I have a scene where two guys get their heads chopped off. Of course, the scene will last only a few seconds, but I want it to look as real as possible. Can someone tell me how much I am looking at spending on these 2 FX alone? Its the only FX in the film and there is no way around it.

Also, can anyone suggest how I would go about looking for a make up artist for this job? I was thinking about the Fangoria message board. I have some time before shooting starts, but I would like to prepare and think about this as early as possible.

Finally, do I offer to pay actors for something like this? In the past I have not but I understand asking actors to sit and allow a full plaster head cast to be made might be pushing it.


Any suggestions, advice, or tips would be appreciated. Thanks again!
 
I was just working on a DV project where exactly the same "gag" was being worked on. The combined prop/FX make-up person just took a standard foam "wig head" and molded very decent facial features onto it from modeling clay. Some artistic rendering of the details and a wig and hat resulted in a passable head that can be used in a decapitation scene.

I'm pretty sure they were using a pressurized garden sprayer and hose routing for the blood spurt.

They also were able to cast an actual war vet with missing lower legs, and simulated the hacking and/or wrenching off of FX lower legs, along with the above mentioned garden sprayer. I missed that shot, but apparently it went very well.

I know that doesn't cover every aspect of your scene, but perhaps it'll help. Good luck!
 
Thanks! Well, my problem is we need to see a close up of the heads. One lands at a guys feet and the other is on top of a stake planted into the ground. I tried thinking of a way to cheat and use the actual actors if we cut out the bottom or something, but I can not find a way out doing it the way I ant and its written. Was hoping I could do something with after effects, but no such luck. Thanks again!
 
I guess to add to this forum, I have a scene in my upcoming feature where to put it in your minds of how the framing will be, I want it so that its a cu of behind a guy's head from the neck up, he gets shot in the head, leaving a huge holding where you see through the hole in his head, the guy who shot him holding a smoking gun. Also I need a match on high angle ms shot of this from the side. An suggestions on how I can do that
 
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