Slow Motion Hits

Aschu

Aschu

Well-known member
I have a concept for a fight scene that I just started developing. Before I take it any further, I wanted to know if what I see in my head is even remotely achievable. Certain hits in the fight I want to shoot close up and have them in slow motion. How is this done? I have seen it in movies before and Watchmen has a great one in the first scene when The Comedian is killed, there is a hit to his face in slow motion.

I'm using a DVX 100B to shoot and I have final cut studio. Any input is appreciated.

Thanks.
 
Professional slow motion is done with an expensive high speed camera, shooting hundreds of frames a second (which when played back at normal speed then looks like slow motion). You can in some circumstances fake it in post, but I doubt that would work for showing fight impacts.
 
And if you want the hits to look real, they have to be done real. When you slow things down, the eye picks up a lot more detail. That's why most scenes involving "body/face strikes" are at real time. The eye misses a lot of the detail and can be easily fooled.

When struck, there are ripples and contortions that human flesh does because of the impact. It would be hard to "fake" that. And people will expect to see it.

Your camera angles will not be able to be cheated very easily either because of this enhanced perception.

Best middle ground, slow everything but the actual "contact", then resume normal speed or get someone willing to take an actual punch, that is if you don't have a million $ plus VFX studio (then the sky is the limit).
 
Thanks.

I can always find someone willing to do the punching...but no one ever seems to want to take a punch.

What is this world coming to? :)
 
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I seem to have the same problem...no-one ever wants to take the punch. Seems to be a pattern here.

Real punch + DVX @ 60i = your best result with what you have. Search here for DVX slo-mo and you will see theres a trick to slow 60i down to 24p to have some glass smooth slo-mo. I really think that slowing down the delivery of the punch looks good, then just before impact, bring it back to real speed for the landing. Thats gonna be just awesome.
 
hvx 720 60p would be much better bet than dvx 60i, but alot of those slow motion punches are CG effects. or of course.. yeah, youve got to hit them. but if you lock the camera you can hit someone with a green or blue peugeot stick or similar soft pad (the size of a fist or glove preferred) but still hit them plenty hard enough to get the sweat and face rippling effects. then you can shoot another plate with the fist coming in at the same right location and just comp the two together keying out the green/blue striking object over the fist swinging plate with a little roto pending your angle. and viola!

if you wanted ..what might help to make it easier without the roto you could stick a green/blue face (like a fighting bob dummy painted green) in the shot in the right place where the face was for the first shot when its hit with the stick, and have the fist punch it . then shoot another clean plate of just background. then stick the face plate on top and key the green, the fist plate in the middle and key the green, and the blank plate on bottom. could work really well if you match position well enough.
 
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