Urgent Help Required. Storyboarding A Car Crash

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steadicamsteel

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I'm working with a director next week and he trying to stage a car crash without actually showing the car crash off the road. He want's the car, full of teenagers to overtake a moving car then loose control and drive down into a ditch, without actually doing that. I've got some ideas on how to achieve some shots for the shoot but any and all ideas would be gratfully appreciated.

Sooner the better for replies. Thanks

Forgot to say we're using a low loader for shooting all the interior dialogue.
 
Handhold the camera as a POV of the car's front bumper. Shoot reacts of actors inside car with people shaking the car from the bumpers, and the actors jostling themselves around. Shoot a wheel well-mounted camera from the car's fender just before the car goes off the side of the road. Shoot lots of cut-aways of the car exterior's detail--possibly while also shaking the car. Use quick cuts. Add appropriate sound effects. Position the car off the side of the road for quick establishing shot of car in final crash position--maybe use a smoke pot in the engine bay to simulate engine damage.
 
Also, shoot a lot of tight stuff with at least one element in the background of the shot that "suggests" a crash. For example, you could do some nice car interior work for only the price of a broken front windshield.
 
Sorry we are actually righting off the car. The fire service are going to place it in the ditch and take some sledgehammers to it. So we are simulating the car after the crash. We just don't have the budget for a stunt driver. Secondly, the directors shot a short movie of how he sees the crash happening but what I've seen so far looks like the weakest link in the chain.

As mentioned I've got some ideas myself all of which have been mentioned in the ealier posts but thought I'd ask for any other things I may not have thought about doing.
 
You could use audio to suggest the crash - slowmo on BCU-eyes - screaming / car fx....ect...ect

Or...

Intercut flash-fowards of the car/ ditch...the inevitable...

J
 
Hi. First off, whatever decision you and the director come to, please be safe. I personally never done a car crash, but few ideas that come to mind. First is from the movie "Unbreakable" where Bruce Willis is on a train that's going to crash; instead of the audience seeing the train crash, M. night, cuts to Hailey Joel Osmond watching t.v. as the news comes on and reports the train crash that Willis was on, crashed. The second idea I had is, establishing "ginny pigs" actors. What I mean is cut to a couple guys fishing on a small boat just a few yards from the crash, reacting to the car crash. I'm not sure where the crash is going to take place, but if it's on a 2 lane road, maybe establish a couple of guys fishing and laughing, Intercut that with with your actors inside the car, as they overtake the car. Cut back to the fishing people hearing the car crash.

good luck and use caution.
 
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