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Author
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Topic: Hanging someone
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horrormaker
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posted 10-15-1999 08:18 PM
I wanted to know a way to hang someone with the most realism possible. The shot is going to be a wide shot so there is no way of trying to cover up my actor holding onto something while his feet swing then cut to a shot of a noose around his kneck. It has to be one shot. Would anyone be able to help me with ideas Ofcourse saftey of my actor is the main priority. Horrormaker |
Lab Rat
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posted 10-16-1999 02:00 AM
I'm not sure, but if you need instructions for tying a real noose, go here: http://www.halloween-online.com/sfx/noose.html |
Bosco
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posted 10-16-1999 05:12 AM
You could try this. I did and it looks pretty cool. You need to make a harness of somesorts for the "victim" to wear with the rope around the waist, or under the arm pits. Make it comfortable. The rope would come up behind the back and through the neck of the shirt going up to the tree. This would all be hidden under a full shirt like a flannel for instance. Basically the person is suspended in the air with the harness and not acually hanged. Now for the noose part, just make the ring for around the neck with it all wrapped up how it's supposed to look. The person wears this pretend attachment around the neck. Line up the shot from the front view lets say so the noose and the rope behind the neck going up to the tree line up. It looks like the person is being hanged. Now don't connect the noose to the actual rope. Just line up the shot. I'm not liable if anyone screws it up and harms anyone for real just so you know. This is just how I did it. |
Jeff F
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posted 10-16-1999 10:34 AM
Make sure your harness will support much more than the weight of your actor. A fall can cause inury. An actual noose tied around some's neck that is attached to anything when the harness breaks could cause neck injuries, paralysis, or death. If I understand the above post, the "hanging" rope was used to support the actor,and was visible in the shot, and the noose was a collar-like prop arranged around the neck. The right camera angle makes it look like the rope is running to the neck area (although it really continues on behind the body to the back and attaches to the harness), and makes the noose look like it is at the end of the rope as well. This doesn't have to cost a fortune, but as with any FX involving actors, don't even think of shaving pennies if it could possibly compromise safety. You are liable for what happens to your actors on your set, and a mile-high stack of contracts and releases won't protect you if you do or allow something unsafe. ------------------
Jeff F - Magic and FX
Amazing the Masses
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Big Al
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posted 10-16-1999 12:47 PM
The above answers are pretty much on the money. A number of years ago, we did pretty much this exact thing live on stage. The actor performed his last scene with a hanging harness under his costume. An aircraft cable was suspended from one of the counterweighted battens with a clasp on the actor's end of the cable. A rope with a noose was masking taped at the top of this cable (out of the audience's sight) and then sewn at intervals to the cable all the way to the noose itself, with the knot concealing the clasp on the upstage side, the idea being that if the harness ripped or the clasp broke and the actor dropped, then the tape and thread would give way and the actor wouldn't choke to death. On stage, as the performer is bemoaning that nefarious act he has commited, the lighting changes to a dramatic sillouhete, his "conscience" comes out (a dancer in a dark blue body stocking) and the noose drops from above. His conscience puts the noose around his neck from behind, then it raises back up and yanks him off his feet; the actor twitches a few times, then dangles with a slow spin before the lights fade completely. |
Grifter
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posted 10-20-1999 11:23 AM
Just to add to the other harness comments...Make or buy a midsection harness for your actor/actress. (They can be bought at contractor supply houses) Run the rope throught the ring and tie it off from where evere you are hanging. Now make a section of noose. attach it to the rope that you are hanging from. Now to adress the saftey concern on something failing and you being hung by the fake noose, this is the trick we used in a play where an actor hung himself....Cut the noose in front and on the frayed halves of the rope, glue small magnets or velcro discs. If anything should slip or break the noose will not hold your weight. |
horrormaker
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posted 10-20-1999 04:29 PM
I thank you all for your advice.horrormaker | |
