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Author
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Topic: I need an ambulance for a movie-How?
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The Outcast
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posted 01-08-2001 03:24 AM
Hey everyone,
For an upcoming project I'm working on I would like to have a scene where someone gets hit by a car (already figured this one out-blue screening and good timing) and an ambulance is sent to the rescue. How the heck am I going to get an ambulance for the movie? I dont really think a hospital is going to be cool with me asking to use one for an hour. I could be wrong? Is it possible to rent something like this at a price that wont force me to use my college money?Thanks a lot! If I cant get an ambulance I have a lot of rewriting to do, so a quick response would be appreciated!
-The Outcast ------------------
"The normal question...the first question is always 'Are these cannibals?'.No-they are not cannibals. Cannibilism in the true sense of the word implies an interspecies activity. These creatures cannot be considered human. They prey on humans, they do not prey on eachother. Thats the differance." -Dawn of the Dead
Favorite Moment #002 |
dstepson
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posted 01-08-2001 10:19 AM
You can contact your local film office. They have a package they will send you that will spell out the rates for that. Expect to pay at least $100 for an ambulance. |
Prism
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posted 01-08-2001 01:11 PM
You'll also need some people who can act good as paramedics.  Isaiah ------------------
Isaiah Eyre, Sound Guy "Sun, sun, sun, here it comes." - The Beatles <Begin Shameless Self-Plug>
Visit iEyre.com!
</End Shamless Self-Plug> |
The Outcast
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posted 01-08-2001 06:46 PM
Local film office?------------------
"The normal question...the first question is always 'Are these cannibals?'.No-they are not cannibals. Cannibilism in the true sense of the word implies an interspecies activity. These creatures cannot be considered human. They prey on humans, they do not prey on eachother. Thats the differance." -Dawn of the Dead
Favorite Moment #002 |
ADOM
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posted 01-09-2001 12:12 AM
Look up the film Commission in the public offices section of your phone book.Also check with the volunteer fire-house nearest you. They may have a training day you can squeeze into. If that does not work look up Ambulette services. They carry people with special needs to the doctor, or ER, but are non-emergency. On screen most will be passible as ambulances,big vans with bright lights and stretchers. They cost about $125 for a ride, but may be willing to be in a small film for a credit. Call around and hope it's a slow day. ADOM |
dstepson
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posted 01-09-2001 01:56 AM
Call City Hall and ask for the film commisssion or film board They are the ones you get permits and guidelines from. Some have hotlines that you can advertise your project on and get a crew or find a project to work on. They have some good stuff for ya. |
Danny
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posted 01-09-2001 11:14 AM
I don't know what your script is, but if you couldn't get one (I know, last resort) you might be able to get by without rewriting too much; you could let the audience know that an ambulience took him away by dialogue, or by using a soundeffect and maybe not showing the ambulience, a reflection of lights, or maybe even the guy on the ground, the car sound, ambuliance sound and then have people dressed as paramedics. If you didn't show very much you could even use the back of a white van or truck and not show inside, just show them loading him.
So you technically could get by either
A.) Without the ambulance scene and make reference to it so the audience knows what happens
B.) Shoot the scene creatively and showing as little as possible to create the illusion of an ambuliance using sound, lighting, people dressed up as paramedics and a normal car not shown enough to see that it is not actually an ambulance.
And if you wanted to, you could also use stock footage of an ambulance first, like it driving on the road or coming around a corner, and then transition into your scene
(ie guy got hit, he is laying there. Now we see stock footage of an ambulance. Now we still hear the sound of an ambulance, and we see the guy laying on the road. The sound gets louder and we hear sound of car pulling up and stopping. Then you could have actors dressed like paramedics, you could use lights to make it look like ambulance lights casting off light. You could use a white car or something and show a low shot of tire pulling up and/or guys getting out of the back (short clip and not shown well enough to see its not an ambulance).
Anyways I think that you get the point I probably babbled on way too long. Just saying if you didn't want to go through all that trouble there is a simple cheap solution to it. Movies are a very suggestive art form and you can get away with a lot and still have it look very believable.
Also if you couldn't get stock footage of an ambulance you could wait around near a hospital and wait for one to leave and film it pass.
Just ideas. Hope it helps...
Danny
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BrucefreakingLee
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posted 01-09-2001 01:26 PM
If your like me, and I am, you don't like paying money to rent stuff. I needed a police car for a commercial and my friend just happened to have bought a set of roof rack mounted police lights from a police auction. He buys a set every year cause he's a nut and their only like $30 bucks. We mounted them on my dads white ford tarus and everyone asked how we got the police car. The lights run off the battery, so you can even drive around (don't go too far). Anyways, look for a police auction, and mabye you can get a white van from a friend that will work. Or...put an ad in a community paper (if you have em) in the wanted section, theres probably some guy out there like my friend who bought them cause he thought it would be cool, and now there in his shed. Last thing. If your shooting it at night (which would help) then some headlights overexpsing the picture with lots of lens flares and the sound of the ambulace may work. |
The Outcast
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posted 01-09-2001 06:06 PM
Hey guys thanks for all the input!
I searched in the yellow pages under ambulance and they have private ambulance companies! We found a place in LA that rents out an ambulance with no driver for about $40 an hour. This isnt TOO bad, it could be much more. The movie is still deep into pre production, so I have plenty of time to save up $200 or something. Thanks for all the ideas!------------------
"The normal question...the first question is always 'Are these cannibals?'.No-they are not cannibals. Cannibilism in the true sense of the word implies an interspecies activity. These creatures cannot be considered human. They prey on humans, they do not prey on eachother. Thats the differance." -Dawn of the Dead
Favorite Moment #002 |
Ace13
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posted 01-10-2001 09:31 AM
What about doing the ambulance in minature, then just maybe make a very small interior of the ambulance. Because what I was thinking was just have a tight shot on the person getting wheeled into the ambulance. So all you would have to do is show a little background of the interior in the ambulance. And with the camera tight on the person being wheeled in, all the background would need to be is one of the interior walls of the ambulance. Maybe throw some iv's, things like that in there and you're good to go. Then cut to the minature of the ambulance driving off. And they actually do make some rather realistic looking toy ambulances for probably around $15. My brother has one with flashing lights, and I would just add the ambulance sound effects in post because they don't sound the greatest on the actual toy. ACE "Why Johnny Ringo, you look like somebody just walked over your grave" Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday in Tombstone |
ADOM
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posted 01-12-2001 12:19 AM
I know you have this settled, but BruceFLee's post gave me another thought. There is probably someone around there that own's an ambulance just because he wanted to restore one and own it. The same way some guys own old police cars and firetrucks. Check auto clubs and see. If they're anything like me with my old cars (when I can afford to have one) they'd be so proud to show it off you'd have to stop them from paying you.Good Luck.
ADOM |
Sarge
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posted 02-07-2001 05:22 PM
We're prepping for a feature right now, with the same problem - we need ambulances, police B&W's, and ND cars. Way expensive to hire the beauty vehicles from the rental companies. So I checked with the emergency services. For cop cars, complete with lights, cops, all the paraphernalia, we pay the special duty rate. Think $45 an hour for each cop. Same with the ambulance. We have stunts, we have an ambulance standing by anyway, why not use it in the movie?
They all got red lights and sirens. We just don't show the logo on the side.(Or we use a good scan of the city logo, and print it out with a color inkjet, on an 8x10 magnetic sheet.Sarge |
The Outcast
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posted 02-08-2001 12:03 PM
Hey thats good to know Sarge, thanks a lot. I never really thought of cop cars for the scene in my movie, but hey! hitting somebody on a bike in your car is manslaughter! why not have them?
-The Outcast |
Mr. Hutt
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posted 02-10-2001 03:51 PM
You could just break your leg...Sorry, I couldn't resist. I like the miniature idea though. You just need to make sure and "weather" it a bit with some acrylic paint. Add some dirt, scratches, etc. ------------------
Andy Holmes
-artist, animator |
Goku
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posted 02-16-2001 12:14 PM
Outcast, I don't know if this would work for you, but you could try it. I needed a fire truck in a short film that I did. The way I got it was I brought my DV cam with me every where I went. To the store, Video store, Starbucks, etc. I knew sooner or later a fire truck would pop up. Sure enough one did and I fallowed it until it got to its destination. I got close up angles of the front of the truck with the lights going off. I shot my actor on a different day who was supposed to be right next to the truck and the scenes cut together really good.
If you don't need to see the ambulance for very long. This idea, Ace 13 Int. idea could make your shot come together. It could save you money. |
kangell
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posted 02-16-2001 04:00 PM
You'll find many trailervision trailers that use this technique quite effectively.Once, during a riot in Canada, the director had his actor stand in front of a bunch of riot police and act like he was giving them orders. The cops didn't do anything since they were there for some other purpose. It came off looking really sweet.
http://www.trailervision.com
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potmonkey
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posted 02-17-2001 06:31 AM
try asking your local St. Johns. Thay'll have one.
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