CAR CHASING SCENES
CAR CHASING SCENES- special effects and filmmaking
Like every good movie, there's a good chase scene in it. I live near a large city that would be great for one. I was recently inspired by the ones in RONIN. Im mostly interested in how to film it: what camera mount? angles? car? speeds?
Looking for helpful pointers.
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-behind the camera- KNGNPTN@aol.com
Well..... it's not quite that simple! You need a GOOD stunt coordinator and LOTS of Help from the locals (Police/City/Fire), staging a big car chase takes a lot of time and work... as for the rest... camera mounts, speeds, etc. will depend on the location, stunts desired and budget...
E-mail me if you need more details, but it really is complicated to do a good one..
Play safe,
Nick
if you have to ask, chances are you're not a professional. i would say though, if you're a beginner and would like to stage a car chase, be careful.
you'll probably have to do it pirate-style,you know, just find a empty road with no traffic and do it.
i would not suggest the following: actually having a car chase! use the power of suggestion (or "the magic of television") instead! only during straightaways and simple, simple shots should you actually have two cars appearing in the same frame chasing each other.
i just thought i'd throw that in, even though i know nothing. i'm just trying to say, bob and jim probably aren't pro drivers and, i'm sure you care a lot about the both of them.
You got me, Im not a PAID proffessional. But my work looks very proffessional and Im the best at it in my school. Point well taken: I plan on pirating it and plan to keep it simple.
I just discovered this forum and LOVE it. The people here have the same, exact interests as me. I'll be around for a while.
THANKS FOR THE TIPS!!!
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-behind the camera- KNGNPTN@aol.com
I agree with Anonymatt. I too have never done anything of that sort, but I do know that you can make the veiwer think anything you want to... you just have to be creative.
I've done a few things involving speeding cars, though never a full fledged car chase, but I do plan on filming one soon. I have to agree with Anonymatt; the safest way to do it is through the power of suggestion. Here's a few things you can do:
-For a frontal shot, film the two cars from far away with the zoom at maximum. This will flatten the image and make it look like the cars are a lot closer to each other than they really are. You can also use this when a person on foot is running away from a car. Even major motion pictures resort to this little trick.
- Do a lot of quick cutting from different angles to suggest the feeling of fast-paced action. Believe me, this, more than anything else will set the pace for the scene.
- Use a handheld camera. Some controlled shaking can go a long way in making your scene more exciting. Don't be afraid to make panning shots as a car passes by.
- Accelerate some of the footage. Don't overdo it, as it would look obvious, but making some takes 30% faster can have a good impact.
- Film from both inside and outside the cars. Make some driver point-of-view shots, as well as reaction shots. And how about some rearview mirror shots?
- A good part of suggestion is from sound effects: tires screeching, enginees roaring, etc...
Hope this helps...
Don't forget musical sound track. Something fast with a good bass line will help things along. Of course if you want to go slightly different, a nice strong operetic(sp?) piece could also be pretty groovy.
THANKS GUYS, KEEP EM COMING
I haven't even thought of these techniques yet. Great stuff!!
THANKS GUYS, KEEP EM COMING
I haven't even thought of these techniques yet. Great stuff!!
THANKS GUYS, KEEP EM COMING
I haven't even thought of these techniques yet. Great stuff!!
Hey Admiral, or anyone do you know whether they did that speeding up the footage thing for Blade when the the cars turn? It looks like they did. Great movie(well at least I think so).
I don't remember the cars turning but Blade used a lot of time lapse photography to make things appear faster.
Some other suggestions for "suggesting" a car chase:
1. You can use the same stretch of road over and over if you change things up a bit. That way you can have an extended chase and only need to find a small stretch of road to commandeer. A lot of major motion pictures use this technique.
2. A cheap car mount is to fix a tripod to the front bumper of the car and latch the camera onto the tripod. Make sure it's secure (no duh).
3. Another idea is to get in the back of a truck and drive in front of the car with the actors, then shoot through the front windshield. You'll have to dub in any dialogue, and it'll look really shaky, especially if you have to zoom. But check out the car chase in "The Rock" to see how well that can work if you cut it together fast enough.
Good luck!
Red Five
Anyone know where to get good car sound effects? Free would be nice, like from a website.
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