Ripping off arms and legs (and feet, hands and heads) - quick howto... :-))

[Gunleik Groven]

So...

I'll try shooting a supershort short where two people demolish eachother.

It's a lighthearted thing, don't need the splatter.

The basically take eachothers limbs off and put them in a corner, and in the end there's only two torsos leaning on eachother.

So...

Looking for ideas on how to film the "dividing moment" when the hand/arm/head/foot/ is removed from the body.

It doesn't have to look too realistic, just not outright stupid...

Ideas?

G

 

[Tony Lorentzen]

Not sure what look you're going for, but if you're not going for the ultra realistic look (which the story doesn't exactly imply) then I'd go for a stylistic look with no blood at all. As if they were taking off limbs of a prosthetic doll or something? Just an idea.

 

[Gunleik Groven]

That's sort of what I want.

I am just a bit unsure about how to do the exact de-constructing shot.

My reflex goes into shooting in 2 passes. But humans rarely stand that still...

But using close-ups from a doll, could be a good idea, where only the "living" limb was in motion.

I like that idea...

Thanks

G

 

[Elsie N]

It seems more like a series of animated stills that are Paint Shop Pro'ed or Photoshopped kind of project. I can't imagine how to do it in real time with a camera unless the actors wore green body suits with a sleeve removed, then reattached and a leg removed etc. Lot of layers involved in post.

Edit: maybe someone who has used Adobe AE CS5 with the ability to erase parts of a frame could chime in with an idea? I haven't used it.

 

[Gunleik Groven]

It will be shot in a greenscreen studio...

I was thinking of using green cloth to mask out stuff... )
Some tracking will be involved, too...

 

[Justin Chin]

Not sure how it would "look" as well. But what I would do is focus on 3-4 limbs being disconnected - after that the audience will understand what's going on and you can do more of that "action" off screen. So the end would be a reveal. The 3-4 that you do show could have a build up in severity, fingers, hands, arms etc. A sound effect could accent and indicate the action both on and off screen.

 

[Gunleik Groven]

Hi Justin

That's sort of what I have landed on...

Still the few demolitions actually shown have to be solved...

The story isn't longer (well, there's more to it, but that's for later...)

 

[Justin Chin]

The simple method would be to have 2 plates. 1 with a finger being pulled and the pullee follows the puller as if the finger had popped off. Then do another plate where the action is repeated and the pullee's hand stays in the same spot as if the finger was popped off it. Paint over the connections with 3D stubs and create the pop. Track the hand and finger to place the stubs. Keep them on their marks and you might have to reframe a 4k (or 5k!) frame.

For the larger limbs it would be easier not to have clothing involved.

 

[Gunleik Groven]

Thanks!

That is along the lines I have been thinking.
I'll try to avoid stubs a bit, if possible, but I may have to do them...

But this is indeed the kind of advice I am looking for!

Cheers!

G

 

[Peter Strietmann]

How about using an amputee? The prosthetics can be removed as a real effect. Plumb in a little Kayro and red dye.

 

[Gunleik Groven]

LOL...'ish... )

I will actually be doing that, but in another setting...

 

[JPSendall]

If limbs were pulled out of trousers and out of shirts or jackets no stubs necessary. Use a mannequin torso to bulk the clothes out and green screen a head over the neck portion of the mannequin. That shouldn't be too difficult. However how do they achieve complete limbless? One of them has to be left with one arm (to slap the others face with without him being able to respond . the remaining one armed man could be cheated in camera with a set build so he can hide the rest of his body or a more complex green screen than the head shots.

 

[Brad Webb]

I'm sure this doesn't help you at all, but all I could think about when I saw this thread was this:

 

[Gunleik Groven]

Brad...


That scene has been of some inspiration... Though the setting is slightly different!


Thanks!

G

 

[Marc Wielage]

I'm sure this doesn't help you at all, but all I could think about when I saw this thread was this...

That was the first thing I thought of, too. "It's only a flesh wound! Come back here, I'll bite your legs off!"