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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

The Place Beyond The Pines - those aerial shots

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EMMANUEL DELPECH

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Ok, just watched the movie again with commentary by Derek Cianfrance this time, he did mention those great aerial, overhead shots when Luke is on his bike, or Jason is on his bicycle, but he didn't mention how they did those.

It's not completely smooth, doesn't seem super high, so I doubt it's a crane, anybody here knows how they did those shots? I'd really love to know, it's important.

Thanks a bunch
 
Thx for the suggestion, but wouldn't (even if lightweight) a film camera be too heavy to be mounted on a Multicopter?
 
My guess would be a film car with the crane really high
The higher you go the more bounce your going to get... The shots are high but there not heli high, easily achievable with a film car, the movements also feel like either a gyro correcting or joystick movements.

There fantastic shots, one of my favorite parts of the movie.
Actually used it as a reference for something we shot this weekend, except we just mounted straight bonnet and shot lower.

Excuse the terrible compression photo bucket seems to have done - any recommendations for photo hosting?

ford-raptor-camera-car-front.jpg

photo2_zps6d9ded88.jpg

A001_C049_0308CC0010656_zps7f85bc9f.jpg
 
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Thank you ! I think that's it, however, the setup on the car, I'm just guessing, but it has to be super expensive right? I'd like to achieve some of these shots on my next short movie, I only need a crane for two to three shots, maybe it can be done. I pretty much have my main protagonist on a bike and the camera has to follow him pretty much in the same way as it is in Pines.
 
We did a few car following shots slightly dangerously but with my operator sitting on my car roof legs in through the sun roof and tied him down with a wide lens on this will give you some height with no expense. if you really want the floaty feel maybe get a Movi or similar?
If you want some examples of how that looked pm me and ill send you some .movs
 
Thx for the help. I'll have to see with my DP really, I'll basically have two shots (if I can) pretty much exactly like Pines, same height, which is higher than a guy sitting on a car roof could go I think ^^ I'll PM you.
 
I rewatched those scenes and it doesn't look that the camera is really high in those scenes, more like some distance between the car & the bike, and then maybe 20 feet high or something.
 
EMMANUEL DELPECH said:
Thx for the suggestion, but wouldn't (even if lightweight) a film camera be too heavy to be mounted on a Multicopter?
Click to expand...

We have a modified Eyemo film cam that we used to fly on our single rotor helicams. Haven't flown it once since the Epic was released. We do about 2-3 of these type of shots each year with our helis. What everyone needs to realize is that these shots were being done with RC helicopters (and still are today) since the late 80's by Flying Cam. For high speed vehicle tracking shots a SR helicam is far superior to a multicopter being more than twice as fast, more stable, more maneuverable and not as prone to get tubes in the shot. If anyone has any questions about the logistics of using a helicam for these types of shots give me shout.
 
Octocopter

Octocopter

I've had awful luck with RED on octocopter, even with paid flying crew. I did it in my latest project, but required MAJOR VFX assistance to salvage the shot...

opening shot here:
https://vimeo.com/89281713
 
Matt Hardman said:
I've had awful luck with RED on octocopter, even with paid flying crew. I did it in my latest project, but required MAJOR VFX assistance to salvage the shot...

opening shot here:
https://vimeo.com/89281713
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that Matt. Unfortunately if the crew that is flying the Octocopter doesn't have the right experience or/and the Octo isn't set up right then you'll get bad results.

I've been flying my Epic for 2 years now and can't be happier with the results, its simply stunning and very liberating to be able to get the camera in the air for "that shot".
And now with the ability to take the gimbal off and use it as a hand held device the possibilities are pretty staggering.

Exciting times for professionals who know how to operate the tools correctly.
 
Matt Hardman said:
I've had awful luck with RED on octocopter, even with paid flying crew. I did it in my latest project, but required MAJOR VFX assistance to salvage the shot...

opening shot here:
https://vimeo.com/89281713
Click to expand...

Congrats on the video, I like it. I've been trying to do a spec video for a treatment I've had for awhile so I can really appreciate your efforts.

Opening shot is gorgeous by the way.
 
Justin O'Neill gets the RED/Octo shot every time;-)
 
I'm bringing this thread back from the dead, but I was reading the AC article, and Bobbitt said they used zero cranes, no remote heads or anything. Therefore, those aerial shots were not done with crane cars or whatever, I wonder if it was just a guy standing on the top of a car, strapped on to it at the same time :D
 
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