Just finished up a really fun set to design and build. We had another episode where a car crashes on a bridge and gets pushed into the river. Due to the logistics of shooting a car crash on an actual bridge and river in October, it was decided (kind of late in the game) to build a replica on stage. We needed to have the actors in the car as it sunk in the river as other actors try to save the trapped passengers. So to control the environment, we built the bridge as well as a section of the river as a tank on stage. The tank ended up being 40’ by 65’ by 3’ deep with a 24’ x 24’ section that was 7’ deep. We kind of backed into the whole thing, as we started building just a tank first to shoot some close-ups in the water. Then with only 2 1/2 weeks until shooting, it was decided that we should build the bridge as well as river banks so that we could film entire sequences in the controlled environment of the stage. This all takes place during a heavy rainstorm as well, so FX had to rig rainheads over the whole thing. Our crew did a fantastic job in an incredibly short amount of time, working nearly round the clock and building the whole thing in just 2 weeks. Here are some pics of the concept, the stage and the location that we matched:

Quick Concept art done in Sketchup:


Another view for Previz:


The set under construction:


Work continues; Painting the last bits as the water fills the tank:


The car being hoisted into place. There’s plastic over the water to help heat it:


Nearly finished:


Here’s the real location:


Here’s the car placed in the water:


Filming the car in the ‘river’:


Filming continues:

Tags: One Tree Hill