Yet another car crashes off of a bridge...

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:
Bridge_Tank_PreViz_Wide

Another view for Previz:
Bridge_Tank_PreViz_Thru_Woods

The set under construction:
Construction_Begins

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

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

Nearly finished:
Nearly_finished

Here’s the real location:
Location

Here’s the car placed in the water:
Car_In_Tank

Filming the car in the ‘river’:
Filming_In_Tank

Filming continues:
Filming_in_tank_2

Share


blog comments powered by Disqus

Share

If it's not in the frame,

it doesn't exist.

Blog


FILM and TELEVISION Design


IATSE Local 800


Contact me >>
March 2020
November 2019
October 2019
April 2019
March 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2017
October 2017
May 2017
December 2014
October 2014
February 2014
April 2013
March 2013
August 2012
May 2012
March 2012
February 2012
June 2011
April 2011
February 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
July 2010
April 2010
December 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
April 2009
March 2009