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Old July 9th 06, 06:43 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Marty Shapiro
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Posts: 287
Default We can all agree -- THIS is a great aviation video...

"PaulCurran" wrote in
oups.com:


Jose wrote:
It's pretty obvious to me that the airplane and the boat were never
in the same lake together. Just a large rear-projection screen like
Hollywood used in the past, or a good old blue/green screen effect.

Notice the number of different camera angles used to film the boat
and the men in it.
1. A wide angle shot from some distance off the port side of the
boat. 2. A close-up of the man in the bow shot from the stern of
the boat
or even outside the boat near the stern.
3. A close-up of the man and the engine shot from the water on the
starboard side of the boat.

How, and to where did all of those other cameras disappear to?

Nope! just a series of video clips assembled in front of a blue
screen.


I doubt it was a process shot. However, it was several takes,
perhaps shot on different days. The close-ups could have been filmed
any time and anywhere, and edited in. It's hard to tell from the
highly compressed clip whether the original was process, but there is
no reason for it to be. This kind of operation can be carried out
quite safely.


It looks a fake

PC



While the capbilites the movie industry has today to manipulate shots, it
is getting more difficult to tell what was a carefully planned stunt and
what was done through the magic of special effects. But, at one time, the
industry didn't have the special effect capabilities we have become
accustomed to and still did some specatular stunts with aircraft.

One of the most spectacular was the scene in "It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World"
where a Beech 18 flies through a highway billboard. This was filmed in the
aarly 1960's. I guess it was easier to get waiver's from the FAA in those
days.

From a review of the stunts in the move: "The billboard that the twin-
engine Beechcraft flies through was made of thin balsa wood, except for a
thicker frame for support. Stunt pilot Frank Tallman had to fly the
aircraft directly through the center of the billboard or the thicker frame
would shear off a wing. Since the shattered wood would clog and stop both
engines, the billboard was built just off the end of the runway at the
Chino, CA airport. After flying through the billboard Tallman simply
lowered the landing gear and safely touched down on the runway."

--
Marty Shapiro
Silicon Rallye Inc.

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