Stunts: How to Fall Without Breaking Bones???

Hey there!

Moving into the rehearsal stage of TotP, I and the rest of my cast need to learn how to do simple stunts without hurting ourselves. We don't have a stunt coordinator so we have to make it up as we go.

For example, my character gets shot in the arm with a blaster and falls down- on rock. How would I do this without getting hurt?

 

Film it so that you can't see the floor when he gets shot, he falls onto a mat. Cut to him on floor.

If you cannot do stunts, do not do stunts.

 

I thought about the 'falling out of frame' thing and it seems like the easy way out. And we don't have crash mats.

So what do you suggest? Fighting with limp noodles? ALMOST tripping? Wow, yeah. I'll just re-write the whole screenplay...again...

*end sarcasm*

 

Not recommended: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm0gqxMlVHE#t=04m14s

 

How will the rest of ur filming go with cast members in a hospital?

 

Try looking around your school or some-such and seeing if anyone knows a thing or two about stage combat. They can teach you basic falls or the like.

This is not the kind of thing you want to learn from the Internet.



Rick McCallum loves you!

 

Sorry.

Crash mats are too expensive.... I know, I know, they're less expensive than a broken bone, but I don't have that kind of money. The cost of one of those is about what's left of the budget (and we still don't have a mic or lighting).

Schooling...also too expensive. And my former martial arts teacher wants nothing to do with Star Wars.

Has anyone has any success making their own mats? Or using something- anything- to break a fall? On our last film we used a peice of carpeting folded until it was a springy 6" thick. It worked well...but we don't have it anymore.

 

Mattresses,couch cushions, Fig.

 

It's true that never happens.

End sarcasm.

 

When you've got 13 different versions of the script which have been changed due to casting/budget problems, making any more changes other than dialogue is just a teensy bit aggravating...

BTW thanks to the guy who suggested the various items. But we don't happent to have an old mattress lying around and my family would strangle me if I took the couch cushions to our shooting location.

Hey...would an air mattress work?

 

Take a week of jujitsu. That'll get you the basics.

 

I've been using open celled foam as a crash mat for years.

Also, protip: Land on your side, legs first "rolling" your body down.

 

Drive around town, you'll see couches on the side of the road. grab those cushions. Use those.

Gross, right?

Use a clean beach towel or blanket, think outside the box here.

Also, when in doubt,the only honest way to determine one's true willingness to do their own stunts, is to check their driver's license to see if they are an organ donor. If so, I say let em do whatever If there is an accident, someone else out there needs those parts more than your "stunt crew."

 

Dumped couch cushions? Yuck! While there's plenty of abondoned couches out here in the desert, I decline. You never know what kind of sharp objects/bugs you might find in there (let's just say there's a lot of sickos in my neighborhood...) and I don't know how up to date everyone is on their tetanus shots...

I will look into the open-cell foam, though. Thanks!

 

Okay dude,there's always going to be a million reasons on why you won't do something or "can't" do it.


It only takes one reason to actually get anything done.

 

There's a fine line between making excuses and trying to be cautious.

I'm going to ask around at upholstry places and see if they have scraps.

 

I implore you to at least learn some basics SOMEWHERE (gymnastic school, martial arts center, etc). You can learn the basics very quickly, and at least gain a level of safety. It sounds like you're only looking for the basics, it's worth it to you to learn them correctly. A be mattress makes a decent poor mans landing surface, but you can still damage yourself without proper training (you can damage yourself with proper training, but the percentages are much better!).

If you're determined to go it blind (sounds like you are) at least pad up your body. Knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, shin pads, tailbone guard... Everything you can pack in. You can get most of these things in the bargain bin at play it again sports for 2$ a set. I guarantee it will be worth it.

 

One of my head actors had YEARS of martial arts and knows some basic tumbling. I myself took a Self Defense class a few years back but I am rather rusty.

I'd love to take a class but I just can't afford it at this point. If I get the money for one between now and filming, you bet I'll go for it; and take the rest of my actors with me if I can.

The padding sounds like a good idea; does it fit under a Jedi costume?

BTW we're not going to be jumping off of anything or falling down a hillside. The worst it's going to be is, essentially, getting shot and falling to the ground, and tripping and falling to the ground. (a character has a weak leg and it gives out on them) I am still going to find (or make) some type of crash mat.

Thank you guys for your suggestions!

 

Classic low budget stunt man trick, carboard boxes.

 

You are NOT going to get money to fund your little indy film! Please learn that you will have NO MONEY, filmmmaking is about doing whatever you can without money. Please, you need to take a steep forward and stop with the "ewww that's gross" or "I can't afford that!" and get out there and do something. With YEARS of martial arts practice I am sure you will be able to swing something, in the meantime I don't think a constant list of things for you to fall on is going to help.

 

I wasn't asking for money, nor do I expect any. I was repsonding to the suggestions put out to 'go take a class' or 'get a crash mat'. And as for the 'eww gross' factor, I'd like to see you guys go out in the middle of nowhere, pick up some old couch cushions, and go fall on them. Go for it. And while you're at it take pictures. Show everyone just how easy and safe it is. Any takers?

What I'm going to be doing is making a crash mat or two out of scrap foam and possibly get some elbow/knee pads.

Case closed, thanks to everyone who made suggestions, nothing else to see here.

 

I will take that challenge.

If you want to do stunts for a film but are unwilling to fall on a couch cushion, you need to re-evaluate your statements for willingness to do stunts.

Even if you didn't like the couch cushion idea, the polite thing to say would have been "I'll take it into consideration, but I was thinking of another way." Not trashing everything everyone has said.

 

Wow... you asked for help from this forum, then told everyone to ****-off once you ...

O.K., 'nuff said.

 

I'm sorry for being rude. Frustration often leads to rudeness, but that's no excuse.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULSgpoz3IBQ

While this is slightly different from the technique I learned in college, the same basic principle applies.

The key is to essentially crouch down, and get the majority of your weight as low to the ground as possible while you still have your legs supporting you. Then you place your butt on the ground and roll back, spreading your torso across the floor. Be sure to tuck your chin in towards your chest; you do NOT want to hit the back of your head on the ground.

Before you go to film, PRACTICE this. Practice slowly, then work your way up to doing it as fast as a real fall would be.

These students in the video had the luxury of a practice mat. I did not have that, as our instructor wanted us to be used to falling on the floor, like we would be onstage. Find a flat surface with no furniture around you to practice. Make sure there's nothing on the ground that's going to be particularly sharp or jagged.

When you go to film, as you said this was on rock, find the flattest section of rock you can, and (again) practice it several times and slowly before working yourself up to speed and then finally filming.

Safety first. I can't emphasize that enough.