Zero Gravity

Imagine a spaceship whose artificial gravity broke down [in certain areas]. Someone has to fly through corridors without gravity where debris is flying around everywhere. He'd also see the gravity turn on and off every now and then.

I'm not going to go for CG. Rather greenscreen and miniatures. I already have certain ideas in mind, but there will also be shots [specifically: close-ups of the actor's face] that involve smooth and floating camera motion and some little helpers holding up debris, moving it around smoothly, close to the camera

Anyone ever done this? If so, how did you pull it off? Any advice on this maybe?

 

Go to a space simulation station, and use their zero gravity chamber.

 

Oh come on, help him out.

 

and use their zero gravity chamber.

That's fiction.

 

hah alright, I'd probably use some sort of suspension system, to hold the actor up in the air, while against a greenscreen. also use a sort of camera stabalizer for more smooth camera motion, i'm sure that was obvious

 

For actual suspension, you'd probably want to use wires connected to a harness. To get the weightless motion of kicking off walls, or objects in the room for movement, you'll probably want to rig up some sort of crane/pulley system that allows for movement along a path. Sort of like one of those cycling clotheslines (if that's the term).

Also, you could try to get it to work by having your actors pretend they're weightless in front of a greenscreen, use camera movements to simulate the weightless floating, and hand animate it in after effects in your final composition. I don't know what kind of results you'll achieve with that, but it will probably take a while.

The third idea, if you live close enough, you can try visitng Houston or another space center, and asking if you could use their Parabolic Trajectory Craft, otherwise known as the Vomit Comet, to achieve actual weightlessness. I have no idea if they'll acceede to your request, but its worth a shot. As far as I know, Apollo 13 used that craft in all of its weightlessness shots. Nothing more real than that... lol.

Wildcat69410

 

Not according to the Matrix bonus features. Those things exist.
How they work is something I don't understand though.

 

I'm pretty sure there is no such thing as a zero gravity chamber here on earth. Mind you, I hope I'm wrong cause that would cool.
But, untill someone posts proof or explains how it works, as far as I'm concerned, they don't exist.

 

There's the vomit comet jet, which simulates 0 gravity for about 17 seconds, if I recall...but I doubt you could get access to that.

Aaron.

 

I really don't want to go find that bonus feature...

 

Actually there is a zero gravity room somewhere around the area east of Oakland.

There is a Nasa Research facility there that is pretty big with a public access to free-fall wind tunnel rooms.

 

On the Matrix Bonus Features, zero gravity is achieved in a plane in freefall.

 

Well, in Apollo 13, they did the airplane thing (as mentioned) I doubt that you would be able to do that--but yeah. Besides that, I believe they did a little wire work (not sure on that) but for shots where you didn't see their whole body the actor just stood there and acted like they were floating. And if the actor's hair is short, there won't be a problem with that.

 

Hmm . . . Underwater? I think that's how it used to be done before someone got the idea to drop a jet.

- The Cat

P.S. As for the hair thing, you said debris will be flying all around; good excuse for them to be wearing helmets *wink wink* Then no need for the underwater thing too.

 

Hehe, there's just ONE actor who's got to do this and he's got long hair, towed together, though. Maybe I'll use some hairspray to make it "stand".

I think I will build some kind of greenscreen stage and go the animation way. Thanks for the input! The jet thing is no option because one has to pay 3000 bucks for a 45 minutes fly, I think. On my trip to the USA I happened to visit the... science museum in Columbus, Ohio. They had air systems and rotating chambers that simulated zero gravity and that sort of things Was fun!

 

on the long hair actor

you could always hang him upsidedown and slow the clip
would solve the hair problem

 

That's a good idea, actually!

 

Unfortunatly, it is fiction. Gravity is the attraction of mass. Gravity CAN be overcome, but not indefinitely. While gravity is a very powerfull force, it is quite weak, jumping for examply overcomes gravity. However, gravity is ALWAYS present, everywhere, the only way you could remove gravity is by deleteting the earth, even then, there would be gravity, so in technicality 0 gravity does NOT exist. There are zero gravity simulations. They take high flying cargo planes, fly them to the brim of the atmosphere, and they descend at an angle at consistent to Weight=Gravity X Mass. So, they would have to reverse the equation to fall at the speed of earths gravity.

/off topic

Anyway, just do it simply, make a green screen that covers floor and wall. Have the actor stand on it, put the camera at an angle ABOVE him, and whala, no suspension needed.

 

Also, you could try to get it to work by having your actors pretend they're weightless in front of a greenscreen, use camera movements to simulate the weightless floating, and hand animate it in after effects in your final composition. I don't know what kind of results you'll achieve with that, but it will probably take a while.

I agree with ^^^^ For the closeup floating scenes you can have the actor just stand normal in front of a green screen. Maybe moving around a bit and just make the background scroll behind them with after effects. Even far shots you can make them look like they're moving, if it's all green screen!Just make sure your actor isn't wearing real loose clothing because it will be a pain to simulate.




~Rory

 

Also, another idea. If you have access to any tanks, and you have an underwater camera casing, you could consider that.

 

But what's the point? Everything will look wet, then!

 

Not necessarily- it could just look as if the clothes and hair are swirling around him as they would in Zero-G.

 

The quickest and simplest way would be to build a small set on it's side as shown in this pic. If the camera is also turned 90 degrees,
the actor can easily simulate zero gee by slowly moving his body in a weightless fashion.

[image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v73/VirtualHilarity/zerogee.jpg]


Obviously this method has it's limitations (you can't show the actor's whole body) but the resulting image (see inset) would look somewhat convincing.

 

Use wires, PLEASE. They come out acceptionaly well, after removing them with AE.
They work the best to, becuz You can move freely.