At 09:25 AM 6/24/2008, Jim Lux wrote:
At 02:31 PM 6/20/2008, Peter St. John wrote:
The destructive radius of Little Boy was about total, up to about
one mile radius, and tapered down to light at about two miles. So
being in a lead-lined steel container at 2000 meters might be OK for Indiana.
In all action movies, blasts throw people unhurt for long
distances; when that much force (to impart that much momentum)
would kill you. That part is just conventional Hollywood. I could
teach RGB to kick me so that I fly through the air as in a Bruce
Lee movie; it's a stunt, and real kicks reallly hitting drop you
like a sack of potatoes, I've seen it. But not in movies. Similarly
bullets, they drill holes in you, if they pushed you through the
air the recoil would do the same to the shooter.
As for the scene's good taste I can't say, I haven't seen the movie yet :-)
Peter
As someone who used to work in the business of doing this sort of
thing (e.g. physical effects) for movies, TV shows, and commercials,
you can assume that whatever you see on screen is specifically
designed to "look like" what the director thinks will create the
correct impression in the viewer. (e.g. real rain is invisible on
film, for all intents and purposes..)
For blasts (or kicks, etc.) flinging folks about, they use what is
known as a "jerk vest" (for the high third derivative of position,
not to describe the wearer) and bungee cords, springs, hydraulic
winches, etc. Note well that the effects tech just runs the
gear. A stunt person (aka human sandbag) survives the loads (and
gives thanks to Stapp).
To fling things about, we used a variety of things.. air power is
popular, so is gunpowder. (look under a car that flips over for the
piece of telephone pole used as the piston in a one-shot internal
combustion engine.) Speaking of refrigerators, air pressure is just
fine for a hundred meter or so launch.
For some examples:
jerk vest test
http://www.reelefx.com/index.php?c=effect.view&id=260
refrigerator launch
http://www.reelefx.com/index.php?c=effect.view&id=124
http://www.reelefx.com/ gives a lot of examples
http://www.reelefx.com/index.php?c=effect.list&id=15
has variety of specific effect tests. Search for 'air mortar' for launches
Naturally, I'm particularly proud of the tornado and multicam, since
I helped make them...
http://www.reelefx.com/index.php?c=effect.list&id=13 tornados
http://www.reelefx.com/index.php?c=effect.view&id=153 from Swordfish
http://www.reelefx.com/index.php?c=effect.view&id=169 (stuff done
more recently, now with digital cameras, which makes life MUCH
easier..) Eadweard Muybridge would be proud of us.
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