Throughout film history, one of the fundamental fantasies portrayed on
screen has been the kind of physical action few of us could ever
experience in real life. The image of an 'every man' engaged in
hand-to-hand, mortal combat, defending his family or even the world
population against an overwhelming and malevolent force, speaks to our
most primal instincts and thus became a mainstay of movie entertainment.
In order to translate these deep-seated fantasies to the screen,
filmmakers have been developing special skills and crafts for over 100
years. It is these skills that make 'movie magic' and have allowed
audiences to take part in the primal hopes and fears we all possess.
Movie Stunts & Special Effects: A Comprehensive Guide to Planning and
Execution is designed to inform filmmakers on how to plan for and
utilize these crafts by engaging and empowering filmmakers to better
communicate with stunts and effects practitioners, and thereby enabling
them to more fully realize their vision. Director/Producer Andrew Lane
surveys fights, use of weapons, cars and vehicles, falls, the use of
pyrotechnics, atmospheric effects, bullet hits, wounds and blood, among
many other categories. Factors such as cost, time to implement, safety
accommodations, and assessing the competence of those employed to plan
and execute stunts and special effects are numerous and very specific.
Each topic in Movie Stunts & Special Effects is examined using
narrative explanations, extensive interviews with world-renowned
experts. Various stunts and special effects will be explored in the
context of how they are best captured by a camera and then editorially
constituted in the final product.
