ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXHarness rigs for 'hanging corpse' effect
8 years, 5 months ago - Andrew Ionides
Hi Shooters,
This follows on from a previous VFX question I asked regarding a new micro-budget horror short I'm making. One VFX we want to create is of a hanging corpse from a tree that floats towards its victim.
I've been recommended to look into harness rigs for this effect. I've tried researching any companies / costs for hiring one but can't seem to find any on Google.
Are there any filmmakers that have experience in hiring one to create a similar effect that can point me in the right direction? Any tips and advice on how to create this effect safely and cheaply would be very useful to!
Thanks,
Andrew
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8 years, 5 months ago - Alwyne Kennedy
Maybe look at rock climbing harnesses - https://www.totalaccess.co.uk/equipment/shop/harnesses
I take it your corpse is a live actor, not a dummy?
Response from 8 years, 5 months ago - Alwyne Kennedy SHOW
8 years, 5 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
It's a stunt, which means a stunt coordinator which means real money, plus a rigger to create a strong scaffold. I cannot strongly enough recommend hanging a dummy instead of a person. We did it for a movie, and ended up spending a mint, then another mint in post anyway.
Response from 8 years, 5 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin SHOW
8 years, 5 months ago - Mark Wiggins
You want a Rescue Harness not a climbing harness. The Rescue harness has a Rescue loop at the top.http://www.safetyliftingear.com/products/g-force-p10r-rescue--confined-space-safety-harness/gfp-10r-nize?gclid=Cj0KEQiAxeTFBRCGmIq_7rGt_r8BEiQANdPqUiDQN3-4nX2yezmqM4Ns5wk-Ko02aFSxxQgarBeune8aAl7r8P8HAQ
But you should really get a proper stunt performer involved to avoid injury. REALLY. Equity stunt register has a list of them. Whenever stunt performers do a hanging gag they always test the rig with a sand bag of the same weight as the stunt performer to test the safety of the rig. If I remember you want to hang someone from a tree. You need to make sure the tree can support the weight of the actor.
Response from 8 years, 5 months ago - Mark Wiggins SHOW
8 years, 5 months ago - Andrew Ionides
Thanks everyone for your answers. Ideally we would like to use an actor but as a couple of you pointed out before I understand it's dangerous and costly to explore for a short. The harness is just one option. Our best so far is using a dummy that we're constructing.
Response from 8 years, 5 months ago - Andrew Ionides SHOW
8 years, 5 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
The problem with hanging people in harnesses is suspension trauma - a killer, a real problem. all vertical harnesses cut off blood in the legs, and consciousness may be lost in 10 minutes or so. Then when the person gets down, the stale blood in the legs has had no oxygenation, and is full of toxins normally released continuously. You'd imagine you'd lay the person down to revive them, but the sudden wave of toxins is potentially damaging to organs. You simply must not try without specialist medics and a stunt coordinator to supervise! Use that dummy ;-)
Response from 8 years, 5 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin SHOW
8 years, 5 months ago - Andrew Ionides
Haha! Fair safety tip. The dummy it is then
Response from 8 years, 5 months ago - Andrew Ionides SHOW
8 years, 5 months ago - Andrew Ionides
Thanks again
Response from 8 years, 5 months ago - Andrew Ionides SHOW
8 years, 5 months ago - Mark Wiggins
Many years ago I had to do Confined Spaces training for a job. A very informative and fun day. Had to learn about Toxic Shock. It's really is a race to hoist an unconscious person up from a confined space or rescue a person hanging from a harness as the longer they hang, the more likely toxic shock is.
Response from 8 years, 5 months ago - Mark Wiggins SHOW
8 years, 5 months ago - Alwyne Kennedy
Well, I didn't think that one through, did I? Anyone got any questions on astronomy? That's where I shine.
Response from 8 years, 5 months ago - Alwyne Kennedy SHOW
8 years, 5 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
Heh heh Alwyne, it's not intuitive - I know from dealing with riggers, otherwise I wouldn't either!
Response from 8 years, 5 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin SHOW