Movie Stunts Special Effects

Describes how stunt performers, camera trickery, and computer graphics are used to create illusions of reality in movies.

Describes how stunt performers, camera trickery, and computer graphics are used to create illusions of reality in movies.

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 and extensive interviews with world-renowned experts. Various stunts and special effects are explored in the context of how they are best captured by a camera and then editorially constituted in the final product.

Shot, set on fire, tossed from buildings, and thrown off mountains, Steve Wolf coordinates stunts and special effect for Hollywood action movies. He's worked with dozens of stars. Much of his work looks dangerous, but in this student text, he explains how he uses basic science to make his stunts as safe as they are exciting. Loaded with fascinating facts, safety tips, informative diagrams, and amazing photographs of actual movie stunts and effects, this book makes science thrilling. Softcover. The 24-page Teacher's Resource Guide ties the text to the science standards with curriculum-based activities. Each of the 18 reproducible activity pages give students the tools and strategies to explore and understand the concepts presented in each section of the book. FEATURES: Student Book is 192-pages, Teacher's Resource Guide is 24-pages, 18 reproducible activity pages give students the tools and strategies to explore the text, Amazing color photography of live action stunts on actual movie sets, Extensive glossary of important science concepts, Appendix, index, and periodic table of elements to further explore science. SAMPLE CONTENTS: Atmospherics, Chemical Reactions, Compressing Gasses, Einstein's Rule of Simplicity, Pressure & Force, Simple Machines, States of Matter. COMPLETE SET INCLUDES: 20 Books (20 each of 1 title) View more information about Steve Wolf and his incredible secret movie science by visiting our website at www.sdlback.com/moviescience

Review: "A unique resource detailing the developments and use of special effects in the American movie industry, this title is well indexed and illustrated with 366 entries. It covers Academy Award-winning special effects movies, groundbreaking techniques, equipment, and devices, special effects houses, and pivotal figures in mechanical and visual special effects, makeup, creature design, directing, and stunt work."--"Outstanding Reference Sources," American Libraries, May 2001.