How do I fake hitting someone with a car?

Question

I'm shooting a video for a school project. In one scene I have to hit someone with a car (my teenage brother volunteered to be "hit"). We've practiced it a couple times, but the timing's always off. He's supposed to get hit because the driver's not looking and the angle's from inside the car, and simce he's not a professional, I planned to cut the shot off right before he's hit so he doesn't get hurt. Any tips on how to make this scene convincing (and safe)?

The big problem is that is has to be one long shot from one angle because I'm shooting it like an amateur home video (creative decision, I'm not just lazy). That's why the timing's bad.

Answer 1

dont use 1 long shot. what your probably doing is showing the driver looking somewhere else, and you can see in the background the person crossing getting closer and closer until impact, which would make it hard to be convincing. so what you should do is simply use more shots. so have him driving, looking wherever, with the pedestrian in the background out the windsheild walking and getting closer. once hes very close, it should cut to the next shot which could be done many ways
1. whoevers in the passenger seat, and a close up o ntheir face as they yell "watch out!" or something like that
2. it could cut to the pedestrian which could A. show his reaction (probly a look of horror) or B. maybe from over his shoulder, so you see him with the car coming at him and his head turns(maybe then even throw in a reaction shot from him)
3. put a reaction shot of the driver as he notices and has a panicked look on his face as he slams on the breaks(maybe then add another shot of the anti-lock breaks activating and the tires skidding to a halt)

then once u have some more shots in there, then switch back to your origional camera veiw, and by that time you could have a dummy right in front of the bumper, so when you hit it the "pedestrian" has been in veiw for such a short time no one will notice.
if you cant get your hands on a maniquin, or dummy or w/e, find someone whos 18 and but a blow up doll from a sex shop and dress it up. then add the sound effects of a body being hit by a car over the video.
hope that helped

Answer 2

The ONLY thing he can do is to not make a claim. So long as he does not file a claim, he's safe. If the other guy has reported the incident, your brother may be contacted by his insurer (all accidents whether they are your own fault or not are supposed to be admitted to the insurer - not that anyone with half a brain ever does) in which case he should say "no I do not wish to make a claim, the damage is very minor and I can fix it myself." If your brother's insurance company do cotton on to the fact that his details are wrong and they challenge him on it, the smart thing for him to do is say he made a mistake; for example, if he did it over the internet he can say that he typed in his date of birth incorrectly - unlikely but it does happen (I use false DOB's whenever I am dealing with websites and online stores who are just trying to gather consumer information - it's almost become habit for me to use false details). If the insurance company is lenient, they will allow him to pay the extra he should have paid. His insurance is NOT invalid, it is only partly invalid; he does have insurance but he has incorrect insurance which his insurance company can quite rightly penalize him for. I don't think anything will happen, most likely the other guy's insurance company won't be pursuing a claim against your brother since it's not his fault - or so he says.

Answer 3

You can always try filming it backwards but that might be tough it you think about it....

Unless you do the stunt where hes hit with the car and rolls ontop of it.

Then it may be slightly easier.

Answer 4

well wait until he makes you mad and hit him for real be sure the Len's cap is off. just kidding find a box that he can use to stand on his knees and place it in front of the car out of sight of the camera only way i can think to make it look real let me now how it works for you

Answer 5

You could do everything in slow motion and then speed it up to make the action look faster.