Rigging a hangman - student film

[Jivemaster]

Sorry but if it's "hard" to do this to camera, you haven't understood the process of shooting film. You should work out how the screen will say to the audience "hanging", then separate it out into frames and see how many 1/25ths of a second you need then shoot each shot. There is never any need for the talent to drop wearing a noose -even a disconnected or deconstructed noose.

 

If you get the sound and colour continuity right the audience will see what you direct them to see not what you actually shot or the order in which you shot it. You may want 5 seconds for the hanging you only have 125 frames to make it work.

 

 

 

 

OK you will be shooting video so substitute your FPS rate, you still have very little time to say "hanging".

[Andrew C]

Of course it can be done, and done safely. You need advice on filming technique; this should be SO easy to do for film that apart from basic stuff there is NO risk of hanging your actor.

 

Even with the right kit a "live hanging" can go wrong. I've done it, everything set up right, rehearsed, then the "talent" thought it would look more realistic if he pulled the trick knot tighter. And passed out, hanging in his harness.

[Shez]

There's a hanging in Shawshank redemption that may be instructive - as it plays out you don't see a rope, you don't see a noose, you don't see anything around the characters neck. It's only at the reveal at the end (his back to the camera so an easy dummy shot) that you get the full picture. But it's very clear (and poignant) what's happened. (OK there are earlier references to a previous incident that this character is essentially recreating but even so, you can see that it's a hanging).

As for the dangling feet shot, think climbing frame or gym equipment - things that are designed to be hung (not like that!) from. As far as I'm aware, the H&S police haven't yet banned kids from swinging from climbing frames. There's no reason to massively overcomplicate this. Use a gymnast stunt double if you must!

This is film, not live - you can achieve a huge amount with absolutely minimal risk.

[Dave m]

I pointed most of this out in the first reply.

 

people are getting confused between "live on stage" and "camera angle"

 

at no point has he suggested actually hanging a human or placing a noose around his head.

 

Most film schools will have techs who do RA's on the set up and would advise what to do.

they should also be able to explain whether the load is total or per metre on the bar/truss.

 

200Kg for the entire grid?

 

so long as a dummy isn't made of lead, flying it to simulate a hanging should be ok?

[Jivemaster]

It's FILM it looks real but it usually isn't. You (the student crew) need to storyboard the sequence in really short scenes so that you have a full shot list before you open the camera case. Most shots will only be 1/10ths of a second you will need probably 100 separate shots to make the few seconds of film you use. Each shot for say 5 seconds most cut heavily some left on the floor. For safety you could have the rope in one room and the actor in another -It's film you don't show the hanging you make the audience think you have shown it. It's film so you can light it "through shutters" so that shafts of light illuminate parts of the scene and the audience put the rest in in their minds. Given that it will start in the digital domain why not use CSO.

 

You are doing this to get marks on a course get all the marks you can, it's not a nature watch you don't have to film all that happens in order.

[librarian28]

Erections, drug taking and suicide are problematic topics to show on film and telly. I think I remember that sword swallowing requires a 'Don't try this until you get home' warning. (Whereas fire eating doesn't. Go figure). For many years there was a hangover from the Lord Chamberlain's regime that theatre performances of Peter Pan carried a health warning. 'Psycho' was mentioned earlier, but Hitchcock had to fight to get the censors to allow him to show the little that he did. (Was it that they didn't want the knife & flesh to be shown in the same shot?).

 

Anywayup, it's well worth film students boning up on 'Producers Guidlines' - which are v. precise about what can (and can't) be shown.

[michigraf]

Hey everybody,

 

thanks a lot for all your responses, it's great to see how engaged you all are.

 

I think I didn't make it clear enough in my initial post, but our very first concern is Health & Safety, as well as it is the schools. Everything what we do is properly risk assessed and approved by the H&S officer & stage supervisor of the school.

 

I would never even think about hanging anybody DIY style, that's why I was asking for any advice regarding professionals. I'm in contact with Foy's now.

 

Also, so far we not intending to show the full body incl. head & rope, it is all about the hands & dangling feet.

 

But I do understand very much your concerns as professionals, this can sound very sketchy at first.

 

Best,

Michael

[Jivemaster]

It's important to realise that live events have a problem with hanging scenes and because they approach reality they approach the reality of cast death too often. The last published incident was in Italy within the last year.

 

In film you need 50 frames to say "hanging" and all of these can be shot separately without putting the talent in any safety compromise, -no need to fly the talent even slightly.

 

As a personal exercise in "film" try to design all the shots, with no risk to the talent -can you raise the camera to simulate the drop of the hang? You get all the options to frame the bits you want the audience to see and to turn reality on it's head. You get the opportunity to light the scenes so that some bits white out, and some bits all resolve to black so that even in frame the audience doesn't see all there is. You then get the opportunity to selectively focus so that viewer attention is drawn to the place in the frame that you want it.

[adam2]

I believe that it be possible to simulate this in safety.

 

As others have said, no way should a real noose be attached to a real person, there are various ways of so doing that sound safe, yet fatal accidents still occur with distressing regularity.DO NOT DO THIS. By use of a lightweight dummy, the initial hanging can be simulated in safety.

 

Later views of the hung person can be simulated safely and realistically by a real actor. No view of the head or neck is required, therefore no need for any rope or noose, and therefore no question of accidently hanging a real person. When filming the part with the live actor, the noose should be in another room and either guarded by someone responsible, or locked up.

 

I would film this in three parts.

 

Firstly, hang the lightweight dummy from the lighting grid or elswhere, repeat as required and select the best shots.

 

Secondly, after removing the noose to another room, film the real actor, from the chest down to the waist, they can stand on the floor for this bit, with arms hanging down limply.

 

Thirdly, film the real actor from the knees downwards including the feet. For realism, the feet need to be off the floor and be swinging to and fro a bit. This is easily achieved safely by having the actor suspend themselves by their hands from something suitable. Remember that their arms will be out of shot for this bit. The actors feet should be only a few inches above the floor and the floor covered with exercise mats or the like. I would try and borrow or hire the equipment used for gymnastic displays. This is adjustable in height and is specifically designed to bear the weight of a person, including shock loading resulting from movement. A person may suspend themselves by their hands, at a very modest height, in safety by use of gymnastic equipment.