Magic? Check. Time travel? Check. Flying? Check. Movies create whole worlds where a lot of impossible stuff happens! How do they do it? Let's learn about how some of that silver screen magic is brought to life.
Movies have been around for a long time, and the technology used to make them gets better every day. There are lots of ways for actors and stunt performers to fly on screen. One of the most popular has always been using wires. This method dates back to the early Superman movies. It's very important to attach the wires in the right place so that the movement looks natural and unaided. Today, the wires can be edited out after filming is finished, during post-production. This is where visual effects and computer-generated imagery come in.
Another method is for an actor to lie on their belly on a platform. The platform can be hidden in the costume, and huge fans can make it look like the wind is blowing. In the early Superman movies, a machine was even placed under the hero's cape to make it flap dramatically!
For more complicated sequences, like those with two people, something called a tuning fork is sometimes used. For this method, the actor gets attached at the hips to a metal device shaped like a huge tuning fork. Then, they can be moved side to side and around in a loop. They can also be placed very close to another actor, allowing them to fly around each other without their, um, wires getting crossed.
Did you know there are green screens at the library? Start shooting your own superhero movie in one of our recording studios! Check out the great reads below to learn more about movie magic and let your imagination soar.
Related wonder:
How do they make movies?
Image source: Photo by Porapak Apichodilok from Pexels.