Mirror Shot (need help)

[Nathan Martin]

Hey im a film studend in sydney australia

i was wondering if anyone knew any better ways to shot a direct mirror shot, and if anyone knew an easy way to get the mirror to shatter or crack on command.

 

My original method hasnt been tested yet but it is as follows:

 

Pain of glass held firm against a chromakey backing to simulate the shine of the mirror, then composite the reversal shot onto the blue screen.

I plan on testing this with mini dv before shooting it on film however if there is a better way i will try it, plus i still do not know how to crack the glass when i want it to.

any feed back would be appreciated

 

Nathan Martin

[Bill DiPietra]

If what's being reflected in the mirror is all still-life and the camera is not going to be moving, you could make it two separate shots: one of the mirror intact, the other of it cracked.

 

You should take a look at Maya Deren's "Meshes of the Afternoon."

[Mitch Gross]

Hit the glass from behind to crack it. I've done this in the past with a sheet of plastic glued to the back and a ball pean hammer to do the hit. The hammer made a pinpoint start for the crack so I could frame properly and the plastic kept the mirror from falling to the ground in pieces.

[Nathan Martin]

great, more ideas hehe

do you think the mirror should be on a blue screen background or should i make up a wall that i can smash it from behind with?

 

another question as well, does anyone know how to make prosthetics? because the character cuts his wrists with a piece of the mirror and his reflection is in the piece as it cuts through, if anyone know how to do this please tell, my only idea for this was a rubber glove painted beige and filled out with pieces of sponge and blood

 

anyway thanks so far, its been very helpfull

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

> does anyone know how to make prosthetics?

 

Yes, you call up a prosthetics guy and ask how much money he wants.

 

Phil

[David Mullen ASC]

Well, the classic trick is to not really cut a fake wrist but hide a blood tube behind the (dulled) peice of mirror so that as he gently draws the glass across his own wrist, blood pools out in a line. Otherwise, you need a make-up artist but I think if there's enough blood pooling out, you'd never see the gash anyway.

[Michael Nash]

What's supposed to be reflected in the mirror? Is it the POV of the character looking straight into it? Usually the simplest method is the best -- cheat the camera angle and the actor's position just slightly so that the camera isn't seen in the reflection, and have the actor look directly at the lens (in the reflection). If the edges of the mirror aren't in frame, you'll never know that you're not looking straight into the mirror. A slightly longer focal length can tighten up this angle and help disguise any possible hint of perspective in the wall reflected behind the person's head.

 

Make a fake wall or backing for the mirror so that you can hit it from behind (I'm assuming this is a small mirror mounted on a wall).

 

But please be careful when breaking the mirror from behind -- especially if you have an actor with no eye protection standing right in front of it. A tiny sliver of glass in the face or eyes is no laughing matter, and the big pieces can shatter and spread when they hit the floor.