Car shots on 24

[Bob Hayes]

Does anyone know how the do the driving shots on 24? It looks like video rear projection.

[Matt Butler]

According to American Cinematographer Magazine(Feb. 2004) all driving and flying sequences are filmed on stage using 20' screens and 10,000-lumen LCD projectors.

The background plates are shot with Sony PD-150 digital video cameras.

 

cheers matt

[Allen Achterberg]

<_< i dont buy it.

[Wendell_Greene]

<_< i dont buy it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

Are you questioning whether this is the process they use? [it is, btw]

 

Or is it you don't find the look convincing?

[Allen Achterberg]

Are you questioning whether this is the process they use? [it is, btw]

 

Or is it you don't find the look convincing?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

no, It looked great, wouldnt of known it came from a pd150

[Mark Allen]

I've not seen the new season (as I don't have television reception) - but a producer friend mentioned that they had a tracking shot where the camera went from oneside of the car to the other and back. Would this shot have been using a curved screen? Or do they sometimes shoot stage, sometimes shoot exterior?

[Bob Hayes]

I find the 24 car shots acceptable but just barely. It always seems like the angles are overly tight and confined. Considering they are shot on 20? screens it seems like they could shoot a little looser. Also the screens lack contrast they are also sort of washed out. I do like the way the show is photographed. This is a cool new technique. For TV is is probably a pretty good solution.

[Litedark]

Obviously the best person to ask is Rodney Charters the DoP of '24' but since he is not here, I will attempt to answer a few of the questions as best I can remember.

 

I am a Director and a Director of Photography. I happen to have been on the set of '24' during the first season for one or two episodes. And yes, Rodney went out with a small video camera - perhaps a PDF 150 or some similar version and shot the back ground plates. I was disbelieving in the process in the beginning and at the same time I was interested in seeing the quality of the images he used and how they would then relate to the quality of the show images when broadcast.

 

Procedurally, on the first unit, he had a small rear projection screen and video projector carried. Whenever the company was scheduled to be at a certain type of location, whether it was a garage or some other place they could tent in, the crew would set up the small rear projection screen and video projector. Rodney proceeded to shoot the car interiors at that time using the video rear screen system. It was very efficient and fast (a concept I am not particularly fond of when spoken by producers) compared to other ways of doing this type of work. Of course everything was scheduled accordingly.

 

I personally thought Rodney's use of a small digital camera and 'on location' rear screen projection was brilliant and truly a terrific use of current technology.

 

Previously I would have been on a stage with a 100'-150' throw for the rear screen projectors and sync boxes for the cameras. A second unit crew would have taken several days to shoot the plates and then the plates would be printed on stock with B&H sprockets. I would have spent an entire day or two just photographing the rear screen portion of a show. I enjoy this process very much. Television does not have this type of time on an eight day schedule. Rodney took advantage of the technology. I think he was quite inventive in the use of this rear screen projection and I applaud him.

 

And true, the quality of the rearscreen images are not that good right now but they will improve over time. Also in addition the shots are kept fairly tight so that there is not much rear screen image to distract the viewer.

[Mark Allen]

That's interesting information. Did you notice whether time was taken up on the set with trying to synch to the background playback or was it not relative to shot?