Think, Slow Down.

[rogersaurus]

You know that black and white advert where the car brakes in slow motion and hits the kid? My question is, how did they film it? The figure struck by the car looks like a floppy lifeless dummy as it's flying through the air, yet was clearly moving before the car struck. Was it an extremely floppy stuntman, or some kind of robotic creation? Or computer trickery perhaps?

[Stu Pid]

Just as I was reading this the ad came on TV, spooky, if you watch the pidgeons they slightly obscure your view, they alsowould have used a good video editor like shake (used in lord of the rings, amongst others) and a bit of blue screening to produce a few layers and switch them at the right time hth Stu

[Lynnieshell]

If you look closely you'll see that a pigeon flies across the screen and blocks your view of the child at the point of impact. I'm only guessing but it is at this point that the camera trickery comes in and the child is replaced with a dummy. There is a similar scene in 'Meet Joe Black' where Brad Pitt gets hit by a bus. No pigeons in sight, I'd still like to know how it's done.

[gazzawazza]

I've always thought that this ad looks very realistic, that is exactly how I would have expected a body to crumple on such an impact.

I've seen the ad in slow motion (it was on a prog I taped) and I must admit, although I knew there must have been some camera trickery going on, Istill thought it looked very real. I think it's a brilliantly made ad. For me, the thing that makes it so realistic is the total normality of the scene and the reactions of the witnesses to it.

Well done to the makers, if that doesn't make people slow down then I don't know what would do so.

[FordGranada1]

The ad is flawed though, because it claims that the car is doing 35mph. But the car is a Nissan Sunny, and as anyone who's been stuck behind one knows, these cars are incapable of going over 30mph! I think they were deliberately restricted before leaving the factory.

[Leg of lamb]

The problem I have with this ad is that although the car is going over the speed limit - why is the child not using a pedestrian crossing? Why is it always the damn drivers' fault for road casualties. When was the last time anyone saw a public information film showing children (and everyone else for that matter) how to properly use the roads. The last I remember was David Prowse as the Green Cross Code Man.