Hi Boys and Girls,
Who's your favorite action hero? Is it Superman? Batman? Cat Woman? Wonder Woman? or Batgirl? Or perhaps newcomer Katniss Everdeen?
What makes kids and even adults fall in love with these super action heroes?
Maybe the answer lies in the word-action? Besides having Herculaneum strength these super heroes have been known to scale enormous heights and perform feats one can only image.
Or is it the issue of Good vs Evil-for after all don't we love catching the bad guys?
Well, for what ever reason both young and old love reading the comic series and seeing the great blockbusters on the sliver screen. And for some people there is a fascination with spiderwebs, such that they have them tattooed on their arms.
Hint: What action hero could this remind you of?
Well, for what ever reason both young and old love reading the comic series and seeing the great blockbusters on the sliver screen. And for some people there is a fascination with spiderwebs, such that they have them tattooed on their arms.
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| Tattooed arm of a crew member, Brooklyn |
Spiderman? Yes, of course!
One thing is certain though, there is quite a bit that goes into those "hair raising and nail biting" scenes that have us gripping the edge of our seats.
So for all of you who have ever wondered, "How did they do that?"
Here's some general background:
To begin, finding a suitable place to film such a movie is crucial. The fact is NYC is perfect; many films are shot here. That's just the way it is.
We now have a stage.
Next, a plot!
One thing is certain though, there is quite a bit that goes into those "hair raising and nail biting" scenes that have us gripping the edge of our seats.
So for all of you who have ever wondered, "How did they do that?"
Here's some general background:
To begin, finding a suitable place to film such a movie is crucial. The fact is NYC is perfect; many films are shot here. That's just the way it is.
We now have a stage.
Next, a plot!
So here's a scenario to consider:
Imagine being in the jaws of the city on a late dark gloomy night. You are walking along a cobbled stoned abandoned train track street and deafening train sounds surround you. You are now standing beneath the enormous Manhattan Bridge with its colossal concrete pillar blocks that carry trains to their destination.
The rain continues to drizzle, it is murky. Metal rolling garage doors cover store fronts in the dismal former industrial area, only to make everything seem even more ominous.
You pause to have a conversation and look about when suddenly a speeding 18-wheel truck barrels past you and low and behold, you see:
The Amazing Spiderman!
Imagine being in the jaws of the city on a late dark gloomy night. You are walking along a cobbled stoned abandoned train track street and deafening train sounds surround you. You are now standing beneath the enormous Manhattan Bridge with its colossal concrete pillar blocks that carry trains to their destination.
The rain continues to drizzle, it is murky. Metal rolling garage doors cover store fronts in the dismal former industrial area, only to make everything seem even more ominous.
You pause to have a conversation and look about when suddenly a speeding 18-wheel truck barrels past you and low and behold, you see:
The Amazing Spiderman!
He clings to the hood and gingerly balances himself while the truck- now a speeding locomotive is on a collision course!
Desperately Spiderman strikes serious blows at the windshield in an attempt to stop his nemeses-archival--Rhino.
Now, here is a closer look at Spiderman and his heroic actions. He is actually tethered to the windshield for safety purposes, and there are at least two sets of cameras flanked on either side of the truck. Doing so will catch the pedestrians [background] who runaway. Further, some items that are tossed about and appear to be juggled with feet, are actually tied to a makeshift fishing pole and bounced about. Spiderman's co-ordinated, but is he that good?! [Don't want to give away too much of the magic, you'll have to wait and see for yourself!]
Well, that may indeed be a small episode from an entire Spiderman movie, but in real time, over 48 hours of intense planning, takes and retakes, heavy work, positioning and repositioning of multiple cameras, directions to background people, and much more has to occur before audiences see the final film. In fact, the number of support staff is staggering-hundreds. There are makeup artists, electricians, directors, camera crew, location scouts, editors, production assistants, actors and more.
Now we did say it was drizzling, but the sun did peek out and the scene appeared to have changed. No problem, measurements are taken, and in no time a huge water truck arrives at the scene. The street is sprayed with layers of water, and soon the set is restored to its former self. A red megaphone is held to the director's lips, he calls Action!
As it turns out background [an expression for all those people who fill the all-so-important space in movies] provides the element that makes the movie seem real. And although there may only be twenty-five pedestrians on set, by the time the directors are finished, it will seem like 250.These people work long and hard hours. Many times running, moving, jogging, dashing, hundreds of times before the director feels the scene is "just right." When the announcement is made, "Checking the gate" that means if all is well, it is a wrap and everyone can go home after a very hard day's work.
But in between all of this, there are gaggles of paparazzi armed to the hill with foot sized cameras ready to descend on the actors at a moment's notice. Lightning speed photos are shot, and shown on the internet for your entertainment.
Spiderman! Our hero!
Rhino, the villainous nemeses played by Paul Giamatti
Order is restored!
How'd his pants fall down?! And, what's that flying in the air??
Andrew Garfield fighting Paul Giamatti
Andrew Garfield who plays Spiderman
takes a break
Pint size Super Hero, [check out his boots!]
Watch out Spiderman
he may be giving you a run for your money!
Watch out Spiderman
he may be giving you a run for your money!
AND NOW--Who's going to be the next super hero?
Maybe it'll be YOU!! Whether you are 3 or 103, it's never too late or early to start planning!
Pictures up! Rolling! Background! Action!
Be well guys,
The Teach
PS. As exciting as all of this is, you'll have to wait until May 2014 to see Spiderman in action in 3-D it'll be well worth the wait!
Be well guys,
The Teach
PS. As exciting as all of this is, you'll have to wait until May 2014 to see Spiderman in action in 3-D it'll be well worth the wait!
