Helicopters in movies: aerial filming techniques
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With the above thread on slinging cars for television, I was reminded of a Chevy commercial from the 60's. According to the book "From Those Wonderful People Who Brought You Pearl Harbor," (a book about advertising), a Bell 206 was used to sling parts of the stripped down Chevy to the top of a Pinacle in Monument Valley. A mechanic was dropped to assemble the parts and once assembled a pretty, young model, was dropped off. The 206 then landed below to have the camera gear installed and then proceeded to film the commercial.
Once filming was finished, the 206 landed to have the camera gear removed before returning to pick up the mechanic and model. Problem was, the winds had become so strong that landing on the pinacle was out of the question, and by the time the winds had died down, it was too dark.
It was a cold night for the mechanic and the young model.
Once filming was finished, the 206 landed to have the camera gear removed before returning to pick up the mechanic and model. Problem was, the winds had become so strong that landing on the pinacle was out of the question, and by the time the winds had died down, it was too dark.
It was a cold night for the mechanic and the young model.
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Cinestratus
This is a new type of side mounted camera mount from a small company in New Zealand that is being tested at the moment that is showing some good results http://www.cinestratus.com
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Excuse me for being a little bit off topic, I wonder if any of you gents might know which Gazelle was used in filming Devil's Playground - The Internet Movie Plane Database ? Thanks in advance.
I sincerely wish that someone would lobby the filmmakers and encourage them to subscribe to a 'rotary wing code of ethics'.
The list should include:
1. Use real helicopters when and wherever possible.
2. Never substitute file recordings of helicopter sounds for the real thing.
3. When employing GCI, make an attempt at creating something which reflects reality.
I could go on ..
The list should include:
1. Use real helicopters when and wherever possible.
2. Never substitute file recordings of helicopter sounds for the real thing.
3. When employing GCI, make an attempt at creating something which reflects reality.
I could go on ..
Thread Starter
Savoia,
I second that hear hear
For example in the series The Unit, they use Vietnam era Bell 204 /UH-1B/E , for the action sharing albeit with 205.UH-1D/H is acceptable to an extent.
But then again its a matter of costs, and availability of say California ARNG UH-60L/CH-47D or California ANG HH-60G Pave Hawks re 129th, more realistic for special ops aviation however bearing in mind these units do have real world missions moreso nowadays so that would be limited. However as the UH-72A Lakota is en masse with the ARNG, than perhaps a substitute albeit an expensive paint job then, borrow an EC145 from American Eurocopter and deck it out in mil colours or use some form of editing digital paint work over original colour!
In Broken Arrow, use of Bell 204/UH-1B/F as USAF helos was by 2 decades out of sync! 
Though with more availability of MI-8 nowadays in particular the German registered D-HOXE or D-HOXP or D-HOXQ used in James Bond 007 Die Another Day as the North Korean MI-8 was perfect and also the use of a MI-8 decked out in black for Stormbreaker (again wondered if that was one of theb German trio)
Black Hawk Down (as with my earlier posts) was perfect - the DoD permitted the Nightstalkers MH-60L and MH-6 to be used in the filming AND in a desert African country mimicking Somalia in this case Morocco It was a great feat considering the very sensitive and secretive nature of the unit and valuable equipment! One could almost argue to do a book to movie of Tornado Down, using the Royal Saudi Air force's co-operation with their Tornados or borrow and RAF Tornados used in that region on detachment! The first time to see the Nightstalkers MH-60 was Tom Clancy's Clear and Present Danger
Strictly speaking, a lot of Hollywood blockbusters such as Transformersn series of movies have used MV-22 (first debut of the V-22 in motion picture) AH-64D,UH-60L, MH-53M, AH-1W, CH-53E, and of course in the first two, laughable using one of the army's test J/UH-1H as Dustoff machines in 'Qatar' as no Hueys are used in the front lines let alone the Dustoff on detachment in south west Asia currently!
Nice to see in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the bell 429 made its debut on screen! and can't forget Sikorsky S-92 for Mr Deeds
Wings of the Apache / Firebirds was first debut for US Army AH-64A, UH-60A and UH-60A Dustoff, AH-1S, OH-58A Kiowa, and of course the 'Scorpion' atatck helicopter eg MD-500 Defender of which several Latin American nations do use (albeit probably the bad guys )
Second film to use US Army AH-64 and UH-60 was Toy Soldiers (Louis Gosset jnr, Denholm Elliott and Andrew Divoff) courtesy of the Virginia ARNG,
However if its a low budget made for TV, thriller, action adventure and cant afford to hire helicopters hour and half at night then, get permission to use film footage of say military helos and slide that in somewhat
Beyond that '24' does have co operation of the DoD as they have provided USN SH-60F, and on the fixed wing side, the USMC F/A-18Cs been used.
Also with the last 10-15 years of movies, the AS350 Astar have been used more and more in the police roles in tv series or movies and thats what a fair amount of police/sheriff departments used primarily the LAPD, LASD etc etc
Cheers
I second that hear hear
For example in the series The Unit, they use Vietnam era Bell 204 /UH-1B/E , for the action sharing albeit with 205.UH-1D/H is acceptable to an extent.
But then again its a matter of costs, and availability of say California ARNG UH-60L/CH-47D or California ANG HH-60G Pave Hawks re 129th, more realistic for special ops aviation however bearing in mind these units do have real world missions moreso nowadays so that would be limited. However as the UH-72A Lakota is en masse with the ARNG, than perhaps a substitute albeit an expensive paint job then, borrow an EC145 from American Eurocopter and deck it out in mil colours or use some form of editing digital paint work over original colour!
In Broken Arrow, use of Bell 204/UH-1B/F as USAF helos was by 2 decades out of sync!
Though with more availability of MI-8 nowadays in particular the German registered D-HOXE or D-HOXP or D-HOXQ used in James Bond 007 Die Another Day as the North Korean MI-8 was perfect and also the use of a MI-8 decked out in black for Stormbreaker (again wondered if that was one of theb German trio)
Black Hawk Down (as with my earlier posts) was perfect - the DoD permitted the Nightstalkers MH-60L and MH-6 to be used in the filming AND in a desert African country mimicking Somalia in this case Morocco
It was a great feat considering the very sensitive and secretive nature of the unit and valuable equipment! One could almost argue to do a book to movie of Tornado Down, using the Royal Saudi Air force's co-operation with their Tornados or borrow and RAF Tornados used in that region on detachment! The first time to see the Nightstalkers MH-60 was Tom Clancy's Clear and Present DangerStrictly speaking, a lot of Hollywood blockbusters such as Transformersn series of movies have used MV-22 (first debut of the V-22 in motion picture) AH-64D,UH-60L, MH-53M, AH-1W, CH-53E, and of course in the first two, laughable using one of the army's test J/UH-1H as Dustoff machines in 'Qatar'
as no Hueys are used in the front lines let alone the Dustoff on detachment in south west Asia currently! Nice to see in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the bell 429 made its debut on screen!
and can't forget Sikorsky S-92 for Mr Deeds Wings of the Apache / Firebirds was first debut for US Army AH-64A, UH-60A and UH-60A Dustoff, AH-1S, OH-58A Kiowa, and of course the 'Scorpion' atatck helicopter eg MD-500 Defender of which several Latin American nations do use (albeit probably the bad guys
)Second film to use US Army AH-64 and UH-60 was Toy Soldiers (Louis Gosset jnr, Denholm Elliott and Andrew Divoff) courtesy of the Virginia ARNG,
However if its a low budget made for TV, thriller, action adventure and cant afford to hire helicopters hour and half at night then, get permission to use film footage of say military helos and slide that in somewhat
Beyond that '24' does have co operation of the DoD as they have provided USN SH-60F, and on the fixed wing side, the USMC F/A-18Cs been used.
Also with the last 10-15 years of movies, the AS350 Astar have been used more and more in the police roles in tv series or movies and thats what a fair amount of police/sheriff departments used primarily the LAPD, LASD etc etc
Cheers
Thread Starter
Many thanks for that TRC
Grief! If one was to list the aeronautical fuax pas in films one would clear a forest! I tend to be happy enough so long as they are using a real aircraft with the right sound .. its the 'crummy' CGI that I find irksome.
Zishelix .. couldn't resist posting this for you:
Westland Gazelle SA341G G-BAGJ being flown by Marc Wolff in the filming of 'The Golden Lady' (1979). Apparently TRC volunteered to drive the motorcycle in this scene! (Just kidding
)
Zishelix .. couldn't resist posting this for you:
Westland Gazelle SA341G G-BAGJ being flown by Marc Wolff in the filming of 'The Golden Lady' (1979). Apparently TRC volunteered to drive the motorcycle in this scene! (Just kidding
)
Last edited by Savoia; 19th Jan 2012 at 10:32. Reason: Amend details courtesy of Chopper2004
Thread Starter
The Golden Lady is actually a 1979 production
The Golden Lady (1979) - Full cast and crew
Though looks like one of MW/Flying Pictures work according to credits.
Cheers
The Golden Lady (1979) - Full cast and crew
Though looks like one of MW/Flying Pictures work according to credits.
Cheers
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Aerial cinematography service... Aerial Film & Cinematography Services, All Star Aerial
Thread Starter
007 Skyfall development AW101 makes it debut
Just bought the latest Air Forces Monthly this morning to see in the EuropeN news section that one of the development AW101 airframes is being used in the latest Bond flick, Skyfall.
Hunted around on the web et voila
http://theforagingphotographer.files...over-lodge.jpg
Cheers and Happy Easter
Hunted around on the web et voila
http://theforagingphotographer.files...over-lodge.jpg
Cheers and Happy Easter
Nice to see a snippet of rotary action prior to the movie's release and what is perhaps, for the first time, an Agusta-Westland product in a JB film!
While blitterblats have featured in nearly all the JB films it seems to have been a while since we witnessed a really decent bit of flying in any of them.
Probably the best two flying sequences (for me) were those in "For Your Eyes Only" (which I think was 'The Wolff') and "The Spy Who Loved Me" (John Crewdson) of which I preferred the latter.
Time perhaps for a good helicopter-chase script in the near future!
Moving away from Bond (and observing the recent posts relating to the 'Deadly Encounter' movie) I find myself asking the question - just how many 'decent' films (as in a reasonable storyline and acting accompanied by good [non-CGI] shots) with flying sequences are there?
Only one movie springs to mind with an 'extended' rotary-wing segment meeting the above criteria .. "Apocalypse Now" (1979).
Any additional candidates?
While blitterblats have featured in nearly all the JB films it seems to have been a while since we witnessed a really decent bit of flying in any of them.
Probably the best two flying sequences (for me) were those in "For Your Eyes Only" (which I think was 'The Wolff') and "The Spy Who Loved Me" (John Crewdson) of which I preferred the latter.
Time perhaps for a good helicopter-chase script in the near future!
Moving away from Bond (and observing the recent posts relating to the 'Deadly Encounter' movie) I find myself asking the question - just how many 'decent' films (as in a reasonable storyline and acting accompanied by good [non-CGI] shots) with flying sequences are there?
Only one movie springs to mind with an 'extended' rotary-wing segment meeting the above criteria .. "Apocalypse Now" (1979).
Any additional candidates?