• Wondering which camera, gear, computer, or software to buy? Ask in our Gear Guide.

How would I simulate a hanging?

I need to hang someone on a small budget, any idea how?
It won't be as hard as you think cuz i'm not gonna show him actually hang, only show the rope around his neck and in the same shot, kick him off a rood. It's fast paced so knots won't do and the size of it needs to be believable. And yes, I realise he's gonna need a pad to land on.
For the actual release though, I was thinking i would have a quick release that's pressure activated (for when he hits the bottom of the rope) or a breakaway cut.
Also, before someone calls me a retard, yes, i'm going to have an EMT there just in case.
 
I heard you could simulate a hanging buy having another rope tied to the noose. this rope is behind the actor's neck and is not shown. The rope then goes down from the neck of the noose, down his back, and is tied around his waist, under his shirt. That way, when he drops the rope pulls on his waist, much more than his neck. However I do no know if that's a myth method or how risky it is. Just remember hearing it somewhere.
 
a.p.--
I'm glad you're into this and joined the community. Your questions about location and filming are good. However, I would really ask that you post in the proper forum. You're cheating yourself posting those questions here. This forum is for screenwriting--writing the scripts.

Your questions would be better answered at "On the Set" forum. By posting it here, it will be ignored or overlooked by many who might help in the "On the Set" forum. The people who read there often have the production experience you seek.

IndieTalk, Chilipie, and other moderators as well as other members who frequent this group may contribute responses, but your best bet is to post your question in the appropriate forum.

It is a fascinating question and depending on your budget and tools, it can be done by totally ignoring the person to imply the hanging, to using a green screen approach with a reversed video and a non-sliding knot (bowline), or the more hazardous re-creation. Those with experience are more likely to be on production side and not the writing side. "How to hang someone" is not a script problem.

Again. Welcome to IndieTalk. We are a friendly bunch and I don't want to suggest that you not ask questions. Nor am I suggesting you can't ask questions here. I'm suggesting that it's to your advantage to post your question where it will be viewed by more people who have production interest/experience directly related to your question and be answered more satisfactorily.
 
yea, sorry bout that, i thought i clicked On The Set :/
plus i'm used to threading in here, i'll frequent the other forum then. sorry to bother.

and thanks harmonica
 
Why would you wanna fake something like that lol. What are you going to be showing and not showing? If you're just shooting him hanging a rope around teh neck, head slightly tilted standing on a milk box should do the trick. Unless you create a dummy to hang you won't be able to show a live person hanging from start to finish. The only way I can think of is shoot teh drop, then pull out to show a stunt double jerking around. If no access to a stunt double just focus on the actor's upper half of the body. If you can get a mannequin and shoot that from behind after he's dropped that'd probably look legit also. just dress it up including a wig so its not obvious its a manakin.
 
Don't mess around with safety, dude. If you don't have a professional stunt-person on set, I wouldn't mess around with any actual hanging, even with what you might think is a fail-safe breakaway rope, or whatever.

Audio is your friend. You don't have to show the hanging.

Shot 1: Closeup of rope (doesn't even have to be around neck).
Shot 2: Medium shot of legs standing on chair. Legs kick chair out from underneath themselves. Legs dangle and kick, for a while, until silence and death set in (in real life, actor is hanging from a wood beam, holding on with his hands).

Heck, come to think of it, you don't even need shot 1. With head and torso out of sight, and a strong sound design, your audience will know exactly what is going on, if the entire sequence is one long, unconfortable shot of his/her feet. I think that might be a very powerful image, actually.
 
Is this hanging for a film or insurance money? ;)
:lol:

I've been thinking about the same thing. My first script I wrote (http://bit.ly/CanYouSeeMeRev1 - shameless plug. Sorry. :)) ends with a hanging. The way I was thinking of doing it was this:
1) Character ties rope to railing. (cut to shot of other character)
2) Character slips noose over head. (cut to shot of other character)
3) You don't see the character drop, just the rope hanging over the railing, then suddenly going taught. This done by tying a weight to the rope, holding it off camera, and letting it go.
4) Final shot of the hanging character is from waist level, at most.

Now, granted, I've only just started in this field (don't even have a camera to shoot with, yet), but I think this is a reasonable approach. Of course, that's me. And that's why I'm here - to learn from those much more experienced than I am. :)
 
:lol:

I've been thinking about the same thing. My first script I wrote (http://bit.ly/CanYouSeeMeRev1 - shameless plug. Sorry. :)) ends with a hanging. The way I was thinking of doing it was this:
1) Character ties rope to railing. (cut to shot of other character)
2) Character slips noose over head. (cut to shot of other character)
3) You don't see the character drop, just the rope hanging over the railing, then suddenly going taught. This done by tying a weight to the rope, holding it off camera, and letting it go.
4) Final shot of the hanging character is from waist level, at most.

Now, granted, I've only just started in this field (don't even have a camera to shoot with, yet), but I think this is a reasonable approach. Of course, that's me. And that's why I'm here - to learn from those much more experienced than I am. :)

As mentioned previously, the sound will sell this approach. Dry some chicken bones of different sizes and record breaking them with your fingers. Maybe one of them will be the perfect "snap" for your shot.
 
Better to have a rope around the waist, maybe like a harness so you can get that swinging motion when he kicks his feet.

.02

You can tie whats called a swiss harness, I think. It makes a solid harness that puts the weight on your

crotch, instead of you abdomen. Really this is safer, and more comfortable, beleive it or not.:) Less risk of

hernia and such. Be sure and tie the harness as tight as comfortably possible. This will decrease the

amount of discomfort in the fall. Also, add a point of attachment in between the shoulders/around the

chest. This will help to hold the body upright, and give a more natural "hanging from the neck" look.

Here's a vid. You'll have to pardon the guys buldge.:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssmYruwGTzM&feature=related
 
mmm... I don't recall you mentioning you want to see the whole person

During one of my film, I had a scene where one guy picked another guy by the neck. I shot it with two guys standing by the side of the character who is getting picked up. Camera focus only on the feet. The character lift himself off the floor by holding on to the shoulder of the two guys next to him. We then put a chair under him. Shoot over the shoulder of the guy who is picking the character up. The character slowly stands up on the chair. zero budget see

And in regard to the rope. You might want to consider just sellotaping it to the ceiling that the lightest tug would cause it to fall down. Better for it to accidentally fall down, and re-shoot a few times than risking your actor.
 
iight, that's all good advice, but all that i want is to see a fight between two people on a roof. one of the guys punches the other in the throat, claps his ears to stun him, then wrap a rope around the stunned guys neck and kick him off the roof, then only see the rope taut.
i don't want to see the body after it leaves the roof. granted, i'll need a snap and i'll probly do the bone thing or walnuts, but as soon as the body leaves the roof, we'll not be seeing it. his head leaving the camera will be the last you see of him.

but thanks for all the advice guys.

-A.P
 
Back
Top