I'm trying to figure out how to do a scene where a person falls down some stairs. I mean, I can't just shove the actor down the stairs or anything.

Can you guys think of any way around this?

Oh yeah, also I wanted to know how I could shoot a film that's nearly always in the dark except for a few power surges. Would Night Scene work?

Everybody is Funny Looking in their own way
~Funny Looking Productions

I have no ideas about how to make an actor look like he is falling down the stairs other than stuffing him with some pillows, backing up so the audience can't tell that he has gotten considerably fatter, and filming him actually falling.

I might be able to help with the other problem, though. I want to film a movie that takes place in one night. What I have decided to do is this:
I am going to use the night-vision option on my camera. The only problem is, night-vision can only see about 7-8 feet in front of my camera. So I am using lighting kits to brighten up the area, but I am still going to turn on night-vision to add the effect of everything being in the dark. Even though you will be able to see everything in the scene, the greenish tint added by night-shot will make the viewer feel it is at night. Understand? That is my way of doing it. There are probably other, better ways, but I just haven't heard them yet. Hope this helps.

I'm 14, have no money, don't have my own camera, and live in a small town with no good actors. PLEASE ADOPT ME!

Have the actor fall down the stairs real slow so nothing bad happens and put it in fast-motion in post.

Six+Plus Productions

A good way to make it all seem like its at night is set up your lighting so its somewhat dark but everything is visible.. then toss it in post and add a dark bluish tint to it.. My Old Sony Digi8 camera has nightvision on it, but i find it doesn't look to great and adding light makes it look worse, try the blue tint idea first.

"Everything you know is wrong"

- disinfo.com

Gah, I completely forgot about color correcting. Me=retarded.

I'm 14, have no money, don't have my own camera, and live in a small town with no good actors. PLEASE ADOPT ME!

I've fallen down stairs for some of my movies, but that's because I don't usually get hurt. I also put on a lot of padding under my costume just in case. But if you don't have any one in the group to take a hit for your movie( I understand, it's pretty scary) get a crazy person. Seriously, If you attend a high school that is anything like mine, you'll have at least 15 Johnny Knoxville jackass wanna be's who'll want to get hurt on camera. Ask around. Dress him up as the character and you can even offer to pay him. As for technique, try to roll down sideways(if the stair case is wide enough so he will not hit his head on the railing) Keep your body all in one position so that there will be no bone breaks. the most important thing is not to have any blows to the head, keep your head away from the ground if possible. If possible, have your butt absorb the most impact, because of all the fat, it will not hurt as much as other parts.
But also, make sure that the person will not get killed. It depends a lot on the stair case, are we talking a narrow, steep concrete stair case(dont do it) or a wide gradual one. Be careful, I am a 6 foot 2 inch 215 pound 15 year old director, I don't get hurt easily. make sure it is worth it. If at last resort, roll a dummy down and show it from a far away angle. P.S don't kill yourself.
Big ups to Brooklyn and Peace to B.I.G
Big ups to Brooklyn

there is a decent movie called falling down

In "Intersection" I had a scene that required this, but when I went to do it, I realized two things. 1) My staircase is much steeper than most, and 2) It was plywood steps, with just a thin layer of carpeting over it. The edges were like hitting the corner of an unfinished wall. It really wasnt safe. So, I shot myself, falling toward the stairs, and then ran down the stairs witha very shaky handheld camera, in a P.O.V. shot. I used the 8 speed shutter option on the XL1-s to give it a blurry, rough feel, and sped it up a bit in post. Came out very nice.

You might be able to do something like this, and incorparate quick shots of an actor doing one turn over on the steps. Just make sure he wont keep falling. Just my two cents..... keep the change.
R. Michael

And you shall know us by the trail of dead.

Quick cuts are the key...blurry, fast camera work as Tizzy said works with this too. Just don't make it to quick and blurry If all else fails you could opt for the cheesy green screen effect they used in Psycho...nothings funnier than watching that scene in the remake version.

PS, I am not endorsing or condoning the viewing of the 1998 remake of Psycho, nor any of its sequels, except for the sole purpose of watching William H Macy's death scene.


-Thomas Chalifour

Writer/Director/Actor Extrodinaire

Hmm... the idea is that she is dead and sort of falls down the stairs. I think if the person would fall to her knees first, then just fall the rest of the way, it'll work.

But as for shooting in the dark, I'm still not exactly sure about how I would do that, because I want to use the occasional power surge where the lights flicker on.

Everybody is Funny Looking in their own way
~Funny Looking Productions

Well one thing you might want to clear up, is the fall going to be fast or slow paced? But I'm sure there is plenty of advice here for either.


-Thomas Chalifour

Writer/Director/Actor Extrodinaire

I got the falling down thing falled down. Uhh... you know what I mean, I've figured it out. I need more help with the darkness situation.

Everybody is Funny Looking in their own way
~Funny Looking Productions