How did they do the special effects in the movie "Predator"

The last two decades of the last century in the movie can rightly be called the era of Arnold Schwarzenegger. A great career for him began with "Conan the Barbarian", then was devastating in every sense of the "Terminator", then - "Commando," "Red Heat," "Total Recall," "True Lies," etc. Almost all the films.. now perceived as real kinolegendy. There was an exception and "Predator", during the filming of which nearly met in battle two great stars of the time action games.

A film crew

There is a legend that the idea to remove the picture of evil aliens, which mutuzit muscular warrior, was born out of a joke. Like, it would be interesting to see how it will look like Rocky Balboa and confrontation alien from the movie by Steven Spielberg. Sylvester Stallone in "Predator" was not, and the local alien creature like a little good-natured E. T.

Sami writers claim that all this is just speculation. In fact, they first came up with the story of the brotherhood of alien-hunters who arrange safaris people. Because of a limited budget and technical capabilities of the script had to correct - there were a hunter and a small team of US Special Forces.

Budget, by the way, was rather big for a film shoot that was entrusted 36-year-old newcomer. Prior to the "Predator" in John McTiernan portfolio was only weak thriller "Nomads", only later it became known as the director of "Die Hard," "The Last kinogeroya" and "The Thomas Crown Affair". Debutant allowed to develop a budget of $ 15 million, that today inflation is about $ 32 million.

A considerable portion of the budget spent on the already famous "Iron Arnie". However, the producers were ready to pull any money, just to get such a bright "star".

And for some reason, the film really wanted to see Sonny Lendema, who played the role of Billy in the end - an Indian, a member of the group. The actor was a noble fight fans, so on set he allowed only with the bodyguard, who was supposed to protect against Sonny Lendema rest of the cast.

Predator himself he was to play Jean-Claude Van Damme - perhaps one of the main rivals of actors Schwarzenegger dashing kinomanskie 1980-90 th. The Belgian even for two days to come to the set, but in the end a fight with one of the stuntmen, said he did not want to be "walking special effect" with the face covered, and was gone.

The role eventually went to newcomer African American Kevin Peter Hall with "basketball" growth of 2, 2 meters. After the "Predator" he has starred in the sequel so flashed in the TV series "Star Trek: The Next Generation." In the early 1990s the actor was in a car accident, he underwent a transfusion of infected blood and he soon died of AIDS.

On the set the actors remembered with a shudder. The lion's share of the time the film crew spent in the Mexican jungle. Because of the dirty water, almost all suffered from diarrhea. Some actors have lost weight 10-15 kilograms, limiting themselves to food. They did not do it for the filming, but in order not to pick up any infection. According to the lead actors, while working on the "Predator" demand more endurance, rather than acting.

The specially hired military instructors drove cinematic commando of 50 kilometers on foot, tired of many hours of strength training, forced to climb the trees in the jungle. Due to the difficult terrain almost every scene had to shoot six to eight times before it turned something worthy.

Predator

The first Predator was not at all similar to what we know on the eponymous movie franchise. According to the director, the whole crew for a long time waited for designers and costume designers will show the terrible alien. When finally brought to the jungle rubber suit stranger, they saw no cunning and fearsome hunter, but a miserable little creature with an eye in the middle of the elongated muzzle. Being more like some Jar Jar Binks from "Star Wars", but not cunning killer.

It is interesting that the image on the layout chosen himself John McTiernan. Only when he saw the finished suit, the director realized that to shoot this gizmo does not work. And it's not even in the absurd form. The design of the Predator had two joints on the legs, so the actor could not walk independently. It should have been suspended on the ropes, after which the matter would be entered puppeteers. Do it all in a jungle environment was not possible.

With the absurd predator filmed six doubles, and then from the image had to be abandoned. There was a question on the termination of the shooting. The film is saved by a master of special effects and make-up Stan Winston, who allowed the studio to create their own kind of stranger in just six weeks.

It was he who came up with the hair, dreadlocks, warlike appearance and Straseni jaw mandibles with stirring, an idea which he directly on the plane prompted James Cameron. To catch the deadline, Stan Winston team worked seven days a week - the filming process, and so delayed. Finally, with Kevin Peter Hall's body was removed mold on which fashioned suit that same predator who has become a legend on a par with a stranger.

Most of the time the actor went to alien mask. Only in the literal sense outlet it was easily detachable helmet. So Kevin Peter Hall, dressed in a hot rubber suit, he could at least breathe the fresh air. For frames where the Predator "waving" their mandibles, created animatronic head with remote-controlled integrated motorchikami.

According to the filmmakers, the Predator - it is very mobile, fast and bouncy creature. To shoot the scene jump from one tree to another in the alien hunter costume arrayed, even a monkey. However, a trained primate in any did not want to jump in an uncomfortable suit, so the idea was abandoned.

Of course, the most spectacular special effects in the movie Predator was translucent, activated the masking mode. To capture the scene, Kevin Peter Hall had to change my rubber suit for baggy bright red jumpsuit, only the outlines of which coincides with the outline of the hunter.

First shot scenes with the actor, then removed from the frames red suit, and then they were applied to the background of the jungle image, which "shone" through the figure Predator. To create a shimmering effect monster circuits, for the filming of the background image of the jungle (to which special offset mask repeatable texture) filmmakers used a wider lens.

It is hard given the heat of shooting Predator. The operator had to use both thermal and aimed at the screen the camera. In this case both devices have to be moved synchronously. Sometimes on the recording of two- or three-second fragment it took six hours of working time.

As luminescent blood alien acted strange mixture of lubricant and the liquid substance from the glow sticks.

Pyrotechnics and decorations

If you remember, the first third of the film is the most that neither is a valiant fighter in the style of the 1980s. Without the use of fireworks, of course, there was not enough.

All the explosions and gunfire were shot on the well-proven scenario. In places "broads" laid controlled at a distance Pyrocartridges. The same charges, only smaller, with bags of artificial blood hiding in the stunt special vests. As soon begins to shoot guns with blanks, the assistant can only in turn activate the charges.

It's funny, but the most incredible in "Predator" crew members called aliens, but ... six-barreled gun with which brave American commando jungle waters lead.

In fact, it was a modification of the weapons mounted on military helicopters. For firing the machine gun was needed source of energy, so in the field to shoot out of it without a helicopter or other equipment was difficult. I had to pass through a needle cord trousers to solve the problem that led to a hidden power source for the trees.

But this problem does not end there. The fact that the gun shot the entire ammunition less than 20 seconds. In addition, due to the ultra-high rate of people simply could not keep guns in their hands. Specialists had tripled decelerate sextuple colossus to resolve both issues. For greater reliability actor enjoyed a special backup that partially saved him from the recoil when firing.

Most of what the viewer sees on the screen - a real jungle in the wilds of Mexico. They were so thick that the forest before the shooting had to be pretty thin out, to increase the field of view. And the leaves are brighter, the trees from time to time watered with water from a hose, knocking the dust.

So that decorators "Predator" was quite a bit of work - all the right given by nature. For only a few scenes they built from polystyrene and plexiglass artificial couple, very thick trees, which simply was not in the jungle.

John McTiernan said he wanted to make a simple qualitative thriller in the spirit of old school Hollywood. As a result, "Predator" was nominated for the award "Oscar", and for millions of viewers became a cult band. Universe picture has expanded so much that even intertwined with another legend - the world ksenomorfov.

As is often the case, following the "Predator" to continue getting weaker and weaker than the original. But in front of us a wonderful example of how just one film has engendered a whole new trend in the entertainment industry.