Late Sushant Singh Rajput played the lead role in the film Kedarnath.
Watch these two scenes first.
The first scene was filmed in real locations, but the rain seen in the second scene was created using pumps and fountains. Similarly, the flood scene of the film Kedarnath was also shot in a small pond in Film City.
In reality, flood and storm scenes in movies cannot be filmed in real locations. In such a situation, a set is made in which air is blown using a machine and rain is produced using a pump. Later, the scenes are completed using sound and VFX.
In this episode of Reel to Real, we learned how natural disaster scenes are shot in movies. For this, we spoke to filmmaker Karan Kapadia, miniature artist Sarvesh Pawar, cinematographer Tushar Kanti Ray and VFX editor Upanshu Singh.
How are earthquake scenes filmed? First of all, let’s know how the earthquake scene is filmed. Before filming the earthquake scene, the director and the production team decide together how the effects of the earthquake should be shown. For this, the entire team carries out research on incidents caused by earthquakes such as the collapse of buildings, the spread of debris, etc. Meanwhile, the help of a VFX specialist is also sought so that the earthquake effect can be shown properly.
Small models of buildings are made on set for the earthquake scene. These models look like real buildings. After that, vibrators are used on set to show the effects of the earthquake. As soon as the filming begins, the vibrators turn on. The buildings shake, giving the audience the experience of an earthquake. Additionally, small grains (earth particles) are used to add dust and debris effects, making the scene more realistic.
While shooting, the camera takes photos from multiple angles. In this process, smoke machines are used to show the smoke. Apart from that, the scene is made even more dramatic by adding effects such as screams or explosions in the background. After filming, the rest of the work is completed using computer graphics.
During the shooting of the film Ravana, Aishwarya-Abhishek would stay in the water for 14-15 hours. Karan Kapadia had worked in the film Ravana. Scenes involving a river, a pond and rain were shot in this film. Regarding the experience of this film, Karan said that its filming was very dangerous. Almost all of the filming of the film was done live. Most of the scenes had to be shot in the forest. The entire team had to stay in the water for 14 to 15 hours.
We have seen many scenes in the movie Ravana, in which rain is shown. Karan said that some of these scenes were shot in real rain. At the same time, an artificial rain setup was prepared for some scenes.
For flood scenes, water is sprayed from pumps. All flood scenes shown in movies are fake. Their filming does not take place on a real location, but on a prepared set. First, a setting is prepared on which objects such as houses, roads and trees are made. All these models are small in size, but look absolutely real.
Then small pumps are installed on the tray, which are used to spray water. The water level increases or decreases depending on the scene. To show the tsunami, large pumps are used, which shoot out water quickly like ocean waves. Once filming is complete, sound effects are created using computer graphics.
We have seen many such scenes in films, in which forests catch fire and entire villages are burned. Actually, in such cases, some scenes are shot in real locations like forests, while sometimes many such spots have also been made in the movie town, where fire scenes can be shot.
However, to film in real locations like forests, permission must be obtained. Filming begins here only after obtaining permission from the Forest Department. It is not possible to film here without permission. At the same time, to shoot fire scenes, permission must be obtained from the fire brigade.
An ambulance and a team of doctors are present on set all the time. Karan said that when scenes like flood, fire and earthquake are shot, an ambulance and a team of doctors are present on the set all the time for the safety of the actors.
How and why are miniatures made? Let’s understand the planning and process of miniature models with an example. For example, initially, the director of the film and a miniature expert decided together how to show the scene of the sinking of the Titanic. It was not possible to sink the real ship in water, so smaller models were designed.
A large model of the actual ship and several smaller models of the Titanic were made. Small details were also made in miniature models, such as the ship’s premises, stairs and the effect of sea waves was also taken into account.
When these miniature models were ready, they were placed in water and filmed. To show the effect of the ship sinking, small engines and machines were installed, which slowly tilt the ship, causing it to sink in the water. At that time, special lights and cameras were used to make everything seem real and the audience could really feel the situation.
Visual effects and computer graphics were added to the filmed scenes to make the sinking of the ship and the effects of the waves real. Miniature technology was used in the Titanic scene because it would have been very difficult and expensive to achieve all of this at full scale.
The flood scenes are filmed in a small pond. The role of miniature models increases significantly in filming flood scenes. In reality, shooting such scenes in real locations is not possible. For this reason, a small pond is created and the entire scene is filmed there. Then the rest of the work is done using special effects.
Miniature models are made in less time and on less budget. Sarvesh Pawar said that the budget of shooting with miniature models is much less than that of shooting on a real location. However, the production team has very little time to make miniature models. Sometimes we only have 7 days.
The underwater scenes of the film Kedarnath were shot in the swimming pool. Tushar Kanti Ray worked as a cinematographer in the film Kedarnath. Scenes of floods and storms were also shot in this film. About its direction, Tushar said, “We shot the temple scene in the film in a real location. The flood scene was filmed in Film City. A pond was built in the film town, where water-related scenes can be easily shot. There are also underwater scenes in the movie Kedarnath. These scenes were filmed in a swimming pool.
This scene from the movie Kedarnath was shot in a swimming pool.
In films, air is projected by machines for storm scenes. The storms shown in the movies are also fake. To prepare the storm setup, the director and production team first decide what the storm will look like, how strong the wind will be, how heavy the rain will be. Then the decor is ready, on which there are all houses, trees and plants. To create the appearance of a strong wind, wind turbines are installed.
When heavy rain is expected to occur accompanied by wind, sprinklers or hoses (a long pipe used to carry water from one place to another) are used. Sometimes, to further enhance the effect of the rain, water also falls from above.
Then after filming, the sound engineer records the sounds of lightning, wind and rain and puts them into scene. Additionally, infographics are also used to give a comprehensive overview of the scene.
It’s impossible to create flood and storm scenes without VFX. Upanshu Singh said that VFX plays an important role in shooting natural disaster scenes. Like an earthquake, you can’t film a real place. For this reason, VFX is used to make the scene realistic.
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