curleysound Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 Many of you probably heard that Nicole Kidman was in an accident a couple of days ago. If you haven't heard, she was in a tow car which skidded around a corner into a pole. There is video of the incident online here: http://cbs5.com/entertainment/local_story_025174123.html I've never seen a tow rig going that fast!!! Whenever a stunt is performed, I have never found myself feeling at risk in the slightest. Everyone I've worked with has been the utmost professional, and I have no doubt that the folks involved here were as well. Still, something went wrong, and people went to the hospital, but everyone was alright. So I'm wondering what steps people have gone to to better ensure the safety of themselves, your crew, and your gear when stunts are going on? Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmgoodin Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 I don't think this was a normal "tow Rig". It looks like a "Mick-rig" or Long bed triple axle truck with the car body or buck mounted on the flatbed back of the truck. These kind of rigs have been used in films like the Matrix and other car stunt movies. They are much safer than most tow rigs, but because they can be driven at much higher speeds, can still be somewhat dangerous. It was curious that the article said that besides Nicole Kidman no other actors were involved in the accident. The video shows a bunch of "actor/stunt people" hanging all over the car body on the outside. (they were in much more danger than a passenger inside the car body strapped in her seat belt.) I guess they don't count since they probably don't have publicists. Maybe it was because they were playing zombies. (dead people don't count either) ---Couretney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mick Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 Mick-rig!!!! I object! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 Like many of us, I have done tow shots countless times, but I have never been in one that took a corner that fast. I'm not laying blame on anyone, but what was the need to go that fast? I would like to talk to anyone that was on that rig or shoot. Jeff is doing a movie called "Rush Hour 3" and my guess is that it has a number of car sequences, have you ever taken a corner that fast? How about other members? Maybe it's just me. Also what is a mick rig, can't recall that term. I'm just glad no one was hurt bad. CrewC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mick Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 FYI Crew, a "Mick-rig" is my sound cart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry long Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 Man I hate to see that. Certainly happy that no one was seriously injured. I believe Mary Ellis, an Atlanta mixer was hurt in an insert car a few years back. LL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taylormadeaudio Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 Yeah, they were flyin around that corner (and it looked wetted down too) It's a calculated risk -- every time these stuntpeople gear up and do their thing... yeah, it kinda bothers me that the article said, "...no other actors..." I wonder what the stuntpoeple who risk their lives every day think about it. I hope they don't strike. Here's some footage I shot with my little Canon Digital Elf a couple years ago while on set for a feature in Spokane... http://www.taylormadeaudio.com/videoplayer.asp?movie_title=MVI_0439.MOV the charge was too big so the vehicle wound up doing a full flip instead of the planned 1/2 flip (I believe it was an industry 1st for a manned vehicle stunt -- albeit unintentional) In hindsight, we were all much too close to the action. The driver went to the hospital with back injuries, but returned to set the next day. Anyhow, kudos to stuntpeople everywhere. We can try to make their jobs safer (require physics classes?), but the element of danger will always be high just by nature of what they do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 I watched the video of the camera car accident and it was very upsetting. It looked like some sort of process trailer rig since the camera car (looked to be typical camera car tow) seemed to jack knife at the hitch. CORRECTION: on 2nd viewing, the rig does look like an "all-in-one" type truck-platform. On Rush Hour 3 we have done quite a lot of insert car work, mostly in Paris (dangerous for other reasons), but not much high speed stuff. Second unit has done the high speed stuff, in Paris and here, without sound. Yesterday we shot on stage, green screen, for the most "dangerous" parts of these stunts with the actors --- no one was in danger and no one got hurt. I think the fastest insert car work I have done was in New York, high speed "suicide run" for "Vanilla Sky". It is a scen where Cameron Diaz drives insanely fast along Riverside Drive with Tom Cruise, eventually drives off a bridge seeming to kill them both. The streets in Manhattan were very rough, we were going very fast but primarily in fairly straight line. It was a long run, 2 pages of dialog before hitting the bridge, and the biggest danger I think was that there could be a break in the street lockup. It was a little scary. Regards, Jeff Wexler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted January 26, 2007 Report Share Posted January 26, 2007 a "Mick-rig" is my sound cart. Thanks Mick, I should of guessed that. I call my cart "The Money Maker". Every once n awhile I'll shake it, thus the expression, "Shakin my money maker". Our follow cart is called Mini Money. I wonder how many mixers name their rigs/ carts? I'm more than likely alone in this regard. CrewC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry long Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 Mick, old school, I call mine "almost paid for". I'll think of a better name once it is. Is it ever? LL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tourtelot Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 Nope Larry. Yours, mine and a few others on here will never be paid for. That's why the comment "Gosh, you get so much in rentals. You make lots more than anyone else." always cracks me up! D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmgoodin Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 I think that rig was designed to slide around corners. It is what they use it for. THey can put actors like Nicole Kidman behind the wheel in the buck and have the stunt driver in the truck cab drive and drift around corners without to much danger of rollover. You can see the old tires strapped to the side of the rig as bumpers so I think they were planning on sliding sideways into something. I just think it wasn't supposed to be a lamp post with loose globes on it. I think the press made a much bigger thing out of it that it was. No one was injured. ---Courtney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 In the report that I heard, what I found most telling -- and a sad commentary on our society -- was how they went on and on about poor, poor Nicole, yadda, yadda, then, at the end of the story, made brief mention that eight crew members and/or stunt people were injured in the mishap. Celebrity is royalty in today's world. If you're not famous, you're nobody. John B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Altman Posted January 27, 2007 Report Share Posted January 27, 2007 Courtney may be right about the slide/collision being intentional. I don't remember seeing anyone in the video actually running to the truck after it hit the pole. Doesn't really matter, just something I noticed. I do agree with everyone else about the lack of concern in the article for crew and other actors. Alex Altman Nashville, TN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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