My Stunts page (3)
By Gary Packham
Pipe rolls
When you build a roll cage for a stunt it is completely different to the roll cage you buy to put in your every day car. The chances of rolling your car are very slim, it will probably never happen, but if it does, you can be mildly confidant that with a (boy racer) cage fitted you will stand a good chance of getting out in one piece, you will be hurt and the cage will probably bend, but you should be in one piece. A car that is prepared for a stunt is completely different. This car is going to travel at high speed and possibly hit other cars, buildings or a pipe ramp. A pipe ramp is a frame bolted to the ground, that when driven up at speed, gives the ability to elevate the car and also spin the car. The speed you hit the ramp at and the position you hit the ramp at determines the outcome. The one thing you can be sure of is that the car will be a wreck when it finally slides to a halt. The more central you keep the ramp to the car the less roll you get so it follows that if you pass the ramp under your left side you will roll to the right and the further from the centre the ramp is the faster the roll. I have built lots of roll cages for stunt drivers and have never had a driver get hurt. The first 9 photos show the placement of the ramp, this is worked out when we are told where and how the car is to end up (in front of the camera normally, but in this case the car was to fly past an actor walking down a lane) we then ready the driver and car and go for it. This is the clip for these photos. (file size 3,568kb) . This is a different stunt. (file size 1,521kb) with a hot ending. (file size 2,084kb).
BBC'S Murder room
Martin Shaw as Dalgliesh investigates murders that lead him to the House of Lords. One of the murders, well, just look at the photos of this £14,000 E-type jag (it is real) and this clip. (file size 3,490kb) .
Spooks
I had the job of rigging a 7.5 tonn lorry to hit a car, the car had to be pushed down the road after a side impact and be crushed. These three clips show how the sequence came together. (file size 1,810kb) . (file size 1,716kb) . (file size 3,451kb) . The photos show how the car was prepared to allow it to fold in. The lorry just had a beefed up nudge bar made.
Steel River Blues
If you watched Steel river blues then you probably saw the fire engine slide under a bridge. It was shot in several takes and this is how we did it. (file size 1,888kb) . (file size 1,732kb) . (file size 2,529kb) . (file size 1,920kgb) . (file size 2,005kb) .
