A few nights ago I watched Apollo 13 and I was wondering how they did the anti gravity effects. I realize that there was definitely some green screen and computer effects involved but with the astronauts pulling themselves throughout their space craft was that with harnesses?
It is called a "flying rig" and it is used not only for flying scenes but for all kinds of stunts. The master users are of course the Chinese with their choreographed fight sequences (think Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon)
ReplyDeleteShot on a green screen the wires have to be removed in post, usually with a program like After Effects (which in fact has a wire removal plugin).
HERE is an example.
One of the master choreographers/stunt coordinator is of course Yuen Wo Ping who did all the martial arts sequences for Tiger as well as Matrix, Kill Bill, Jackie Chan movies and many others.
Lastly, sets are usually constructed to utilize the force of gravity, for example if someone "flies through a tunnel, such tunnel can be built vertically and the actor pulled up although it might seem she is flying horizontally.