Volvo Van Damme Split – Fake or Real

[Rich Rubasch]

Wasn’t he in the recent GoDaddy spot doing the splits.

It’s real.

Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media Inc.
Video Production, Post, Studio Sound Stage
Founder/President/Editor/Designer/Animator
https://www.tiltmedia.com

[Bill Davis]

I’m not saying that the splits themselves aren’t real. It’s perfectly possible that JCVD can do that.

What has me puzzled is how they could find any insurance underwriter on the entire planet who would sign off on the stunt.

Remember, it’s not just the steering smoothness for the two trucks (what they’re promoting) , there’s engine vibration, wind, rise and fall of the road surface (undulations) and a whole other host of physical forces in play

It also confuses me that the trucks are rolling in reverse. Presuming front wheel drive, that would make stearing exponentially more difficult, but maybe that’s the point. Still, the geometry of starting, ramping away and then hitting a fixed cab to cab distance smoothly would be an unholy feat of driver coordination.

Maybe they shot it wide to tight then ran it backwards? Which would be more consisstent with JCVD’s body position which seems to be leaning somewhat away from the air pressure direction in the shot.

Combine that with the shot complexity which would mean you’d have to do multiple takes for timing – all add up to pushing me to think that while aspects of it might be real – most of the shot is a sophisticated composite.

Just my guesses, tho.

Know someone who teaches video editing in elementary school, high school or college? Tell them to check out http://www.StartEditingNow.com – video editing curriculum complete with licensed practice content.

[Rob Grauert]

The split is definitely real. He does it in the movie Bloodsport, and I’m sure he’s done it other times on camera as well.

But yea, I think it’s just a very good composite, too.

Rob Grauert, Jr.
http://www.robgrauert.com
http://www.facebook.com/robgrauertvideo

[Rich Rubasch]

Couldn’t they have had safety gear under him and simply removed it in post? Plus drive the trucks forward then reverse the whole shot. Seems entirely possible. And if they sped it up a bit after reversing the shot they would not have been moving very fast to begin with.

Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media Inc.
Video Production, Post, Studio Sound Stage
Founder/President/Editor/Designer/Animator
https://www.tiltmedia.com

[Mark Suszko]

Don’t over-analyze it. The point is lost if it is faked, and even if they had put a net under/between and roto’ed it out, that doesn’t take anything away from TMFB.

I tried to show some guys the Lexus quadcopters thing recently and they all swore blue it was all CGI fakery. Took me posting about 8 youtube videos of the technologies used, to convince them, and they’re still not all sure about that one.

[Adam Taylor]

for me, the giveaway is the way both trucks bounce/vibrate in unison – noticeable mainly on van dammes close-up. I have never seen two vehicles, even that close, that move as if locked together. No road is that perfect.

Adam Taylor
Video Editor/Audio Mixer/ Compositor/Motion GFX/Barista
Character Options Ltd
Oldham, UK

http://www.sculptedbliss.co.uk
My YouTube Animations Page

[Rich Rubasch]

It’s real…Van Damme himself said there were only safety wires and the trucks practiced for three days. I still think the trucks drove forward and the shot was reversed…but the stunt was real and captured in one fluid shot.

Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media Inc.
Video Production, Post, Studio Sound Stage
Founder/President/Editor/Designer/Animator
https://www.tiltmedia.com

[Jessica-faye Watters]

I believe he was photo shopped onto a stunt double. I don’t think I can reveal how I know due to legal issues, but I know a guy . . .
Regardless, the commercial is very well done and inspiring.

[Mark Suszko]

It’s a meme-worthy spot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRdXOr-uYlU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z44kbAAi1VU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMlpiey20b8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn1F-lzoP08

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[Grinner Hester]

best thread here since the ole Horror Stories thread LOL