Hanging Miniature Continued

The last two posts showed how a hanging miniature effect is achieved in filmmaking. The hanging miniature effect makes small objects appear to be part of the full-scale scene when photographed from the proper angle. These drawings were created in SketchUp to illustrate the effect.

The first image shows the miniature space rocket landed, with its miniature command module taking off for a trip back to Earth. The foreground space rocket and flying command module are actually one-quarter the size of the US Moon Station cluster. But from this perspective all modules appear to be the same scale.

The second image leaves the camera in the same position, but this time the hanging miniature and its platform have been removed. Apparently, in its place, is a full-sized space module with a door. In the 20th Century-Fox comedy, Way… Way Out, this is the space rocket that Jerry Lewis and his new bride Connie Stevens arrived in. The crew that they replaced left in the command module.

The third image shows the stage layout for creating such an effect. The US Moon Station always remained in place. The full-scale module was moved into position only after the miniature work was complete. The hanging miniature and its platform were positioned at the far end of the stage and twenty-feet above the stage floor, along with the camera. The hanging miniature was placed 60-feet away from what would appear to be its full-scale position.

These images illustrate a cinematic way to make dreams come true.

Hanging Miniature

A hanging miniature is the term used for in-camera photo effects, where a miniature is carefully placed to give the illusion that it is a full-sized part of the scene. These effects have been used almost since the beginning of filmmaking. Today, the same illusion is usually achieved with computer graphics. But even today computer graphics can be more expensive than simple model building. This is a film effect worth knowing.

This first image shows a space rocket coming in for a landing. The cluster of modules in the background is the US Moon Station from the 20th Century-Fox, Jerry Lewis comedy, Way... Way Out. The rocket coming in for a landing is actually a miniature (even in this SketchUp model).The single lens of the camera has no depth perception so, in proper focus, both objects appear to be on the same plane.

The second image shows the miniature landed on the hanging miniature base. This base is actually on the other side of the stage, far in the foreground, 60-feet away from the US Moon Station. Our weathernaut is leaving a station that appears to be about the same size as the space rocket. But the space rocket in the foreground is only one-quarter scale.

Way... Way Out!

The Moon Station was designed for a 20th Century-Fox Jerry Lewis comedy co-starring Connie Stevens. In the film the newlywed couple is sent to the moon to watch the Earth’s weather and get to know each other all at the same time. Soon after production ended Irwin Allen found use for the various parts of the station in his television series Lost in Space.

The SketchUp illustration was created using studio drawings for the details. Sadly, drawings were not available illustrating the exact positioning of the various modules. In SketchUp the modules were overlaid onto photographs at various angles in order to estimate the module orientation.

This second view shows the US Moon Station with the space rocket, that brought the couple to the moon, landed.

This SketchUp model was updated to include an illustration of the hanging miniature, in-camera effect, used in the film. Various view of the hanging miniature process will follow.