Go see the movie "Sky High"

Hugh R · 08:20 PM

Went to the cast and crew screening last night. And Disney needs your money! Its a good Disney kids movie, even for adults. Its about a high school for teenagers who have special powers and are training to become superheros.

I'll give you a tip, early in the movie there is a scene where two kids are shooting a crossbow bolt (arrow) into the ceiling and winching themselves up to the ceiling. the cable breaks and one of the kids falls, that actually happened and was an accident, and we decided to use the footage anyway. The kid wasn't hurt and we continued shooting.

However, it brought up a huge issue with the CA labor commissioner and the issue of kids doing stunts. Under the state labor code, minors can't do "stunts" the trouble is that no where in state law or regulation is there a definition of a stunt. Actually, what the labor code says is that minors can't be in close proximity to pyrotechnics, or dangerous moving machinery, or something to that effect. Because of the accident, the labor commissioner is flopping around on the issue of kids working on wires (flying), and those types of situations.

We've been flying kids in movie for 100 years, and on stage since the Roman times, or earlier. A lot of the flying was done with huge electric winches controlled with computers that could accelerate up to 40 mph, and stop within tenths of an inch accuracy. The problem with computers is that they do exactly what you tell them to do, and you have to test and test over and over again with dummies before you hook up a human. All the flying in the movie is real, not computer generated; computers do a lot of the visual effects work though. BTW, "Sky High" is the Oviatt library at California State University Northridge, where I got my MBA.

Vonzipper · 07-27-2005, 09:31 PM

Thanks for the update Hugh, I'll be taking my kids to it

kycarguy 935 · 07-28-2005, 10:23 AM

Thanks for the information.

I love the movie industry or at least the small part I know about it. I worked with Stan Winston Studios and Kevin Yeager Studios alot in the 80's with remote controls and servo support. There were more studios but I don't remember the names right now.

ckissick · 07-28-2005, 11:09 AM

The stunt kid thing reminded me of something. I went to a 4-year-old's birthday party last month and another 4-year-old was wearing a shirt that said, "I do my own stunts". I want one of those shirts, too.

71T Targa · 07-28-2005, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ckissick
The stunt kid thing reminded me of something. I went to a 4-year-old's birthday party last month and another 4-year-old was wearing a shirt that said, "I do my own stunts". I want one of those shirts, too.

I think they sell them at Target.