Full Size Jet Wing

Hey guys,

A friend and I are embarking on a film project that requires a crashed aircraft to be part of the set background.

Now I've done a lot of small scale props and costuming without too much trouble. But this is the first time I'm embarking on full-size sets, or anything vehicular in nature.

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how we might best achieve this, both in a quick-ish amount of time, and on a limited budget.
We're really only looking at building a wing section at this point, and being in the background we'll need it to look decent, but not incredibly detailed as if it were in the foreground.

If you have any ideas, suggestions, or examples of how others have achieved this, I'd *love* to see/hear them.

Have you thought about green screening it?

This is where an aircraft salvage yard or a film rental company are your friend. The time and money to build your own is not worth it. For a fraction of the cost to build, make a few calls and find a wrecked aircraft to suit your needs. It will look WAY better and save you a TON of wasted time for a one-off set piece.

How much interaction with the prop is required, what distance is the prop, and does the perspective change? What kind of budget?

Like Psicorp said, salvage is probably the easiest way to go, but it might not be an option where you are. It also depends on what kind of crash you are looking to depict. A low speed, gear up landing where fuselage is mostly intact is one thing, whereas a plane that exploded in air can have the wreckage spread over hundreds of feet, and only small pieces remain.

Another thing you could look at is in camera compositing using a miniature , as in Lord in the Rings, which can be quite effective, if a bit technically complicated. A painted wooden cut out could work, depending on how much of a background piece it is. If it's a recent crash, a lot of smoke can cover a multitude of flaws.

James

Cheap aluminum sheet, cheap wood frame to attach cheap aluminum sheet. Band saw, drill press, Viola!

Thanks for the responses guys!
Chaank – we toyed with that idea, but would prefer a practical piece. Can always be a last resort though.
Psicorp7 – that's actually a great idea. It hadn't even crossed my mind to search for a salvage yard! I'll definitely look into it.
JMSupp – thanks for the tip! I'm trying to find out whether it's a more recent crash that smoke and a few other effects could cover up, or whether it's something that's been sitting there for a while. As for how much actual interaction there is, that's info I haven't gotten yet. I'm trying to find out as much as possible in order to be able to tackle the project properly, but getting a solid answer is a bit tricky at the moment!
I will definitely look into compositing with a miniature. That could be a lot easier with a bit of kit bashing to make something custom! Thanks
JPH – that's exactly one of the ways I was thinking of tackling it depending on the kind of drawing I get back from the director with what he wants it to be. If it's achievable like that, that method with some smoke would probably be a good option.