Decapitation effect at DVinfo.net

Ivo van Aart · February 15th, 2008, 04:35 PM

Hi everyone,

I know there's just been a video released on this effect but it didn't convince me. The reasing I'm going to ask this is because in a future project a head will be >ripped off< (it's not a horror, but it's someones fantasy).

What's the best way to do that?
Someone rips another one's head off. Pretty weird to ask you guys this, but I'm sure one of you has done something like this before.

Thanks in advance!

Richard Alvarez · February 15th, 2008, 06:00 PM

Easiest way it to lay them down and hide their real head. When I was on the set of "Day of the Dead" - My buddy Taso Stavrakis' character Torez, got his head ripped off by Zombies. He was thrown down onto a stack of pallets. CUT then his real head was slid into a hole in the pallets, and the fake head was attached to his torso and shoulders. The fake head also had controll cables to make the mouth 'scream'. Then the Zombies ripped the head off, as his real arms flailed about and he 'screamed'. I was standing right next to the Camera, and thought "Man this looks cheezy" but sure enough on film it looked fantastic. Makeup/FX by the great Tom Savinni of course.

I have also decapitated people by chopping their head off with a chopping block. Looks great from three feet away. But that's not ripping their head off.

Chris Luker · February 20th, 2008, 02:04 PM

Check out indymogul.com. They had a how to there a few weeks back... cheap too!

February 15th, 2008, 04:35 PM	#1
Ivo van Aart Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Breda, Netherlands Posts: 67	Decapitation effect Hi everyone, I know there's just been a video released on this effect but it didn't convince me. The reasing I'm going to ask this is because in a future project a head will be >ripped off< (it's not a horror, but it's someones fantasy). What's the best way to do that? Someone rips another one's head off. Pretty weird to ask you guys this, but I'm sure one of you has done something like this before. Thanks in advance!

February 15th, 2008, 06:00 PM	#2
Richard Alvarez Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 3,840	Easiest way it to lay them down and hide their real head. When I was on the set of "Day of the Dead" - My buddy Taso Stavrakis' character Torez, got his head ripped off by Zombies. He was thrown down onto a stack of pallets. CUT then his real head was slid into a hole in the pallets, and the fake head was attached to his torso and shoulders. The fake head also had controll cables to make the mouth 'scream'. Then the Zombies ripped the head off, as his real arms flailed about and he 'screamed'. I was standing right next to the Camera, and thought "Man this looks cheezy" but sure enough on film it looked fantastic. Makeup/FX by the great Tom Savinni of course. I have also decapitated people by chopping their head off with a chopping block. Looks great from three feet away. But that's not ripping their head off.

February 20th, 2008, 02:04 PM	#3
Chris Luker Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Woods Cross, Utah Posts: 310	Check out indymogul.com. They had a how to there a few weeks back... cheap too!