Astaire Unwound HD (ceiling dance from Royal Wedding)
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
- This new and improved video shows how Fred Astaire's famous "dance around the room" was filmed by Stanley Donen in the 1951 movie "Royal Wedding" (now in public domain). To see a detailed account of how this video was made, visit www.bigfott.com...
This is all well and good, but I just happen to believe that Fred Astaire could dance on the walls and ceiling without camera tricks.
Even when I can see how they managed the trick, it still looks magical.
Hello Joyce, How are you doing?
Some people say that explaining an effect ruins the magic, but in this case, that can’t be less true.
I'm still trying to figure out how the hat, coat, and picture stay in place.
I love seeing effects in movies be explained as to how they did it. It allows future artists to even further improve on the techniques of the past. Like, I'm not sure if Christopher Nolan could have done that incredible hallway fight sequence in Inception had it not been for this film.
i could watch this shit for hours
The room moving is as impressive as him dancing on the walls
@@jonhester8909 The really difficult one is the chair - Astaire turns it around, sits in it, then repositions it before the real action starts. Notice that at 0:36 the view cuts from close-up to a long full-body shot (as Astaire always insisted on for any dance number); clearly that's not just an instantaneous switch from one camera to another, but a stop in the action to screw that chair firmly to the floor.
If anything, knowing how it's done is even more impressive. The way he keeps his balance and doesn't miss a step as the room literally spins around him....
It's not apparent how much work went into your 'rotation' video on the right side, but I can see it! You must have spent hours tracking and undoing the camera pans and tilts from the original film in order to keep the whole scene properly placed, while masking the tracking shot at the same time as well. It's quite a subtle yet successful job. I applaud your work.
They said he was a perfectionist
same thank u!!
@@piscessmith4785 He's referring to the uploader of this clip, not Astaire.
@@piscessmith4785 What a confusing couple of comments. First comment: "You can't understand the work which went into recreating the original rotation here, and stabilising, unless you're me of course!". Second comment: "Yes, indeed! Astaire was a genius".
Weird disconnect. I honestly don't know whether to feel patronised or not.
The tech( room, out-of-sight cables and pulleys were not only used to re-create this same effect in Lionel Richie’s “dancin’ on the ceiling” video AND ALSO in a very dramatic fight scene in the last episode of season two of the Star Trek “Discovery” series wherein four or five people stage an exciting life or death fight in a small room, or enclosed space in a star ship fighting a battle and literally falling apart and while the five or so minute fight goes on the room starts slowly spinning around as the cameras follow the spin of the room, it appears as though the actors are gradually “fighting on the ceiling(as well as all the walls) instead of dancing. In all three cases, the physical prop was used very effectively, and no, although I am very knowledgeable of how the effect was carried out, I still can look at all three visual uses and STILL appreciate them all. That’s why they call it “Movie Magic “. Kudos to the original Prop Manager who thought of, designed, built, and had the forethought to Save the device for possible future use.
Even seeing it painstakingly explained, my head still hurts at how incredibly well done this effect and shot truly is. And one single continuous take? Masterful.
It's crazier to think he's dancing in a spinning room. That shit somehow seems harder than defying gravity.
LMAO right ??
And yet that's the absolute truth..
Boogaloo shrimp did it to in breakdance 2 the movie..
this was such a brilliant engineering and choreographed routine Fred Astaire was a master.
Especially in an era before CGI and fancy editing 😊
Impressive techniques from 1951, with no CGI: intelligent angles, talent and magic! EPIC!
The use of the photo prop and the randomly thrown jacket, the misdirection when he first dances against the door on the right, the sustained takes that are just jaw dropping. And now to get to see it right side up, so to speak. I can't imagine what it was like being the camera guy working against gravity. Thanks so much for this. It's really excellent.
He was probably stationary, and the camera would spin.
@@ricarleite That's exactly how they did it.
The chair that he moves from under the desk and then hangs off of is what impressed me the most. My best guess is magnets or it fastened down to a certain part of the floor, but it’s impressive.
@@skraegorn7317 You can see a cut right after he moves the chair. Gave them time to lock it into place before they started filming the rotation. I don't know that's how they did it just a guess based on the cut. They also cut at the end when he sits down and I think you can see his cigarette in the ash tray.
I'm super impressed with the fake coat and jacket plus the magnets on the picture are a nice touch.
I was impressed by the wooden curtains and the fake lights together with the fake shadow.
A masterclass in choreography, collaboration, timing and execution!
Instead of explanation with confusing audio, the graphic with camera positions keeps it simple and clear. Bravo!
I could watch Mr Fred Astaire dance for hours and hours.
He’s magical.
watching this again on TCM in Canada. Amazing!! and I am fascinated that the picture of his sweetie doesn't move until he picks it up, as well as the coat and hat don't move from the rack or the chesterfield arm.....so wonderful!!
An amazing feat at the time (1951)....Simply superb!
A rotating room is such a huge, ungainly mechanism that it's a feat in any time.
I dare say it would be an amazing feat even today!
Can you imagine the amount of work it took to set this scene up for filming? Then think about Astaire's performance. He had to dance to match not only the rotation but also dance his movements to match the finished illusion...
This never ceases to amaze me even knowing how it was done. Fred Astaire was truly a master of his craft!
iconic scene and Freds moves so simply done yet so very hard to do but he made it look so smooth and elegant what a remarkable dancer he was thank goodness for the archives.
Who else could do something this crazy and manage to still look so graceful, like they aren't even working at it?
The obvious answer is "no one".
Wow! Watching how Fred Astaire did that just makes me appreciate him even more. Thank you.
The entire process of pulling off this illusion should never be understated, especially since it also involves Fred Astaires amazing sense of timing as the room spun around! Seeing how it was done doesn't spoil the trick at all!
“Royal Wedding” continues to be an all-time favourite musical film and to have seen it last week on the big screen at the Stanford Theatre for the first time was a great privilege. At the end of this and other numbers, it was marvelous to be part of an audience that broke into applause. There are numerous accounts of how this number was orchestrated and filmed, but your simulation shows it better than any other seen yet. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
Fantastic video! Thank you for this. Seeing how they accomplished this feat is so special. Such talent from everyone. I've always wondered how this was done. It makes the scene even more special. Thanks again.
Awesome, seeing how it was done makes it all the more special
I don't understand why the audience can't detect the rotation in the least. this is amazing. I have heard it explained how they did it, it's cool to finally be able to see it!
This is an amazing video in it's own right. It doesn't diminish the effect or ruin the magic of the performance. In fact the true "magic" can not be explained, as it is within Fred Astaire himself.
I always thought that the room was slowly and continuously rotating. Never knew it was 4 separate moves. The climax is stunning.
Great work! And I love all the effort they put into creating such amazing settings back then. Today you'd just dance on a green screen if they danced at all.
The fact he moved the chair at the beginning but then was able to hang from it later 🤯
Super strong magnets maybe? I have no idea with that one xD
Notice that at 0:36 the view cuts from close-up to a long full-body shot (as Astaire always insisted on for any dance number); clearly that's not just an instantaneous switch from one camera to another, but a stop in the action to screw that chair firmly to the floor.
So what's also clever is how he hangs off the chair when he's on the ceiling so they had to fix it to the floor. But he also moved it around at the beginning. There's a cut between the two parts but it's seamless!
Still trying to figure out why the picture doesn't fall down though!
I’m guessing a strong magnet.
I got here from watching Ernie Kovacs fill up his thermos cup at a 45 degree angle. Both of these effects are BRILLIANT.
I knew it had to be a rotating room, but couldn't figure out exactly how they filmed it. Thanks for this. It's great!
I’m a total nerd for this kind of stuff. Thank you.
I just watched this clip for the first time and couldn’t quite wrap my head around it. Thanks for illustrating it this way. My mind is now wrapped, lol.
There is an absolutely gorgeous, haunting, contemporary dance piece filmed this way- I think it features three women in different rooms, in vintage outfits. After a while water starts to run on the floor/ceiling etc. If ANYONE knows the piece, please share the name with me. Been searching for it for years.
Amazing dance number by Fred Astaire as always!!! 💗 Super tech work as well!!!
It is indeed a great honor for me to be the first one who posts a comment for such an outstanding performer as Fred Astaire!
Um...
Astaire was a song and dance genius. One of my favorite singers.
Such a simple concept for an effect, and yet still so neat to watch. Amazing.
Who just watched captain D’s video?
No me. Who is Captain D? Can you add the link.
only the true fans find this video
@BLAIR M Schirmer he's the best
@@JimSowers Better late than never: Captain D is an abbreviation of Captan Disillusion. He's a RUclipsr that debunks and explains fake videos. Look him up. He's great!
Man. The practical effects back then. Also, does anyone else think this looks kind of like the boat turning upside down in Buster Keaton's the boat, or the ending of his "The Navigator"?
Or Poseidon Adventure.
I love Mr. Fred Astaire so much🥰
Its great to see you come back to this video! Its still one of my favorite videos. Nice job cleaning up the image stabilization too!
Wow! It's fascinating to see how that was done!
Big thanks
Bend wonderlng about this since 1974 - That Entertainment! Movie
I’m just imagining the kids back then going crazy about this.
Great work! Mapping the moving shots onto a static plate must have been pretty tricky, but it's absolutely seamless!
Oooooooooooooh so the room itself rotates!!! It took me a solid minute to realize. That's so cooool!!!!!!! 😲😲
The woman in the photograph really had Fred crawling the walls, and the ceiling to boot!
Thats so cool and Boogaloo shrimps homage in breakin 2 is equally as good.
This is amazing what you have done with this footage! Thank you! :)
Just ingenious!!!
Thanks for this visualisation.
Thank you, that was so much better than trying to rotate my screen at exactly the right moment 😄
Just brilliant!
Brilliant!
Kubrick's 'space stewardess' scene aboard the shuttle in 2001 was not the first to use this effect.
Captain D sent me!
Just fantastic, thanks for posting!
It's interesting that the desk chair - the one movable object that wasn't fixed to floor/walls/celling - remained in place when the set rotation started. Since it is shown in one, continuous take, they must have had spring clamps activate it to hold it down when the movement started.
Man, really was in love.
Brilliant!!!
So cool man. :3 might be a lot of work, but it might be cool to do that for inception
This is great! How did they keep the picture from flopping around during the room turning?
I would guess some sort of clip, or blue tack. Surely not their biggest concern for this scene.
I assume they glued/nailed it to the wall instead of hanging it like they normally would.
Notice that at 0:36 the view cuts from close-up to a long full-body shot (as Astaire always insisted on for any dance number); clearly that's not just an instantaneous switch from one camera to another, but a stop in the action to screw that chair firmly to the floor, and to glue the picture to whatever it's leaning against..
How many days/takes did it take to create this MASTERPIECE???
Even with it explained, its hard to think that he was still doing this continuous (mostly) dance while the whole room was turning.
This broke my head.
Once in a great while, artistic collaborators, working at the top of their highest ability, create an epochal collective masterpiece to which all subsequent work by others is judged.
Such a great scene and since he has to sing to playback, dance on beat while listening to the director shouting instructions on when the next rotation would start. And then they probably added the sound again in post to synch it. Astaire was a genius. But so was the guy that put this video together - did you get access to the original uncropped/unpanned footage. Did you somehow paste in the edges?.
Well, thanks. Everything you see on the right came from what you see on the left. In the video description there's a link to my webpage where I go into some detail about how I created the video.
Better, much much better than Avengers:) Why did we go away from this magic of cinema..
Better than CG computers today!
I think everyone forgets about the cameraman. Who I assume had to be strapped to a chair or something in order to follow Fred around.
Looking at how this was done, does ruin the magic a bit, but I also like seeing how it was done.
I think most of the dancing was not planned, but improvised in the moment.
This was extremely clever long before CGI.
BTW, in 1974, 23 years after 1951, this was included in the film, "That's Entertainment".
Everything Fred Astaire ever did looked as if it was improvised but it was anything but. A dance like this in particular, in a small room with all those obstacles, would have had to be carefully prepared. But, of course, then it was Fred Astaire who performed it so it looked like something done on the spur of the moment in celebration of love. That was part of his genius. he conveyed joy and make us happy too.
If Penn & Teller would showcase dancing segments in their stage shows, they might use something like this.
damn i thought Nolan was the first to do that with his scene in inception, but of course thinking about it, it's a pretty simple trick to set up when you have enough money to build a rotating room...
Also used in 2001.
Highest skill ever
Thank you so much!
Imagine people’s minds blown when they saw this back in the 50s!
This looks like it would be fun.
Absolutely genial
Kubrick used this effect in "2001", in the short scene where the stewardess walks from rightside up to upside down.
This was also used in the movie "Poltergeist" where the mother gets dragged up her bedroom wall by the ghosts.
Yes, and here we thought Kubrick innovated the effect. He didn't even eclipse earlier examples, this scene sets an unbeatably high bar! Really impressive, just caught this randomly on tv.
Around 1970 I had a thick paperback titled " The Making of 2001: A Space Odyssey", but I misplaced it a long time ago. One of the photos shows one of those early apes in "The Dawn of Man" sequence; off-camera he was reading a newspaper and smoking a cigar!
ruclips.net/video/-RGGK2uyJOw/видео.html
Thanks for posting this!
Considering this was late 40s / early 50s, this was quite a feat.
WOW, WOW, WOW!!!
Love it
This...is amazing :)
Who else is here from CD?
They did the same thing in Lionel Richie’s video “Dancing on the Ceiling.”
Thank you for this. Many ideas for my own project. I am building a stop action video of toothpick characters in the form of a rock band named Wood Zeppelin. I am planning a similar scene to this with a rotating room, maybe in this case a stage. I have vids o my channel to see the work in progress. thanks for posting!
Талантище!
I just watched this on TCM. The entire time I was watching the "lighter" objects like lamp shades and curtain for movement, but didn't see any.
Stanley Donen said that everything in that room was solid (including the curtains) and nailed down.
you could never have a full one shot dance number nowadays
or 3 shots to look like one shot
Groovy Dancing To me:)
16 people are sad that they didnt figure it out how it was made
Sweet Jesus in heaven what talent.
Woooow
How is this movie not available on blu-ray yet?
It has been in public domain for years.
So how did the room spin? How did they assemble it?
Where's the love option