Looking back at
this post reminded me of a piece I did a while back on the making of the first Mad Max film, shot in late 1977. I had the pleasure of interviewing the cinematographer David Eggby, responsible for the seat-of-the-pants footage that was much of the film's attraction. This pic shows how things have changed, not only in terms of camera sizes, but also what people were happy to do way back when. The bike is a Kawasaki Z1000, and here's what David Eggby had to say about it all:
"I've been a motorcyclist all my life and still ride today. [Shooting from the back of the Goose bike] I couldn't have a helmet on because you can't operate a camera, it gets in the way. Terry Gibson, who was riding, and I think the president of [Melbourne bike gang] the Vigilanties, dressed as the Goose. They put a seat belt strap around us and we went for it, and you can see on the speedo that it's cracking 180kph."
MP
Great post guys !! I hope the cock, who shall remain nameless, who went to the bother of sending me an email doubting the voracity of a post I did a while back on the topic reads this . . . yes indeed, one mental moment after another on that shoot. Truth is definitely stranger and tougher than fiction.
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to work with Grant Page who did most of the stunts on Mad Max: He drove the awesome Ford XB through the caravan! He said that the scene where the guy crashed and cartwheeled through the air was actually an accident and that the dude broke both legs. for more Grant Page magic:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTm72G2Uo7c