Top 10 Behind the Scenes Movie Secrets That Will Blow Your Mind

“1917” (2019)

The idea of “1917” being shot as if in one take - well, two takes, technically - intrigued the hell out of film fans, but more specifically, moviemakers. How do you pull that off? Well, with a lot of practice, and finesse. Although the likes of Alfred Hitchcock successfully incorporated continuous shots into movies like “Rope” in 1948, Sam Mendes’ “1917” takes things to a whole new level. The hidden cuts are meticulously hidden, with the cameras keeping up with the action on foot, by Jeep and by motorcycle, sometimes all in the same take. Actors rehearsed scenes rigorously, pacing out how long dialogue would take - with the sets being designed to accommodate both the distance they would travel, and the size of the cameras.

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)

With all the action in “Infinity War”, it’s easy to forget just how much work goes into each individual shot. For example, remember that scene in which Captain America and Black Panther outrun everyone, where they burst ahead of the pack with in-human speed? It’s easy to assume it’s CGI, but in fact, it isn’t. The filmmakers used a series of cables that essentially lifted the actor from above, like a zip wire, and pulled him from the front. In fact, a similar technique was used for 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk”. This gives the illusion that the characters are moving quickly across the ground. All the actors have to do is run as fast as possible to complete the illusion.

“Mission Impossible: Fallout” (2018)

With movie effects, sometimes the simplest solution is in fact the answer. Like how do you capture the perfect shot of Tom Cruise doing a HALO - or high altitude low open - jump out of an aeroplane? Get a camera guy to walk backwards out of the plane with a camera on his head, of course. Although in essence it’s a simple (albeit terrifying) idea, it still took the crew a lot of rehearsing; over 100 practice jumps in fact! Add to that the special rehearsal wind tunnel they had to construct, Cruise’ bespoke helmet they had to build, and the fact that there was only a three minute window per day to film, and you have one of the simplest, but most complicated and most awesome action shots ever!

“Jurassic Park” (1993)

When Stephen Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park” hit cinemas, its combination of practical and computer-generated effects blew people’s minds. And without a doubt, one of the movie’s defining moments is the T-Rex attack. Still to this day, the realism of the Tyrannosaurus Rex in this scene holds up, and that’s mainly thanks to the fact that they used a real T-Rex - or at least a real puppet, that is. In fact, two models were constructed: a full body, 12,000lb latex-covered, hydraulically-powered animatronic dinosaur and another model with just the head and torso, with the latter used for closeups to help sell the terror of the reptile. Nowadays, CGI tends to reign supreme, but Spielberg proved that combining both practical and computer-generated effects is the winning formula for a film that stands the test of time.

“Children of Men” (2006)
Alfonso Cuarón’s “Children of Men” features some of the most claustrophobic and engrossing examples of single-shot sequences in cinematic history. But this scene, in particular, featuring a surprise attack on a country road, was surely the most technically-exhausting for the filmmakers to craft. The camera seemingly defies physics by floating around the interior of a car, catching all of the action - from fleeting bad guys to gruesome deaths. This was achieved with a specially-designed car, which had the roof removed and a man driving at one end of it like a go-kart, while the crew sat around the action. The actor’s movements were carefully choreographed to work around the camera. The car seats had to work on hinges so they could duck out of the way when necessary.

“Kidding” (2018-)
Time lapses are always cool. But time lapses in real time are something special. In this scene from the TV show “Kidding”, we’re taken on a journey as a woman’s life - and apartment - goes through a series of significant changes as time passes - all in one take. Using close-ups of a TV to mask the action behind the camera, the crew works with impeccable timing to change numerous elements of the scene, from the wallpaper to the furnishings. Even the clothes of actor Riki Lindhome change before our eyes. And we even see her dog grow up. The end result is truly jaw-dropping.

“Vertigo” (1958)
Committed to pushing the boundaries of filmmaking, Alfred Hitchcock experimented with many different revolutionary camera techniques in his movies. One of the most iconic effects he popularised was the dolly zoom, or as it’s sometimes known, the ‘Vertigo Effect’. This effect was famously used in this scene from the 1958 movie “Vertigo”, where John Ferguson fearfully stares down towards the ground from the heights of the tower shaft. The effect is achieved when a camera operator walks towards a subject and slowly zooms out, or vice versa. In “Vertigo”, a scaled model of the building was actually used when capturing the shot, but the effect is still the same. The method has influenced filmmakers everywhere - from Steven Spielberg in 1975’s “Jaws,” to Martin Scorsese in 1990’s “Goodfellas.”

“Inception” (2010)
Similarly to Spielberg, Christopher Nolan is a big fan of practical effects - sometimes going to mind-boggling lengths to get the shot. And speaking of mind-boggling, 2010’s “Inception” is among his most ambitious works, both psychologically and visually. In this dream sequence, two characters fight in a hallway, but gravity shifts, with them fighting on the walls and ceiling. All of this was achieved with strict choreography, a few wires, and a huge rolling hallway set that was turned as the actors fought each other. Capturing the scene was another thing altogether however. The camera was essentially suspended on the end of a huge telescoping arm, and the only lighting available was that provided by the wall lamps and light bulbs you see in the scene.

“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001)
Unlike the isolating green screen fest that was “The Hobbit” movies - which, believe it or not, reportedly almost saw Ian McKellen quit acting for good -, “The Lord of the Rings” films predominantly didn’t employ CGI to make its hobbit characters small in stature. Instead, they used forced perspective. This saw hobbit actors placed at a greater distance from the camera, with set designs accommodating for their placement, and giving the illusion that they were side by side with the actors who were closer to the camera. Props of different sizes, like smaller or larger scale tables, were also used. The end result is a life-sized Gandalf and a pint-sized Frodo. Cool, huh!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Falling Through the Floor
“The Witcher” (2019-)

Bridge Jump
“Speed” (1994)

Mirror Shot
“Contact” (1997)

Truck Flip
“The Dark Knight” (2008)

“The Matrix” (1999)
Come on, admit it, we’ve all tried to imitate Neo’s bullet dodging at some point. But how did they do it on-camera? Well, that’s just it: it wasn’t just on one camera; it was done using a lot of cameras, all at the same time. “The Matrix” popularised the effect known as ‘bullet time’, an effect that seemingly freezes or slows down the action, giving us a 360 degree view of what’s going on. This was achieved by stitching a series of different photographs together, which were taken within milliseconds of each other - and sometimes by up to 120 separate cameras. This ultimately resulted in the filmmakers getting one fluid wrap-around slow motion shot that looks physics-defying and undeniably awesome in several different iconic scenes of the movie. Whoa indeed.