Meet Joe Black, the 1998 film directed by Martin Brest, starring Brad Pitt as Death on Holiday, resurfaced in an online discussion in 2019. The movie gained attention for its peculiar storyline, oscillating between absurdity and bizarre beauty. However, one particular scene, featuring Brad Pitt’s character being hit by two cars, captured the internet’s fascination once again. In an exclusive interview, Buddy Joe Hooker, the film’s stunt coordinator, and Robert Devine, the special effects coordinator, provide insights into the origins and creation of this memorable scene.
Recalling their involvement, Hooker mentioned that the opportunity may have come through executive producer Ron Schwary or Brad Pitt himself. Amidst their busy schedules, Hooker and Devine received a call and quickly made their way to New York to meet the film’s requirements.
Meet Joe Black crew was devasted after Brad Pitt’s accident scene
Hooker explained that the director, Martin Brest, wanted to shoot the car accident scene in a single take, with no camera movement or edits. To achieve this, an elaborate cable rig was created. And in the shot, the van hits Brad Pitt’s character, causing him to fly through the air, collide with another car, and then land on the back of a taxi. The scene required precise calculations and rehearsals to ensure the safety of the stunt double and to keep the action within the camera frame.
However, unaware of the fact that it was not Pitt but his dummy in the scene, the reactions from onlookers during the filming were intense, with people initially believing that Brad Pitt had been seriously injured. Hooker recalled the shock and concern, realizing afterward that proper communication could have alleviated unnecessary panic. He recalled,
“It blew everybody out. People freaked out. They bring ‘em out and put ‘em on the street; they don’t really know what’s going on. There’s Brad Pitt’s dummy standing there; they’re not really sure what’s happening. [When he first got hit], people were screaming. They were like, “You killed Brad Pitt!” And I kind of thought it was hilarious at the time, but the more I thought about it, I was going, Wow, they should have maybe told this to people. I think they didn’t because they were looking for those reactions. What if one of those old people had a heart attack or something?”
The stunt coordinators explained the intricacies of the cable rig used to execute the car accident scene. Bungee cords were incorporated into the dummy’s body to ensure a lifelike reaction. Moreover, Devine also mentioned a close call when the dummy came through the windshield, narrowly missing the stunt driver’s head. They also clarified that while some computer graphics were used, the majority of the effect was achieved practically.
How did the stunt coordinators manage to fool the crew with the dummy Brad Pitt?
To safeguard Brad Pitt from potential harm during the scene, the team proposed using an articulated dummy that closely resembled the actor. Devine revealed that they created a plaster-bandage mold of Pitt’s body and cast three dummies using that mold. A separate mold was made for his head, and the dummy was fitted with realistic glass eyes. Devine also humorously recalled an incident involving Brad Pitt’s request to destroy all the molds to prevent unauthorized replicas.
Furthermore, Devine described the body casting process, which took place in a hotel room. To protect Pitt’s skin, a unitard was worn, and baby shampoo was applied as a release agent for the plaster bandages. Devine mentioned a lighthearted moment when Brad Pitt commented on his posterior during the process.
Moreover, Hooker also shared his inventive idea for creating the illusion of the van hitting Brad Pitt. A large piece of foam, shaped like the front of the van, was attached to a dolly grip and propelled towards Pitt at high speed. The real Brad Pitt experienced the foam hit, and then the dummy was positioned to match his exact position for the shot. Only a few frames of CGI were utilized to enhance the effect.
Source: Vulture
