How to pull a sword out of a stone at Fantasy Basel like in Hollywood
29.4.2017
Translation: machine translated
Fantasy Basel, a trade fair for comic fans, film lovers and cosplayers, not only thrives on cosy get-togethers, but also on direct contact with celebrities from film and television. So that you too can get a whiff of Hollywood air, we have teamed up with the film distributor Warner Bros.
At Fantasy Basel, you too can try your hand at pulling the sword out of the stone. I can tell you from well-informed sources that there's a good chance you'll be able to do it. I am also almost certain that the sword is not the real Excalibur.
Just like in Hollywood. The film distributor Warner Bros. wants to recreate this perfect illusion at its stand. Warner Bros. is relying on technology from the digitec shop.
Metal, canvas and iPads
A Hollywood atmosphere is the order of the day at the film distributor's stand. We don't want you to feel like you're in the Middle Ages. Or like in Camelot. Or like surrounded by knights. The stand creates the illusion of a film shoot. You stand in a circular frame with a screen hung on it. On the screen is the print that makes the background look like Camelot.
The stony floor? Flooring.
The sword? A dummy
The stone? Plastic
You have to stand exactly in position, on an OrcaVue platform, which is advertised by the manufacturer as the "ultimate selfie platform".
Then the command: "Action!"
You pull the sword out of the stone, a camera rotates around you, operated by a stand employee with a lever and an iPad. The whole thing looks a bit weird and totally fake. I notice one thing in particular: actors have to be pretty good at it to make themselves believe that this is real and then to convey it authentically.
The magic in post-production
But at the end you get a video of you pulling the sword out of the stone.
The backdrop? Convincing
The sword? Looks real
The stone? Like in the forest
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
News + Trends
From the latest iPhone to the return of 80s fashion. The editorial team will help you make sense of it all.
Show all
