Breakaway Furniture and Props

[FarisP]

I need a way of making breakaway furniture because in my film there is a fight scene inside a house???

[Paladin1221]

There is two ways to make break away furniture.

The more expensive way is to make them out of a very soft, easy to splinter wood. Most movies use this method as it looks the realistic and at slow motion gives the effect that its a much stronger wood.

The other way is to build and or use old furniture and cut it with a saw, then lightly glue it back together. Now this would work if you needed to fall back on a coffee table or sit down and break a chair but most likely would not hold up to picking up the chair and breaking it over a guys head.(Plus if your not useing a soft wood like I said before this could really hurt even if the chair comes apart.)

And if at all possible always try to pad your actor, Some people have taken the back parts of water skiers life vest (Not the ugly orange ones the smaller ones) and roped it to the back of their actor for added back support and protection from heavy falls.

[Scumriser]

one way to get furniture for free is to find out when garbage day is in your area or surrounding area....maybe you'll find that coffee table, couch , love seat, etc you are looking for.

[MonaghanMedia]

I've never done this before, but i think that this is how i would do it:

Take an old piece of furniture, lets say a chair, and saw the legs in half lengthways.

Now you have the leg split in half, chisel grooves in the inside of the leg, fill these with sawdust and the glue the leg back together loosely.

You could also score the inside of the leg with a sharp knife, to help it to split.

Repeat this for each leg.

you shouldn't be able to tell without looking, that it is already broken.

Now when character A hits character B with your chair, the wood will split, and there will be a puff of sawdust from the split.

I got this idea from the 'Making Of' documentary on the 'A Knight's Tale' DVD, this is how they made the jousting lances split.

Good Luck,
James

[Paladin1221]

Mohnagan with your way if the actor is unlucky and it does not break away it could cause injury.

[Amiah]

There is two ways to make break away furniture.

The more expensive way is to make them out of a very soft, easy to splinter wood. Most movies use this method as it looks the realistic and at slow motion gives the effect that its a much stronger wood.

The other way is to build and or use old furniture and cut it with a saw, then lightly glue it back together. Now this would work if you needed to fall back on a coffee table or sit down and break a chair but most likely would not hold up to picking up the chair and breaking it over a guys head.(Plus if your not useing a soft wood like I said before this could really hurt even if the chair comes apart.)

And if at all possible always try to pad your actor, Some people have taken the back parts of water skiers life vest (Not the ugly orange ones the smaller ones) and roped it to the back of their actor for added back support and protection from heavy falls.

Or maybe instead of glueing the parts together, you can use Velcro. It's amazingly strong, so you can pick up the chair without and chairlimbs falling off. Dont know if it can still be used to sit on, but you can always try it out. Falling through a chair doesn't hurt that much :)

[baselmes]

i would like to know how to make breakaway wooden chairs that you can break over someones back with minor pain.

[EddieTheYeti]

there's gotta be some way, but I'd be too afraid to use it lol. a bar fight would be awesome tho lol

[Gorror_House]

my friend and I tried this once,first weaken the chair, then put something on your actors back(we used two large piece's of cut styro-foam) now when you go to shoot it you have to do it at a certain angle if not it will make your actor look like
John Merrik''I am not an animal! I am a human being I...am...a man!!''

[nooneimportant77]

i would take your chair, and if you're using a real wood chair cut it into pieces that you want it to break into then use some kind of tape like scotch tape that isn't that sticky to put it back together, pad your actors back and when the chair hits it it'll fall apart because the tape isn't all that great.

[spoo2]

you could always try styrofoam and paint it

[baselmes]

i really need to find out how to make easy to build furniture that will splinter easily when hit iover someones back. ive searched it all over the web but i cant find any cheap ones.
any ideas would be much appreciated.

[FyceDesigns]

Unless you really want actual splinters, you could make one outta styrofoam. Get some basic shapes and cut to size, then glue them together. Good luck!

-Fyce

[Darkmast508]

and edit afterwards, styrofoam makes horrid sounds.

[nprules]

i dont know how to make breakaway bats and planks of wood. i need to know how to. erik, dude show me how to do this please

[WesScog]

Please search next time, we've dealt with it a couple of times before on the forum.

But, just get whatever you're going to break over someone, and Pre-Break it.

For a bat you can cut it almost in two, then break it all of the way, then barely glue it together with wood glue, and even if you swing it really hard, it'll fall apart and not hurt the person.

Add in a big "CRACK" sound effect, and presto.

For planks of wood, get some planks of very thin balsa wood, glue them together, and pre-break it. (You might want to break them all individually before you glue them together), and do the same thing as with the bat.

You could also try carving the breaking object out of craft foam, and painting it.

[nprules]

thanks man!

[gcubedproductions]

Hey guys. An awesome episode would be tips on creating easily breakable prop furniture. You could really go to town on this, because you could show building techniques as well as filming techniques. Please consider it.


~George

[speekerphone]

cool idea. you could use styrofoam

[redtail5]

http://foldschool.com/_objects/objects_chair/objects_chair.html if you modifie these and then cover them with favbric it should work!

[etentertainment]

You could get regular furniture (find it in the street, or Goodwill etc..) for cheap, and
then saw off a couple main support pieces inside of them and then they're easily breakable!

[redtail5]

whell if your a compete robot nerd thers a self healing destrucable chair on youtube

[lyhoproductions]

Should Indy Mogul make an episode on how to make breakaway furniture like tables and couches?

[Direktor]

No.

[lyhoproductions]

No.
Fail.

[Direktor]

What don't you understand about break away furniture? You make small cuts so it's weakend. Then it'll break. There is no way they would need to dedicate a whole episode to it...

[ryanthelion]

What don't you understand about break away furniture? You make small cuts so it's weakend. Then it'll break. There is no way they would need to dedicate a whole episode to it...

i SECOND THAT!

[mopman]

Fail.

no kind sir, you are the proverbial FAIL in this case, everyone knows how to do breakaway furniture

[ilikecookies]

wtf. why is everyone so mean?

[Dasleah]

Because they're all as immature as each other.

[ilikecookies]

true

[bookin productions]

hell yes

[CTrax]

It's really easy to build breakaway furnature, acutally. (You don't have to always BUY a perfectly good chair and destroy it). Just get some inexpensive, lightwieght materials such as balsom (sp?) wood - which is easily found in most craft stores - and styrofoam sheets - also in most craft stores. Then, you can just build stuff with it - tables, chairs, ect and paint them to match whatever color you neet (hint, most spray paints will melt styrofoam - use craft paint or find some of the few sprays that are good for styro).

Like most effects, the sound effect is going to be what actually sells the point.

[nibbu]

omg thanks so much CTrax im gonna use this evffect in my next vid!

[LocalZombieFilms]

I always thought it'd be interesting to see IndyMogul give it a go at breakaway tables.

For those of you that don't know what those are, they're props that look like the real thing, but break apart really easily, so people can be dropped on them or pushed through them or hit with them without breaking anything that's a real object.

Check here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-QCd1MjJzk

[nickanator8]

stirafome always works, just cut it in the right shape and then paint it.

[moustrapfilms]

The problem with styrofoam is that it doesn't really break the way the materials you're replicating would. That and it takes a lot of work to make it look good.

On the other hand, the only way to get a good effect would be to use a lightened version of your object, i.e. made with lighter, more easily breakable materials. It would hurt, sure, but a little extra padding never hurt anyone.

[Dasleah]

I've found that the most important bit to 'selling' a breakaway table is careful cutting (both the film and prop) and the right sound effects.

[BinBinProductions]

balsa wood? idk but you could make the stuff hollow

[Rayne Creations]

yeah, balsa wood and elmers glue would probably be a good bet. You could still get splinters, but its alot softer than normal wood, you can stain it, and it will breka apart like real wood. Just elmers glue it so it easily breaks apart. Depending how its shot, you could do a qick swap from a real chair/table to the fake one just before breaking it.

[PatsO]

Sheets of foam and wood - imitation tape.

[Rayne Creations]

oh, foamcore board is good too, can pe painted to look like wood easily.

[zimbieeater]

Should Indy Mogul make an episode on how to make breakaway furniture like tables and couches?

i agree with you other people say it bull shit well go ahead weken the wood or w/e and get a 5 inch splinter in you eye the can tell s how to do it proporly

[Direktor]

i agree with you other people say it bull shit well go ahead weken the wood or w/e and get a 5 inch splinter in you eye the can tell s how to do it proporly

If you actually weaken the wood with small cuts in various locations your not going to get a 5 inch splinter in your eye. If you just break it without carefully planning your cuts your break will be more jaded.

[google550]

What don't you understand about break away furniture? You make small cuts so it's weakend. Then it'll break. There is no way they would need to dedicate a whole episode to it...

That's actually NOT how you do it.

You have to make a bulid out of foam, paint it, THEN cut it open and paint where the breaks will be, and then do a loose repair.

It's a lot harder than just cutting the leg of a chair and chucking it at your actor.

[DudeArdy]

I think there is a lot more to break away furniture than just putting slits in wood! A lot more than we think!

[google550]

I think there is a lot more to break away furniture than just putting slits in wood! A lot more than we think!

Damn straight. Watch someone crack open their f-ing head because they thought a couple of slits would do the trick.

[Over the Moon Studios]

yeah.
it's true.
people are extremely mean around here.

Direktor - You're being kind of a douche.
I look at this site as finding a cheap (and different) way to make effects that look the same as real things.
Not use real tables and other (sometimes) expensive things to destroy.

[Direktor]

Direktor - You're being kind of a douche.
I look at this site as finding a cheap (and different) way to make effects that look the same as real things.
Not use real tables and other (sometimes) expensive things to destroy.

A douche? Why? Because there is a breakaway furniture thread like 3 times a day? If you don't want to break real pieces of furniture make some. Use balsa wood, styrofoam, whatever.

[BinBinProductions]

as wes wold say use balso wood

[BoonMcNougat]

If you want to make a guy fall though a table, its simply the matter of replacing the tabletop with styrofoam or balsa wood.

Smashing a chair on someone's back would require you build it yourself.

[BandDfilms]

If you actually weaken the wood with small cuts in various locations your not going to get a 5 inch splinter in your eye. If you just break it without carefully planning your cuts your break will be more jaded.

yes he is right you know

[New Spark Films]

I'm actually going to say Indy Mogul should do an episode on this. I know there are various ways to do it already, but the cost adds up and I kind of want to see Indy Mogul's take on this.

[BandDfilms]

hold your horses
a. this is already a thread
b. BandDfims is going to do it so keep holding on

[BinBinProductions]

hold your horses
a. this is already a thread
b. BandDfims is going to do it so keep holding on

is it out yet?

[mimblejimble]

make it from scrarch wit like scrap wood or cardoard!!!!!!

[nickanator8]

even though sooooooo many people said no in their post only four people actually voted no, i find that funny. anyway if this is so common than that means that people want the effect, therefore it should be made into a vid. simple as that.

breakaway furniture can be very complicated and using Styrofoam can look really bad because of its weight, difficulty to paint, and if your using it for breakaway that means it may send off those ugly white chunks when you break it. also if you decide to use cardboard it will just bend and not break. i have had no previous experance (sp?) with balsa wood so i have no say on that matter.

so to finish it off i voted yes.

[trebory6]

I would like to know how to do stuff like re-create a wall to make it so where I can punch through it or be knocked into it and make it look as if i had actually punched through a real wall.

Also something like a metal panel that will dent(without hurting myself) and allow it to look like I had hit or been thrown against a metal wall hard enough to dent it.

Basically to make it look like I have super strength and whatnot.

Haha! I'm not sure if any of that even made sense!


BTW, This is like my first post so yeah..

[DaiMoGui]

I found this Jackie Chan documentary on YouTube a while back. http://youtube.com/watch?v=MOEUgbiBXMc

Take a look at the video at 6:28ish. Jackie shows how he does his exploding chair. I know its not exactly step by step instructions, but it should be enough to give you the idea.

Chair 1: Standard prop
Chair 2: Break away

Chair 2 is cut at multiple sites to weaken its structure. Small pieces of wood are attached to a high strength line. The end of the lines are secured to an cross bar area.

Scene with action using Chair 1.
Change angle, swap in Chair 2, in this case apply power ;) and hold.

Jackie holds on to the chair along with the small wooden handles. When actor two performs the kick, Jackie makes the chair explode by yanking on the wires.

Post a video if you make one.

-DaiMoGui

[BandDfilms]

use the search button please this has been requested

[BinBinProductions]

use many styrofoams glue them together to make a wall and carve out brick shapes

[BoonMcNougat]

The Metal can be done by throwing yourself into sheet metal, then replacing the sheet metal with dented sheet metal and then continue filiming.

Like, show yourself getting thrown into the metal, change shots and show your guy getting up with the dented piece of metal behind him.

[ugman77]

metal can be made from that cheap aluminum thats used for serving at catering, it bends and dents easily

[BinBinProductions]

buy a chair cut it into peices glue it together and kick it or punch it

[KickyG]

I don't know if a thread for this already exists, but breakaway props (tables, chairs, fake walls) would be awesome.

[ilikecookies]

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii178/stewieparker/searchbutton.jpg

[Dannydeath530]

ummmm foam

[BandDfilms]

ummmm use the search button we know you are new

[kpb730]

Here, I'll be super nice.
http://forum.indymogul.com/showthread.php?t=6429&highlight=breakaway
http://forum.indymogul.com/showthread.php?t=2934&highlight=breakaway
http://forum.indymogul.com/showthread.php?t=6103
http://forum.indymogul.com/showthread.php?t=689&highlight=breakawayhttp://forum.indymogul.com/showthread.php?t=154&highlight=breakaway
http://forum.indymogul.com/showthread.php?t=77&highlight=breakaway

[mr_morp]

Making tables and stuff break would be kind of easy, but how would we get an effect that looks like someone is breaking a wall?

[Cris Cole]

Breakaway furniture is simple, since real furniture is so expensive, why not use polyurethane? Just buy chunks, glue and decorate.

[happyhands man]

since no one can agree on what is the right way 2 do breakaway furniture indy should do a episode on it or at least something

[BinBinProductions]

BUY BALSA WOOD AND MAKE YOUR OWN. Many places sell it.

[kennyboy13]

It be an interesting episode (eg the test film would be funny) but it might be a waste of an episode.

It might be good in an episode if it covered all sorts of breakable items.

Like a 'Breakaway Week'.

LOL

[kennyboy13]

Its strange though because no-one wants an episode on it (thinking its a waste of an episode) and yet 83.33% of the votes say yes.

Straaange.

[lyhoproductions]

Its strange though because no-one wants an episode on it (thinking its a waste of an episode) and yet 83.33% of the votes say yes.

Straaange.
I know.

[BinBinProductions]

I believe that it would be a great episode! Does anyone know, if they will ever do it?

[JackLawrence]

I WANT AN EPISODE. I WANT AN EPISODE.

By the way, how much is balsa? Like for a table sized sheet?

[BinBinProductions]

Depending on the supplier the costs will vary.

Check out this website. It has the sizes since I don't know what size you want.
http://www.nationalbalsa.com/balsa.htm

[Skycarl]

If you go out and do some "junking" on trash day, look for some old furniture that
people are throwing out. Let's say you find a small wooden chair. Bring it home and
slam it on the curb till it breaks up in several pieces. Then lightly glue it back together
and paint it to cover the break lines. Unless you are an experienced furniture builder,
it's a lot easier and more realistic than trying to build one from balsa.

[BandDfilms]

is it out yet?

no it will hope fully be out in the end of april or the mid of may

[BinBinProductions]

Dang it!

[-Joeb-]

actually you break it before hand, then add very minimal amounts of glue to it, just enough to let it stand up

[007brett]

Oooh this would be something fun to tryout this weekend

[Cris Cole]

Small cuts... I wouldn't. There is still the possibilty of hurting yourself on a nail or splinter. I would use polyurethane. Just get some peices and glue them together, you can always then get a cheap seat or couch cover, tablecloth or whatever. It will break and will even splatter 'debris'.

[yourmindsinnerworkings]

even though i know how to do it i still think a bfx episode wouldnt be a bad idea

[thebutcher_ofmary]

alright so let everyone here on this thread come to realize...there are many types of ways to do breakaway and there are many types of breakaways...
for instance u can make breakaway for throwing at someone, or u can make one were someone falls through it. no matter what u do, this is the movie biz and learning from real actors no matter they will leave with cuts and bruises.

you can do the slits, but slits aren't reliable, for a wooden chair were someone will fall on or over, cut with a thin blade or a hand held jig saw. this will make the breakaway selection easier to break and not as many splinters.

The problem with the sytrofoam, it's weak and can break anywhere at anytime. if u want to do a build with styro, get thin sheets of it and and build ur "chair" like a box and spray foam the inside just 3/4's of it, then throw some wood chips and shit in there. then glue it to everything else...etc.

[yupfrank]

they are doing this next week
or the end of this weeks episode at least said they were going to do something like this

[thebutcher_ofmary]

let me tell u something, i saw the B.A.Furniture clip for like next week, and the chair didn't look very good, at least to me. I'm gonna do something for you all, wait one week and i'll give ya all a good tutorial. email me at...

dissectionproductions@yahoo.com and i'll give u the link then its done...poppin it on out.
Holla at me

[BinBinProductions]

Who needs this if theres an episode? YEAH!

[ThreeOnAMeathook]

wtf. why is everyone so mean?

Welcome to the internet.

[WesScog]

Breakaway Furniture threads merged.

[UntoldHorror]

They sell these plates at like novelty stores and on EBAY, there like the plates that you break at carnivals with baseballs. You can smash them over an actors head and it wont hurt them. They look great!

Bryan Roberts

[jak12]

Hi indy mogul....again....anyway i need to know how to make a breakable dresser:confused:. im making a movie with my cousin and a dresser breaks because somebody flies into it and we dont have a prop to break:supermad:. so can you make a breakable dresser?:confused::confused:

[FyceDesigns]

Just use the same principles applied in the Breakable Furniture episode. It's a really simple method, and if you want you can cover your dresser in fake wood wallpaper: http://www.designyourwall.com/store/Faux-Wood-wallpaper-c-56.html

[Indymoguler]

yeah just check out the breakable furniture video.
what i would do is get the cardboard and shape it into a tall box
i would add some extra pieces of cardboard to add drawers and knobs and stuff
and paint it whatever color you would like.
just be sure you dont have any sharp objects put in the dresser becuz if you fall on it, there could be consequences :)

[pinnaclestudioking]

You get get some balsa wood and glue it in a shape of a chair or something.

And then maybe put some styro-foam in the actors back like Gorror said.

And then smash it over someones back balsa wood isnt hard to break but you might need to make it a bit weaker as well.

**Pinnacle**

[Vaughn Whynot]

You get get some balsa wood and glue it in a shape of a chair or something.

And then maybe put some styro-foam in the actors back like Gorror said.

And then smash it over someones back balsa wood isnt hard to break but you might need to make it a bit weaker as well.

**Pinnacle**
this thread is like 5 months old
and answers where already given
i know your trying to very helpful
but try and keep it to threads that where made in weeks instead of months

[mathijsdemachtige]

already done on BFX paint it more realistic if you want to be fancy

[notmuchmuffinz]

Hey
ever notice in wrestling and movies you put a guy through a table and it breaks nice and clean? Well it hurts like crap using real tables! can you help me make a "stunt table"? It would be awesome! So if you can, just lemme know or something.
thanks
-notmuchmuffinz

[Steelersk36]

Check out the Breakaway Furniture Episode of BFX

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4qc8yzde4k

[notmuchmuffinz]

not exactly what i was looking for... :/

[Steelersk36]

What else would you like?

I bet this idea can be modified for your needs

[KingNikan]

Hey
ever notice in wrestling and movies you put a guy through a table and it breaks nice and clean? Well it hurts like crap using real tables! can you help me make a "stunt table"? It would be awesome! So if you can, just lemme know or something.
thanks
-notmuchmuffinz
In Pro Wrestling the Tables are Custom Made and are really sturdy but easy enough to break when enough wheight is put on it with alot of force. The material is put together that way so it wont hurt. They can cost atleast 80 USD

[slicendice]

Just build your table out of balsa wood, and use glue instead of nails.

Alternatively, you could take a real table and cut it roughly in half with a jigsaw, then put a table cloth over it to hide the cut.

Though I would like to note that this sort of thing is dangerous regardless if it's a stunt table or not, don't mess around with stunts if you can't afford a trip to the ER every once in a while.

[dieggowaffle]

:erik:hey eric,
i am an amateur filmmaker and i am making a movie that i become hulk!! i need to smash things and tables,chairs etc, i wanted to know if you could show me how to make it for cheap!
thanks,dieggowaffle:)

[Trev-Dog]

Their is an episode on this already, do some research

[eman6]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btf7eJGERnk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrcBUltSY1Q&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F5gms8cPic&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwH0sm1zOaw

http://www.indymogul.com/backyardfx/episode/BFX_20080505

Have a smash-tastic time :);):D