The flying Belgian
March 26, 2010 2:34 AM   Subscribe

 
My first stab at FPP (the stress!), did I mess up?

I don't know if the video is a hoax. Even if that's the case, it's still well done, so I figured it's worth posting anyway.
(And if it's real, I wouldn't want to be in Vyvey's shoes when his mother sees it.)
posted by sively at 2:46 AM on March 26, 2010


I agree with this guy on kiteforum.com:

BUT, the cars in the forgrond move between 0:37 and 0:43 when the kite gets landed So editted if nothing else. Also yes, the glide direction and way the kite are landed look a bit unusual.

Looks dodgy, but it was still pretty cool to look at.
posted by knapah at 2:49 AM on March 26, 2010 [1 favorite]


Looks pretty real to me but boy was this guy lucky. There is no way they could have known in advance where exactly he would land. Might as well have been the side of the house.
posted by cronholio at 2:51 AM on March 26, 2010


Usually when you see "fake stunt" videos you have a bunch of guys whooping and yelling and generally acting all amazed, you cut in just a few seconds before the 'event' and usually it's on a low quality camera. And this video is exactly the same. 10 seconds between the time they show the first shot of the roof till he's in the air. A bunch of guys yelling, etc. So right off the bat, it fits into the 'fake stunt' genera.

Beyond that, why do you only see the guy's legs and torso when he actually leaves the building? If you were going to fake the takeoff, what you would do would be to have him hanging onto a rope and you'd use that to lift him up off the ground for a few seconds to get a shot of him leaving the ground, and the rest could just be spliced in. You could even do it in a studio with a green screen.

Usually on real stunt videos, there's some exposition about how they set things up, and people are usually pretty calm/collected before the stunt. Here's an example
posted by delmoi at 3:16 AM on March 26, 2010 [4 favorites]


Better not show this one to the kids. They'll be rigging up their spider-man kites and jumping off the roof in no time.
posted by From Bklyn at 3:22 AM on March 26, 2010


Ah yes, one of the cars on the roof has miraculously vanished by 0:43. And 8000 views on YouTube but only 7 comments - he's deleting the ones that mention this, for sure.

Still, it's a fun video, and nice views of Brussels' St Catherine church, and the Tour du Midi at the beginning (the highest tower in Belgium!).
posted by creeky at 3:48 AM on March 26, 2010 [1 favorite]


Going to make a general observation about how I used to be jealous of skaters and surfers with their slim trim bodies and easygoing good looks.

Then I realized that most of them spend their time in sun and near salt water.

They're jerky by 40.

I didn't buy the video at all
posted by WolfDaddy at 4:24 AM on March 26, 2010


They're jerky by 40.

I'll bet some of them are pretty jerky to begin with.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 4:45 AM on March 26, 2010 [2 favorites]


I always figure that if the cameraman thinks it is less important to keep the camera on the ending of the incredible stunt than it is to show the douchebag next to him, it's fake.
posted by digsrus at 4:55 AM on March 26, 2010 [5 favorites]


I've done this. This one is fake, though.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:15 AM on March 26, 2010 [8 favorites]


Also noticed that his shadow is on the opposite side once he reaches the other roof.
posted by orme at 5:44 AM on March 26, 2010


Even ignoring all the errors, look at how he moves right after he leave the building (after he "re-enters" the frame"). So fake.
posted by DU at 6:16 AM on March 26, 2010


delmoi: I've seen that before and I just don't understand how people can do it. For a second I think: "Oh my God, they're flying how incredibly cool. I would give anything to do that. " And then I think: "No. They're not flying. They're falling. At 100 miles per hour. I would give anything to never, ever do that."
posted by The Bellman at 6:36 AM on March 26, 2010


This is pretty mesmerizing -- along the same lines: http://video.yahoo.com/watch/233127/1808597

No margin for error, though...
posted by jocola at 7:23 AM on March 26, 2010




Extreme CGI to the max, dude!
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:12 AM on March 26, 2010


De Standaard, one of the biggest Belgian newspapers, appear to have fallen for it...
posted by creeky at 8:20 AM on March 26, 2010


Let’s go get some fuckin’ Mountain Dew.




EXTREME!
posted by wcfields at 10:24 AM on March 26, 2010


I know people who are stupid enough to try something like this. So if it is fake, it won't be for long...although the real one may involve a crushed body on the pavement and some broken office windows.
posted by Jimmy Havok at 10:43 AM on March 26, 2010


If that video is real, I'll eat my kite. On video.
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:53 AM on March 26, 2010


well here's a real one, anyway

Holy $@!
posted by dubitable at 8:54 PM on March 27, 2010


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