Warbird Information Exchange

I just saw a Cingular / AT&T television ad with an L-39 formation demo team.

Anyone know who it was?

It was the Patriots L-39 demonstration team, plus one extra L-39.

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P-51, The Cadillac of the Sky!

Very cool "making of" vid here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n65OG9urT0

Now that was impressive!

12G turns?

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Olivier Lacombe -- Harvard Mk.4 C-GBQB

They're TV PEOPLE!!!!
Believe me, I'm in the business. Most directors don't know their ass from their elbow when it comes to airplanes. They're "creative" and if they aren't pilots, they don't know squat.

I direct all the aerial stuff we do because I'm a pilot and know the proceedures and the limitations of the participants.

That spot is good, but there is still some digital manipulation of the aircraft.
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Oh, so this TV add was made by Tv people?



It's still extremely when you hear that.

I had my laugh for the day, thank you.

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Olivier Lacombe -- Harvard Mk.4 C-GBQB

I could've used the generic term "made by Hollywood", but I was trying to be funny! I use the "TV People" term all the time when refering to those I work with who never seem to understand anything in the real world!
Actually, they're not real people at all, just computer generated actors.
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

What parts exactly are digital? (I can guess, but I just want to hear your take )

Here's my take from the top, counting each shot as a separate cut up until the final graphics for Cingular come on. There are 17 shots up to that point featuring the L-39's. Almost all the footage looks sped up or "over-cranked" to increase the illusion of speed. Video today is sped up digitally in the editing process and digitally color corrected, so I could make the case that the whole spot is "digitally enhanced", but that's not what were talking about here. It's all about the jets!.

1. Head-on shot from ground, no digital effects, but possibly sped up a bit.

2. Pass under camera helo, Normal shot.

3. Looks sped up.

4. Looks sped up.

5. Jets pull up to form Cingular's "Bar". First, it looks sped up. Then the jets pull up to abruptly and the two on the right slide into position as though on rails. It's not that easy, especially in an L-39 to increase speed in a climb and then stop as you pull ahead of the other jets in the formation and still make a perfect diagonal line. This shot appears to be a composite of real shots at each end with the digital "Cingular Bar" image created in the middle.

6. Cockpit shot looks sped up to match action.

7. No apparent effects

8. Head on shot of jets coming out of the sun. Digital shot. It would be too dangerous to do a head-on pass with the center lead jet coming that close to the camera ship. It is possible that they used a four ship break around the camera and added the center fifth jet digitally.

9. Sped up.

10. Sped up.

11 & 12. 2x2 inside split/roll. A move that is possible if spacing is correct. If it was done in real life then both shots were sped up to increase the excitement. Could have been a digital shot if the pilots couldn't do that move.

13. Jets curve over the top with trailing smoke. Un-realistic moves on the turns and the smoke is digitally added. The jets just don't react properly (IMHO) as they round out over the top.

14. Jet roll, sped up.

15. Cockpit/helmet shot, sped up.

16. Flyby of jets is sped up.

17. Except for the background plate of the mountains, this shot is a digital creation, from the jets to the smoke, for obvious reasons.

It's an exciting and fun advertisement, and please don't take my dissection as bashing it. There is only 30 seconds to get a message across and they did it very well.

Just my assessment of the final product as it relates to real aircraft vs. "Reel" aircraft.
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."