General Question

simone54's avatar

What's the deal with the "Actual Demonstrations" on Toyata commercials?

Asked by simone54 (7642points) January 29th, 2008

Yeah okay. There is now way that they’re actually swing giant I-Beams at the truck. How are they doing this?

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

3 Answers

GD_Kimble's avatar

There’s some computer slight of hand going on in those ads. For instance, I know the one where the truck skids to a stop, inches from going over the edge of the track and into a canyon—- what they dont tell you is the truck has a steel safety cable trailing behind it, so if the driver overshoots the stop, he still wouldnt fall… and they just digitally remove the cable from the shot. Plus, the track insn’t actually on the edge of a canyon. It’s about 3 feet off of a giant blue screen, and the “canyon” is added later. But they can say it’s an actual demonstration because the driver is really making that stop, it’s just much less dangerous as they make it it look. I know that one for a fact.
As for the I-Beam demonstration, my GUESS based on the other commercial is that they’re doing 3 separate tricky things.:
1. the driver made the run twice, once with the front beam, and once with the rear beam, which would be much less dangerous, and the two runs were digitally put together.
2 . assuming the first thing is true, the driver was probably given a “safety line”, a marking on the track letting him know how much clearance he had outside the arc of the falling beams. So all he has to do is stop short of the line on the first run, and clear the next line on the second run, and the lines were just removed from the final shot.
and 3. who ever said those beams were really made of steel?
but again, it’s an actual demonstration, because the driver really is making those stops/starts, just with much less danger than they would have us believe.

GD_Kimble's avatar

or, for that matter, who said those beams were really there?

gooch's avatar

Speaking of Toyota ads I love the one with the little boys playing cars and shop and the little girl who has a Toyota who’s car never has to go to the shop “because its a Toyota”

Answer this question

Login

or

Join

to answer.

This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.

Your answer will be saved while you login or join.

Have a question? Ask Fluther!

What do you know more about?
or
Knowledge Networking @ Fluther