The concept of illustrating blistering speed in data transmission was our challenge for the May issue cover and spread of Global Telephony. Art Director Glenn Verde wanted to show a man riding a missile in flight, hanging on for dear life.
To create this illusion, several different elements had to be brought together in the studio. The missile itself was a scale model built from tubing and styrene plastic and then given a metallic finish. Once it was completed, it was taken outside to be photographed on 4x5 color transparencies. Several viewpoints were shot on the studio's roof deck to get the best angle and lighting, and a large print of yellow and orange flames was positioned to reflect into the silver skin of the rocket. This would mimic the reflection of rocket exhaust which would be placed into the image assembly later. These viewpoints determined the way all subsequent shots were executed, so perspective and vanishing points were carefully noted on Polaroids.
With the rocket images in hand, it was now necessary to address how the live model would be shot in studio. To create believable positions and reflections, two full-scale mockups of the missile were built: one vertical version for the cover, and a horizontal version for the spread which would support the weight of our 'Rocketman'. Wooden frames held silver foil board and a silver fin for the cover shot, while a 55-gallon steel drum provided the shape and support for the spread shot. Each setup was lit to match the lighting from the rooftop rocket shots, emphasizing the orange glow from below and behind.
Once our hero (Rick Plastina of Susanne's A+ talent) arrived for the morning shoot, we positioned him to look as though he was hanging from the forward fin of the rocket mockup. Shooting almost straight down with a wide angle lens, we covered a number of expressions of glee, shock and horror. Then it was time to have him ride the missile in the second mockup, this time looking like he was having the time of his life.
Now came the tasks of editing the take and making the final digital assembly. Glenn's favorites were hi-res drum scanned along with the shots of the rocket, and the images began to evolve through many hours of careful positioning and tweaking on system at the studio. The full-scale mockups provided excellent reflections of Rick in the foil boards which blended beautifully onto the skin of the scale model rocket. Existing stock shots from the studio files provided the rocket exhaust and liftoff blast. Once all the components were successfully combined, the finished files were ready to go to press.
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