Film battles of thousands of warriors (of all different sizes, shapes, and races) under these conditions:

• limited money (paying extras is expensive)
• limited time (dressing, organising, and filming thousands of extras takes months)
• limited first-time success (many scenes have to be reshot several times)
• limited suitable sets (huge battlefields without power lines, roads, and houses are rare!).

Brainstorm ideas about some problems that film-makers might have in working with large numbers of people or animals.

As guidelines, use the points above in Challenge for Film-makers.

See and read about:

• the logistics of training and directing hundreds of horses and how digital magic turned hundreds into thousands (zone 22)
• the specially developed Massive software used to create digital armies for large battle scenes (zone 22).

Focus questions:

• Can you find solutions to any of the problems you raised?
• Which scenes in the movie use a cast of thousands?
• How many real actors or horses were used in those scenes?
• What could be some disadvantages of using artificial people or animals in a movie?

Weta Digital and software developer Stephen Regelous developed a computer program called Massive to create digital armies. Digital “intelligent agents” are designed and given physical characteristics and weapons appropriate to their race and type. In a fight scene, these agents access a repertoire of movements previously performed by real actors wearing motion-capture suits.

• Invent a movie scene that needs a large cast.
• Experiment with ways to create the effect of thousands (or at least ten!) using only the resources in your classroom and/or community.
• Plan and produce that effect.
• Present and assess your work.

Extension:

• Use audio equipment to develop the sound of thousands.
• Add this soundtrack to video footage to give the impression of a large crowd.

Possible solutions:

• Place mirrors opposite each other to produce unlimited reflections of people.
• Place models against a backdrop, with live actors in the foreground.
• Take multiple exposures with a still camera as people move around.

Related activity links: