Greg was a member of the Mad Max Fury Road SFX crew with Dan Oliver and Andy
Williams that spent months creating Vehicle modifications, modified props and special
effects for George Miller’s grand operatic action epic filmed in Namibia.
Williams that spent months creating Vehicle modifications, modified props and special
effects for George Miller’s grand operatic action epic filmed in Namibia.
Greg was tasked with creating innovative special effects and props for the film
and
designing precision remote control systems for vehicles and doing the driving for major
vehicle stunt sequences in the film. With zero humans aboard there was zero chance of
lives being risked with the massive explosions and crashing metal.
designing precision remote control systems for vehicles and doing the driving for major
vehicle stunt sequences in the film. With zero humans aboard there was zero chance of
lives being risked with the massive explosions and crashing metal.
When the huge Mercedes monster truck tanker explodes and flips over on fire,
Greg
was at the controls making sure the truck kept precisely on track and maintained a
constant pace with the camera vehicles in the uneven surfaced sandy desert. The truck
was fully RC, with radio control gearshift, throttle, steering, brakes and safety kill and
able to maneuvre in tight carparks, load its own trailers or blast away to 100+km/hr
was at the controls making sure the truck kept precisely on track and maintained a
constant pace with the camera vehicles in the uneven surfaced sandy desert. The truck
was fully RC, with radio control gearshift, throttle, steering, brakes and safety kill and
able to maneuvre in tight carparks, load its own trailers or blast away to 100+km/hr
When a war-rig trailer comes loose on fire and careens off into a canyon wall at
over
60km/hr, Greg was at the controls making sure it released flawlessly and turned and hit
the same mark, take after take.
60km/hr, Greg was at the controls making sure it released flawlessly and turned and hit
the same mark, take after take.
When a Buzzard buggy explodes in a huge fireball from a suiciding Warboy, again
Greg
was at the controls, ensuring no mortal stuntdriver was ever in any danger from the wild
pyrotechnics.
was at the controls, ensuring no mortal stuntdriver was ever in any danger from the wild
pyrotechnics.
Fury Road under control
Anti-seeds
When the movie’s badass looking villain Richtus Erectus needed a badass looking Gun, Greg took
one of the background prop guns based on an old car radiator and rebirthed it
designing and building a huge functional double layer open frame rotary cartridge for 19mm brass shotgun shells, with claw action shell advancer, shell ejector mechanism, carbon
black cloud ejector, bicycle pedals and incorporating colleague David James’ muzzle flash system for fully in-camera mean-ness. Other desert-punk guns fully mechanised this way
included an overscale Uzi 19mm and a twin cartridge machine gun fashioned from a petrol bowser and fire extinguisher. Greg also made shell ejector rigs to spray castmembers
harmlessly with “spent” brass cartriges for heavy gunfire scenes.
designing and building a huge functional double layer open frame rotary cartridge for 19mm brass shotgun shells, with claw action shell advancer, shell ejector mechanism, carbon
black cloud ejector, bicycle pedals and incorporating colleague David James’ muzzle flash system for fully in-camera mean-ness. Other desert-punk guns fully mechanised this way
included an overscale Uzi 19mm and a twin cartridge machine gun fashioned from a petrol bowser and fire extinguisher. Greg also made shell ejector rigs to spray castmembers
harmlessly with “spent” brass cartriges for heavy gunfire scenes.
Mad Max Fan
When blowers had to really suck, and the the film’s Stars needed the close-up attention of fans, Greg provided a 210km/hr blast of
fresh air using a brushless motor turbine system to
provide skin rippling ventilation at close quarters and fuel guzzling suction.
provide skin rippling ventilation at close quarters and fuel guzzling suction.
Dial M for Mahem
Greg mechanised the dials and instruments of all the Hero vehicles in the film including WarRig,
Razorcola interceptor and Nux’s Car and colleague David
James created some circuits to drive electronic tachos.
James created some circuits to drive electronic tachos.
The War rig’s large featured Tacho Greg drove with a servomotor and with a custom control
box could operate any part of the whole dashboard from any point
in the vehicles whilst on the move. Even the compass on the Gigahorse was tricked out to be able to spin in any direction on command yet stil function as a
normal compass.
in the vehicles whilst on the move. Even the compass on the Gigahorse was tricked out to be able to spin in any direction on command yet stil function as a
normal compass.
Because so many different types of vehicle stunts were required, a SFX testing
rig was built that could match different hero vehicles from the film. Greg converted it to radio control
steering and braking so it could be towed at speed and the danger of any particular gag could be tested with onboard data encoders. These sort of advances in safety helped ensure no
stuntdrivers were injured in the making of the movie.
steering and braking so it could be towed at speed and the danger of any particular gag could be tested with onboard data encoders. These sort of advances in safety helped ensure no
stuntdrivers were injured in the making of the movie.