This scene from home-coming starting at 1:27 where Spider-man puts on his suit in a back alley has always fascinated me.
It's a one shot scene where Tom Holland remains in focus for the entire scene, changing from street clothes, to a loose fitting spider-man pajamas, and when he presses the button on his chest, the suit shrinks to fit his body. The camera never moves away from him the entire time, so I've always wondered how that was done.
Obviously, a pajamas that can shrink instantly into a fitted suit, doesn't exist, so I know there is some movie magic going on… but I just can't figure out how they did it, since the camera never moves away from Tom Holland the entire time. I can't tell when they switch to special effects.
I would love to hear from someone with special effects experience, how you think they did that scene ?
by Crafty-Bunch-2675
10 Comments
that suit shrinkage is definitely just a digital handoff hidden by the chest press motion.
It’s a clever scene, there are a few moments where they could easily have added a cut because it’s obviously not really one continuous take.
Also most of the scene could actually be CGI including all the background as well as using a motion control camera to repeat the same shot in the same way for compositing.
that’s a dope scene, right? it’s likely a mix of practical effects and clever editing. they probably used a quick change method where a stunt double or a hidden rig helped with the transition, then added some CGI for the final suit-up. it’s all about that seamless flow!
looking forward to this movie
The part where he jumps the suit on and his head briefly leaves the frame is a good point to look, IMO. I might guess the entire bagginess of the suit is also CGI.
When he slips into the suit, he enters it as if there’s a big hole in the back, but he never zips it up. He bends forward a bit, and the suit is already seamless in the back. I imagine at that point, the baggy suit is at least partially CG, covering the gaping hole in the practical suit. Then when he ducks down behind the garbage cans, I imagine real Tom stayed there for the rest of the take, mostly out of sight and easy to cover up in post, and the Spider-Man that pops up from behind the cans is entirely CG.
Is this what kids nowadays consider epic?
it’s most likely a seamless transition between a practical shot of tom holland and a full digital double. they usually find a specific point in the motion where they can “stitch” the two plates together so it looks like one continuous take. ngl marvel was actually cooking with the vfx in that era
The real magic is combining everything. Pure CGI or pure practical rarely hits the same as when they’re blended right.
For many characters in the MCU, they’re not even wearing the costume you see on screen. Instead, they do a full CGI replacement of their body. A similar thing happens here.