# Cut-in-Half Actor



## BloodyWendigo (Aug 23, 2015)

For my haunt this year, there's going to be a scene where an actor is laying on the floor and is missing their legs, which are static props laying a couple of feet away. The only problem is, I'm not sure how to go about doing this. I know how to do everything, except how to actually achieve the effect of making them look cut in half. I had the idea to use a thicker type of plastic drop cloth, paint it dark and cover their legs while they lay on the floor. Sit them partially up on something and pile up stuff around them to make them seem level with the floor. I can't really think of anything that would be really practical. Any ideas would be much appreciated!


----------



## BillyVanpire (Apr 22, 2015)

This might work for you, its not the illusion you describe but might be easier to do

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=41459&highlight=half


----------



## Xander_gusev (Jan 5, 2015)

Here! Something like this will probably work!


----------



## BloodyWendigo (Aug 23, 2015)

Xander, that's an excellent idea!(By the way I love indymogul bfx) The only problem that I have is how to fit something like that in a space of about 6 1/2 feet long and 5 feet wide. The people coming through the haunt would be walking on the real floor, while the actor's "top-half" would be on the board. Are there any suitable ways to make that blend into the real floor so people don't immediately suspect this? The haunt has a forest-type theme, so maybe use fake rocks or plants to disguise the edges? Any solutions?


----------



## BillyVanpire (Apr 22, 2015)

that works for filming the scene you want, you get to crop out anything that gives away the gag. in a real life scene you don't have that luxury. 

can you cover the entire floor with a platform?
or
make a fake tree stump to hide the actors lower half?
or
use mirrors to reflect forest/hide the legs?


----------



## Xander_gusev (Jan 5, 2015)

BloodyWendigo said:


> Xander, that's an excellent idea!(By the way I love indymogul bfx) The only problem that I have is how to fit something like that in a space of about 6 1/2 feet long and 5 feet wide. The people coming through the haunt would be walking on the real floor, while the actor's "top-half" would be on the board. Are there any suitable ways to make that blend into the real floor so people don't immediately suspect this? The haunt has a forest-type theme, so maybe use fake rocks or plants to disguise the edges? Any solutions?


I think that using this maybe on a more elevated platform like on a tree stump would work great! The actor could be on their knees and be screaming and acting! Kind of like the gore galore prop here http://gore-galore.com/product/saw-table-illusion/ :jol:
Edit: Didn't read your tree stump idea...my bad, dont think of me as an idea stealer :|


----------



## Xander_gusev (Jan 5, 2015)

Also just thought of this you could use the actor as a distraction then get them from the behind with a wolf actor. I don't know...just throwing out some ideas


----------



## JustJimAZ (Aug 19, 2010)

Did you come up with a solution for this? Since this illusion usually requires hiding the lower torso under a raised gurney, bed, or other platform, I was thinking that a picnic table night fit in your theme. Given your space restrictions, 1/2 a table. 

Or position the actor vertically - floating mid air or hanging on to something overhead perhaps.

I find so many things get interesting when you turn then 90 or 180 degrees.


----------



## shmoman (Jan 22, 2016)

You're going to hate me for this, but we have an actor that helps out in our Haunt that doesn't have any legs. A couple of years ago we had him play Lizzy Borden's dad and he'd lay in the middle of the floor with his legs a couple of feet away and when people would get close he'd scream and start chasing them on his hands. FREAKY.

So my best advice would be to find an actor that doesn't have any legs.


----------



## DarkOne (Oct 16, 2012)

Is the area too tight to make a ramp that the actor can put his legs under that might not be too noticable? When I was a kid, I remember going to a Jaycee's haunted house and one of the things that has stuck with me for the last 30 years was a cun in half body laying on a table with a huge double axe pendulum swinging through his midsection. They had a pump pumping blood from the slice, which poured onto the floor ( and I assume recirculated). And then while you're looking at that, that's when the crazy chainsaw guy comes out. At least that's how I remember it, I was only 10 or so. I remember it as a butcher block looking table, so there would be plenty of room in the top to hold the actor.


----------

