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 Author  Topic: Modern Movie PT Boat Mock Up?
whitakermk

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Jan 15, 2012 - 7:18pm
My son and I were sitting around watching the McHale Remake, which for some reason has grown on us, and wondering if somebody were to make a new WWII movie about PT boats, what boat would they start with to build full size mock ups... if CGA was not an option. Just a fun question that we started tossing around.

So... just for fun... NOT a real project, if you (forum members) were hired as the guy to make a PT boat move and you needed several, where would you start?

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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Jan 15, 2012 - 7:24pm
I would start with PT-658, which is the only PT BOAT running under her own Packard Marine Engines, then I might try and find out what happened to that 80 Foot Elco that was on EBAY last year, and sold..............


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whitakermk

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Jan 15, 2012 - 8:10pm
Hey Frank, HAPPY NEW YEAR, We talked about that, but what if you had to start from scratch? Mind you, we're just blowing off time while watching movies on a cold day. We started leaning towards any old crash boats we could find.

Has anyone on the forum made a calculation on the production cost of a PT in 2010, 2011, 2012 dollars? Wonder what that cost would be, or just how much a jeep would cost. Have a great one. - Kent

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  Jerry Gilmartin

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jerry Gilmartin   Send Email To Jerry Gilmartin Posted on: Jan 15, 2012 - 10:34pm
Hi Kent,
Being a member of the restoration crew of PT658 I have a unique perspective on this question. I agree with Frank first of all. Why not use the REAL THING?
If you for some reason do not want to use the real thing, I have some questions.
You say "if somebody were to make a new WWII movie about PT boats, what boat would they start with to build full size mock ups". Tell me about your idea of how realistic of a "Mock Up" do you want? Does it need to float and move? Does it need to be able to operate independant (eg self powered?) When you say "Mock Up" to me that implies not fully functional, but just enough to fool the cameras. Like what a studio props department could make on the back lot of the studio. If you want something that approximates building a real PT Boat from scratch, for starters you can calculate the number of board feet to make the roughly 40 frames of 2 inch thick 20 foot wide and 15 ft tall spaced every 2 feet and an 80 ft long 12 inch square keel, the deck (we used 18 sheets of 5 ft x 10ft marine ply to replace our deck) and the side planking. The side planks could be plywood possibly. Then dont forget the charthouse and the covvering for the transom. Are you planning for your mock up to have two layers like the originals? Probably not needed for short term use in a single movie. Building the hull from plywood would be cheaper but it would not look like planks so some Hollywood Magic would be needed to make it look realistic. Then if you are wanting to power your mock up with packard Engines be prepared to spend about $10.000 each if you can find them, Probably could be faked with diesels for cheaper. Bt using diesels would not fool the purist movie buffs who would be wanting to hear that distinctive Packard growl. This is not even touching on the armament you would need, Even finding good covincing fakes is difficult and expensive. So I am guessing you would need to spend at least $100,000 to create a convincing "Mock Up" For that kind of money, why not just use the REAL THING?

I know this is just a thought experiment and is kind of fun to think of the possibilities. Good idea to bring this up.
Jerry Gilmartin
PT658 crew
Portland, OR
Retired Nuke MMC(SW)


Jerry Gilmartin

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David Waples

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Waples  Posted on: Jan 16, 2012 - 4:59am
I would think today it would be done digitally. Probably some on location, some on sets, but for the most part created digitally. We're about to get another big dose of digital movie making with Red Tails.

David Waples

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whitakermk

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Jan 16, 2012 - 6:23am
Probably right, use the real thing for all kinds of shots, or sound stage it. I am looking forward to red tails. I like CG for somethings, but love the look of real film, real sunlight etc.

But if you needed six or so PT's sitting side by side with guys running across planks getting ready to head out, That's the shot that would call for more than one. In that case they would probably be floating models. Or towed for underway shots like they did for the Periscope Down movie... Kelsey Grammer? I think.

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TED WALTHER

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of TED WALTHER   Send Email To TED WALTHER Posted on: Jan 16, 2012 - 8:38am
All;
Interesting subject. In my opinion, with the budgets that are used to make movies today, such as Pearl Harbor, Saving Private Ryan, Windtalkers, Flags Of Our Fathers/Letters From Iwo Jima, etc. The cost dedicated to CG effects, and other things, could hmm, restore to operational status a certain few boats, that are currently catching snow in a certain upstate NY location. Once the money for the movie(movies, if sequel is planned), is made off of release, the studio/production company can donate the boats to museums that can handle them, for a tax write off.
Take care,
TED


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David Buck

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Buck   Send Email To David Buck Posted on: Jan 16, 2012 - 9:45pm
Interesting question anyone know what they spent on the Titanic Mock up,I belive it was in the millions so whats half a dozen PT Boats + one for filming off.

D.buck

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  Glenn Anderson

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Glenn Anderson  Posted on: Jan 17, 2012 - 4:10am
Ted and All,

Also from that NY location the film makers can use a certain Crash Boat as a camera platform!!!

Thank you, Thank you!

Glenn


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  jerrad strehle

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Jan 17, 2012 - 4:44am
i like your idea , glenn. gotta have some crash boats.i know my grandad would have liked that idea also.


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