For your amusement

[Bushknew]

I guess the folks at Honda wanted to show off their engineering prowess.

http://home.comcast.net/~bernhard36/honda-ad.html

<<This is a new Honda commercial in the UK. It is important that you understand that there are no computer graphics or digital tricks in the film. Everything you see really happened in real time exactly as you see it.

The film took 606 takes. On the first 605 takes, something, usually very minor, didn't work. They would then have to set the whole thing up again. The crew spent weeks shooting night and day. By the time it was over, they were ready to change professions. The film cost six million dollars and took three months to complete including a full engineering of the sequence. In addition, it's two minutes long so every time Honda airs the film on British television, they're shelling out enough dough to keep any one of us in clover for a lifetime. However, it is fast becoming the most downloaded advertisement in Internet history. Honda executives figure the ad will soon pay for itself simply in "free" viewings (Honda isn't paying a dime to have you watch this commercial!).

When the ad was pitched to senior executives, they signed off on it immediately without any hesitation -- including the costs.

There are six and only six hand-made Accords in the world. To the horror of Honda engineers, the filmmakers disassembled two of them to make the film. Everything you see in the film (aside from the walls, floor, ramp, and complete Honda Accord) are parts from those two cars.

The voiceover is Garrison Keillor.

When the ad was shown to Honda executives, they liked it and commented on how amazing computer graphics have gotten. They fell off their chairs when they found out it was for real.

Oh. And about those funky windshield wipers. On the new Accords, the windshield wipers have water sensors and are designed to start doing their thing automatically as soon as they become wet. It looks a bit weird in the commercial.>>

[Az]

1. I'm in the automotive biz

And this thing has been making the rounds over here for a while. First time I saw it I swore there were segements faked(think CG etc). None of this thing is faked. There are some tricks used to get the things to do what they do but everything is real. See if you can spot the "flaws" and then guess how they got them to do what seems impossible.

[Catch22Dem]

3. How?

How do they make the tire appear to roll UP the plank?

[Az]

6. Thats the first one that set me off

What they did was tape some bolts to the inside tops of the tire and then balanced it so that a nudge would carry it over the top and roll up the hill. They had to tip toe around the set all the time cuz the slightest tremor would set something off.

[Systematic Chaos]

2. My first "decent" car is an Accord

It's a 1997 Accord LX I bought just over a year ago for about $11,000. Not too bad considering that for the last 15 months I've only had to give it oil changes. It's about to flip 70,000 miles but I suspect it will easily last to double that, if not triple.

My first new car, which I will buy once I have this one paid off and my other debts squared away, will also be a Honda or maybe a Toyota. I hate to dis American manufacturing but they just can't compare, based on everything I've heard and seen. And what's more, at 6'3" I can barely fit or CAN'T fit into some of my friends' American cars. There's just no room in them compared to my Accord.

[nuxvomica]

4. Thanks for posting this

I've watched it over and over. I especially like the part wear the mobile creates a slight draft.

[Bushknew]

5. I love how the ...

string turns off the fan and gently glides to strike the next
sequence in motion.

I love when the music starts as well.

I have no idea how the tires when UP the ramp though.

[nuxvomica]

7. Momentum from the rolling tire is transferred to the tires on the ramp

Causing them to roll up. Just like those silver balls on strings executive toys. At least that's what I think happens. Not a physicist. Nor do I play one on TV.