Stunts › Sequences › Gravity (2013) ›
Soyuz capsule fire — practical pyro inside Light Box
Practical fire-bar SFX inside the Light Box capsule mock-up. Bullock performed at close proximity to a controlled gas-bar fed at 35 psi. SFX coordinator Neil Corbould (later Best VFX Oscar winner) supervised the gag with full medical + fire suppression on standby.
Rigging
Equipment + technique
fire
Controlled propane gas-bar at 35 psi for repeat-take consistency. Practical fire interacted with Bullock's prop EMU suit which had a fire-retardant outer shell.
Safety
Officer + bulletins
Bulletins observed
- SAG-AFTRA Bulletin #14 (Stunts)↗
- SAG-AFTRA Bulletin #2 (Pyrotechnics)↗
- SAG-AFTRA Bulletin #11 (Open Flame)
Rigging glossary
2 rigs used in this sequence
Each entry explains how the rig works mechanically and the safety bulletin that governs it. Click through for the full glossary detail.
fire
Gel suit (full-body burn rig)
The protective layer worn under flammable garments for full-body burn gags. The standard rig for any "stunt performer engulfed in flame" frame.
fire
Propane bar / fuel-fed burn
Costume-routed propane tubing that produces a sustained, controllable flame for shots where the performer must remain on-camera and burning for more than 30 seconds.
References
Further reading
- Sandra Bullock, George Clooney in Gravity — 5 ways VFX wizards sent them into spaceThe Hollywood Reporterarticle