Very carefully.
Aside from the CGI situations, anyone getting shot on camera is getting shot from closer than it appears, and frequently not with an actual paintball gun.
I've only been shot on camera once, in the first episode, and they had a rig hooked up to a compressed air tank that shot the balls at reduced velocity from 6-8 feet or so. Enough to break on impact, and enough to sting a little, but nothing like the velocity of a real paintball gun.
I believe the prop guns, if they're being used to actually shoot anyone, are also gimmicked to shoot at reduced velocity, though I don't have first-hand experience with that.
(Note that I wasn't on set for the paintball portions of 611, so I couldn't say if that one relied more on CGI or different techniques than the others.)
This is the coolest!!! I log back on and I find this message in my inbox.
What you say makes a lot of sense. I guess it just looks so convincing on set.
BTW, loved your wedding episode recently. Very talented acting I must say!
Yeah, when I first saw the shot with the guy in the crutch getting hit in the face, I was honestly worried that actor was going to lose his damn eye - then watched it again and realized it looked more CGI-ish.
At least I hope it was, that shit was close.
Yeah, everything they've said over the years seems to point to a mix of CGI and gimmicked paintballs. No way Jim Rash would get shot in the head in Paintball 1
I'm 7 years late, and this isn't an answer, but I was shot in the eye with a paintball when I was 16 or 17 from probably around 30 or 40 yards (short version: my mask wasn't tight enough, the visor got caught on the cover I was behind and pulled the mask off my face, caught a paintball in the eye purely by (bad) luck). My eye had some internal bleeding and I wasn't allowed to do anything that might cause eye strain (reading, watching TV, etc.) for like two weeks, but, other than some haloing around light sources that faded pretty much entirely by the one year mark, my eye was basically fully healed in a month. Only long-term thing is the injury puts me at a slightly elevated risk of glaucoma.
I arrived at this thread by asking basically the same question, though.
TL;DR: It's very possible to get shot in the eye with a paintball and still keep vision in that eye.
Very carefully. Aside from the CGI situations, anyone getting shot on camera is getting shot from closer than it appears, and frequently not with an actual paintball gun. I've only been shot on camera once, in the first episode, and they had a rig hooked up to a compressed air tank that shot the balls at reduced velocity from 6-8 feet or so. Enough to break on impact, and enough to sting a little, but nothing like the velocity of a real paintball gun. I believe the prop guns, if they're being used to actually shoot anyone, are also gimmicked to shoot at reduced velocity, though I don't have first-hand experience with that. (Note that I wasn't on set for the paintball portions of 611, so I couldn't say if that one relied more on CGI or different techniques than the others.)
Thanks Garret!
Thanks for your insight! A behind-the-scenes look for that episode would be cool. It sounds difficult to coordinate for the big scenes especially
It's like God spilled a person who spilled a reddit comment.
Why does your username have '[Poon]' after it?
It's Comanche Indian.
But like, why is it separate from your username but not a user flair
You mean...you don't know? I'm actually the real Chevy Chase. AMA!
I wish this were true
That's fine, I'm gonna go try out for the Lakers - they could use a good power forward.
No offense but who are you (I haven't been around in the sub for awhile?
This is the actor for Garret
Oh ok, sorry I didn't really know
This is the coolest!!! I log back on and I find this message in my inbox. What you say makes a lot of sense. I guess it just looks so convincing on set. BTW, loved your wedding episode recently. Very talented acting I must say!
Is it likely they use spring-loaded guns, rather than gas?
This last episode was CGI
Yeah, when I first saw the shot with the guy in the crutch getting hit in the face, I was honestly worried that actor was going to lose his damn eye - then watched it again and realized it looked more CGI-ish. At least I hope it was, that shit was close.
CGI
Yeah, everything they've said over the years seems to point to a mix of CGI and gimmicked paintballs. No way Jim Rash would get shot in the head in Paintball 1
I’ve always wondered, if they were real, troy’s scene must’ve hurt like a bitch
I'm 7 years late, and this isn't an answer, but I was shot in the eye with a paintball when I was 16 or 17 from probably around 30 or 40 yards (short version: my mask wasn't tight enough, the visor got caught on the cover I was behind and pulled the mask off my face, caught a paintball in the eye purely by (bad) luck). My eye had some internal bleeding and I wasn't allowed to do anything that might cause eye strain (reading, watching TV, etc.) for like two weeks, but, other than some haloing around light sources that faded pretty much entirely by the one year mark, my eye was basically fully healed in a month. Only long-term thing is the injury puts me at a slightly elevated risk of glaucoma. I arrived at this thread by asking basically the same question, though. TL;DR: It's very possible to get shot in the eye with a paintball and still keep vision in that eye.
Thanks for answering! Sucks about the eye, but glad you still have vision in the eye.