How Actors Were Safely Shot With Arrows Before CGI Revolutionized Special Effects

Tyler Bell explained the various practical effects used to safely shoot arrows at actors in movies and television long before the use of CGI special effects.

Today we test how before CGI they shot actors with arrows using practical effects.

Practical solutions include a pop-up arrow that goes under a shirt and activates with a hidden wire, the use of strategic wooden body armor with a two-pronged arrow, and a cannon that shoots multiple arrows at once.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.