Blood on the Tracks



Blood on the Tracks is a special feature found on the Season Four DVD.

Blood on the Tracks
Jon Cassar explains about the train explosion at the start of Season 4 of 24. He explains that three directors worked on the small segment; he directed the first unit, Tim Iacofano worked on the train hitting the truck bomb and Joseph Hodges worked on the train aftermath.

July 30, 2004: SECOND UNIT SHOOT: Joseph Hodges prepares the reporters to film scenes in front of the derailed train. He sets up a scene with a reporter talking to a fireman. Whilst he preapares it, victims of the crash are prepared.

Meanwhile, the main unit are preparing on the train. Cassar, stood with Guy Skinner, talks to actors as to what they should do on the train. A crew member explains "Poor Man's Process", the simulation of movement on a static object; in this situation the train. Hodges joins Cassar as he finishes shooting for the second unit, and preparations begin to shoot scenes on the train. The shoot goes as planned and the crew move on to shooting night time shots by the exterior of the train. Cassar works with Rodney Charters to choreograph the action. A background artist displays some of her fake wounds. Richard Rosser runs through what will happen in the scene to the rest of the crew.The shooting begins but Cassar halts it to readjust the intensity of a background light. They shoot again and perfect the shot to Cassar's happiness.



Later that night at 2:15am, the filming of the explosion takes place. Stan Blackwell explains their plan; to create a huge fireball. He goes on to say that on August 3 2004 they would be actually crashing a train into an explosive; today was just about seeing the fireball. Rosser clears everyone away from the train tracks. Cassar films Dar biking away from the scene.

August 3, 2004: A FEW DAYS LATER: Tim Iacofano explains that terrorists have put a truck on the track filled with explosives and a train will crash into it. Scott Blackwell adds some wires to the wheels to try to simulate the breaks coming on. Stan Blackwell explains that in the original script two trains collided, but this was too expensive. Scott shows some of the explosives and explains how they have been directed to just go specific ways. Iacofano prepares everyone and the shoot goes down perfectly as planned. Smoke billows to the air as the train retreats to allow a firetruck to put out the fire.

Stan Blackwell explains that one of the explosions in the van did not go off, but Iacofano says that it looked very good.