Was KITT actually driven by a midget dressed as a seat???

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Was KITT actually driven by a midget dressed as a seat???

Post by Jags » Thu Jun 19, 2003 12:05 pm

Hi Knightrider Fans

I'm new here - just been having an argument with a couple of work colleagues about how KITT was actually driven during the filming of Knightrider - especially for external shots of KITT driving off on his own. I reckon there's a midget, dressed as the drivers chair, who steers and does the pedals!!

Am I miles off?? Any assistance on this vitally important matter will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
JAGS

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Post by K.I.T.T » Thu Jun 19, 2003 12:18 pm

lmao... well you made me laugh if nothing else lol. There was a speical seat used in knight rider in which the driver sat behind which had cut outs so i could use the steering wheel, though the normal Gullwing wheel was not used, there was a speical smaller wheel used, if you notice in the very first episode theres a massice bulge behind the drivers seat, that would be the driver, think there looked through the headrest, though i may be wrong.

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Post by Jags » Thu Jun 19, 2003 12:35 pm

Thx KITT

So how were the pedals activated if someone was sitting in the back seat?

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Post by karrwashere » Thu Jun 19, 2003 12:47 pm

i always thought some 'stage hand' would drive him off, and then they'd just edit him out....or kitt could really drive himself -evil look-

speaking of midgits, you ever notice how david's stunt double was some old, short, japanese guy? you can see 'im when kitt 'ejects' michael up on to stuff like ledges and such. 'tis wierd lol

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Post by K.I.T.T » Thu Jun 19, 2003 2:04 pm

Most probably done by remote or someone pulling the pedal down from around the front, out of shot, as most of those sort of shots i.e KITT talking pedals moving on own etc were filmed in a studio

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Post by mechagrover » Thu Jun 19, 2003 2:06 pm

The secret revealed:

Image

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Post by K.I.T.T » Thu Jun 19, 2003 2:09 pm

yeah thats the shot! Though credit goes to where ya got the picture from, probably Pauls Knight Rider Archive. But yeah thats how it was done, now just a nice cloak to cover the guy up lol

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Post by Carlyn Eliz » Thu Jun 19, 2003 3:32 pm

:shock: that is how they drive kitt....cool! i never thought of that...i thought the guy driving the car sat in the back sean and stuck his hands through the head rest :lol:

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Post by TT Snim » Thu Jun 19, 2003 4:05 pm

Also where the finger for turbo boost comes from when Micheal isn't in the car.

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Post by KITT » Thu Jun 19, 2003 7:11 pm

ROFL.. midgets dressed as seats.. that's just hilarious.. made me laugh out loud with that one.

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Post by mechagrover » Fri Jun 20, 2003 12:27 am

Oops I forgot the link. The pic comes from http://www.knightrideronline.com/atoz

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Post by Rockatteer » Sat Jun 21, 2003 5:47 am

yeah the exact addy for the picture is....

http://www.knightrideronline.com/atoz/images/auto2.jpg
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Post by Rockatteer » Sat Jun 21, 2003 5:50 am

If you pay attention to some of the Autocruse scenes you can clearly see the HUGE bulge sticking out the back of the drivers seat.

Probaly the best shot i can remember is the scene in "Kitt the cat" where Kitt turbo boosts over the hedge to distract the cop who is about to shoot Micheal out by the lake
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Post by Vallerie80 » Sat Jun 21, 2003 11:10 pm

mechagrover wrote:The secret revealed:

Image
Finally! I always wanted see how they did that! And this person was able to still see or did have some kind of camera where the stund man can see where he is going?

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Post by mechagrover » Sun Jun 22, 2003 1:21 am

The cut-out section of the headrest is replaced with a dark screen that the driver can see through, but looks black to the camera

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Post by Moorsey » Wed Jun 25, 2003 1:19 pm

:( All my childhood dreams of having a car like KITT have been shattered because of that picture! I wanted KITT to drive me around, not some fat guy behind the seat! :)

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Post by knightdriver » Wed Jun 25, 2003 1:59 pm

Not to fear, The Fat Guy is just demonstrating it. The self driving scenes were performed by the stunt men. Someone told me that was Barris showing it off but it doesn't look like Barris to me. But then again, that was 20 years ago. Barris looks alot older today....
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Post by Vallerie80 » Wed Jun 25, 2003 10:07 pm

Fill me in here please. Who is Barris? The stunt driver of KITT?

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Post by Skav » Wed Jun 25, 2003 10:31 pm

George (?) Barris was the one that built KITT. Now, I think he was only bought in for specific seasons, which I think may have been s3-4 but I could be wrong.

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Post by mechagrover » Thu Jun 26, 2003 2:42 am

Yep! George Barris only created the "super pursuit mode" KITT :wink:

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Post by Vallerie80 » Thu Jun 26, 2003 2:58 am

Ahh! :D O.K. You know of any websites that has a picture of George Barris. I curious to see what this looks like.

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Post by mechagrover » Thu Jun 26, 2003 5:08 pm

http://www.barris.com/ :P

He was involved one way or another with almost every 'unique' famous car

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Post by Vallerie80 » Thu Jun 26, 2003 8:08 pm

Thanks mechagrover.

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Post by neps » Thu Jun 26, 2003 9:37 pm

I don't remember that flash animation there before... Did anyone take the time to watch it? If you wait long enough you'll see KITT, and even his scanner scans during the animation. Not badly done.

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Post by Rockatteer » Thu Jun 26, 2003 11:42 pm

I think that is Barris....

take a look at this...http://knightrideronline.com/atoz/index.html
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