Clark Perks

Spring Writers Conference

Freelance Writing
14 March 2008
Note: Nuerous photos of this stor! are a"aila#le for pu#lication$ along %ith "i&eo footage'
Stor! coul& #e a&e longer or shorter to eet the pu#lications nee&s'
Crash Camera
Filing the %orl&s largest iplosion fro the ost &angerous spot
(he onl! thing ore fun than %atching an iplosion is filing one' )n )cto#er *0$ 1++4$ ,
%as part of tea that file& the &estruction of the Sears #uil&ing in Phila&elphia' -t the tie
the %orl&s largest iplosion'
Filaker -le. /alpern %ante& to capture the iplosion fro e"er! angle' ,t %as
! 0o# to capture the ultiate shot$ fro the top of the 2001foot tall clock to%er as the
iplosion happene&'
(o &o this %oul& re2uire a 3crash caera'4 - 151illieter caera %as place& in a
custo1a&e *684 steel housing %ith a #ulletproof %in&o% for the lens' (he housing %as
painte& fluorescent orange to ai& in reco"er!$ 0ust like an airplanes 3#lack #o.'4
(he insi&e of the #o. %as pa&&e& out %ith foa sheets for cushioning' - ra&io
controlle& ser"o %as ounte& on the si&e of the caera to actuate the shutter echanis'
/alperns %ife$ Car!n$ an& , &i& final asse#l! on the caera the orning of the iplosion'
7ust after &a%n$ /alperns tea got into position at "arious points aroun& the
#uil&ing' /alpern an& , set up the caera$ %hich %as uch har&er than anticipate&' ,t
%eighe& close to 200 poun&s' (he #uil&ing ha& alrea&! #een structurall! coproise& to ai&
in the iplosion' Soe staircases ha& #een reo"e&$ re2uiring the caera to #e hoiste& up
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on ropes' We ha& to carr! it up 20 flights of stairs' 8ach flight ha& the #otto t%o steps
reo"e&$ allo%ing us to look 200 feet straight &o%n' -ll the %hile %e ha& to step o"er the
%ires lea&ing to the e.plosi"e charges'
8.hauste&$ %e finall! a&e it to the roof of the to%er' ,t %as a perfect &a! for filing$
the sun %as shining an& it %as still %ar enough for (1Shirts' /alpern$ %earing a s%eater$
%as co"ere& in s%eat fro the cli#'
-fter sur"e!ing the roof$ %e &eci&e& to position the caera to point out at the rest of
the assi"e structure' We lugge& the caera o"er to the e&ge$ placing it ne.t to another fil
cre%s caera'
When %e place& it in position$ %e #ecae concerne& ho% precariousl! it %as resting
on the roofs e&ge$ %hich %as toppe& %ith angle& tiles' (his angle helpe& %ith aiing the
caera$ pointing it slightl! &o%n' ,t also eant it coul& easil! slip off'
,n the i&&le of the clock to%ers roof stoo& a tall$ aluinu flagpole' For an!
&eca&es the -erican Flag ha& flo%n prou&l! on this pole' (he Sears Merchan&ise Center
ha& opene& to the pu#lic in 1+1+' ,t containe& 2'9 illion s2uare feet of floor space' For
three 2uarters of a centur!$ it ha& #een a Northeast Phila&elphia lan&ark on :oose"elt
;oule"ar&' -rea resi&ents %oul& use it fre2uentl! in &irections$ sa!ing things like 3<oull go
past the assi"e Sears #uil&ing on !our left'4
;ut it ha& #een "acant for !ears' -ttepts %ere a&e to con"ert the #uil&ing for
&ifferent uses #ut none %ere successful' - serious fire finall! seale& the #uil&ings fate'
/alpern an& , &eci&e& to tie the caera off to the flagpole' (his %oul& ser"e t%o
purposes' First$ it %oul& pre"ent the caera fro tu#ling o"er the si&e' Secon&$ it ight
ake the caera easier to reco"er after the iplosion'
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(he to%er %as a challenge for the iplosion tea' ,t looe& a#o"e the hea"il!
trafficke& :oose"elt ;oule"ar& an& there %ere #uil&ings in use across the street'
(o a&&ress these concerns$ the iplosion contractor$ 8ngineere& =eolition$ ha&
&esigne& the &etonation se2uence so the to%er %oul& fall into the center of the #uil&ing' ,f
all %ent %ell$ there %oul& #e nothing left of the #uil&ing #ut a assi"e pile of #ricks an&
#roken concrete' ;ut the flagpole > a large$ stur&! etal structure > ight sur"i"e intact'
We ha& not planne& on t!ing off the caera' (hankfull!$ after sca"enging aroun& %e
foun& a rope long an& hea"! enough to &o the 0o#' )ne en& of the rope %as tie& to the
caeras han&le an& the other to the flagpole' (he slack %as taken out of the rope to pre"ent
the caera fro tipping o"er'
While %e finishe& setting up$ the other caera cre% %as putting the finishing touches
on their caera' (he! ha& taken a &ifferent approach' (he! %ere using a less e.pensi"e
"i&eo caera' (heir housing %as a&e of plastic$ an& %as not &esigne& to sur"i"e the #last'
(he! ran a long "i&eo ca#le &o%n the si&e of the #uil&ing to a recor&er place& in the safe
?one'
When the caera %as tie& off$ /alpern trie& to ake soe final a&0ustents on ho%
it %as aie&' (his %as not an eas! task' Norall! filakers frae shots #! looking
through a "ie%fin&er or onitor' When !our caera is encase& in 200 poun&s of steel$
neither are an option' /e cli#e& up on the e&ge of the roof to tr! to sight &o%n the e&ge of
the #o. an& , hel& onto his #elt to pre"ent hi fro falling to his &eath'
With nothing ore to &o$ %e retreate& to the safe ?ones' -t + a''$ it %as tie'
3F,@8A F)B:A (/:88A (W)A )N8A4
*
8le"en thousan& poun&s of e.plosi"es %ent off %ith a thun&erous ru#le' , %as
stan&ing across the street fro the front of the clock to%er %ith the ra&io controller' )nl!
one s%itch nee&e& to #e flippe& to turn the caera on' (his s%itch %as tape& &o%n earlier to
pre"ent the caera fro #eing acti"ate& earl!'
(iing %as trick!' (he caera %as po%er #! a %in& up echanis' When full!
%oun& it %oul& run for *0 secon&s' (he iplosion %oul& take a#out 10 secon&s$ so there
%as onl! 20 secon&s of %iggle roo on either si&e' , thre% the s%itch %hen the count&o%n
reache& fi"e'
/uge clou&s of #illo%ing #ro%n &ust #oile& up fro e"er! part of the #uil&ing' (he
to%er seee& to slo%l! collapse gracefull! fro the #otto' (he top of the to%er reaine&
intact as it %ent &o%n until it %as en"elope& #! &ust'
/alperns cre% capture& the iplosion for se"eral &ifferent angles' /e ha& one person
ri&ing in a helicopter$ %hich ho"ere& a#o"e along %ith se"eral ne%s copters'
(he asse#le& cro%&s$ %hich nu#ere& in the tens of thousan&s$ cheere& %il&l!' (o
keep fro inhaling the &ust$ people co"ere& their ouths an& noses %ith han&kerchiefs$
faceasks$ an& articles of clothing' =ust %ent e"er!%here$ coating trees$ cars$ an& streets' ,t
looke& like a "olcano ha& erupte&'
(he iplosion %as a coplete success' Where the gigantic Sears #uil&ing stoo& for
9C !ears %as no% a three stor! high pile of #ricks$ concrete an& glass' 8"er!thing fell e.actl!
%here the! %ante& it to fall' Street s%eepers #egan spra!ing %ater on the &ust to %ash it off
an& clean it up'
Slo%l!$ the clou&s of &ust #egan to &issipate fro the piles of ru##le' -n& there$
clearl! "isi#le in the center of the pile$ %as the flagpole$ stan&ing alost straight up'
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-a?ingl!$ the roof ha& coe &o%n alost intact' ,f the rope hel&$ %e %oul& kno% e.actl!
%here to reco"er the caera'
(he other caera cre% %as not 2uite so luck!' (hough the! starte& out %ith a clear
picture fro their "i&eo fee&$ the! lost the signal #efore the iplosion starte&'
We &esperatel! %ante& to cli# atop the ru##le pile to see if %e coul& reco"er the
caera$ #ut the &eolition cre% felt it %as too &angerous' ,t %oul& #e eas! to fall through a
gap an& #ecoe trappe& or #urie& un&er tons of &e#ris'
Soe contractors later cli#e& onto the pile for closer e.aination' We con"ince&
one to take a "i&eo caera to the flagpole' (he! "i&eotape& the rope still tie& to the pole$ the
other en& &isappearing #eneath the ru##le'
,t %oul& #e fi"e onths #efore the crash caera %as reco"ere& copletel! intact' (he
fil containe& 22 fraes$ %hich sho%e& the caera falling through clou&s of &ust' (his
translate& to a#out t%o secon&s of usa#le footage'
Note: (o see saple "i&eo of the iplosion$ "isit http:66%%%'clarkperks'co6crashcaera
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