One-of-a-kind electric ‘cycle cam’ bike helped film Deadpool’s flashiest scenes

In addition to all the attention Deadpool has gotten for entire scenes created with CGI, the film also had some very cool MacGyver moments when it came to camera equipment. In the movie’s early fight scene on the bridge, when sort-of-superhero Ryan Reynolds, clad in red spandex, chases some bad men on motorcycles, the film crew used a one-of-a-kind, camera-loaded, fully electric motorbike to capture the action.

Sometimes in Hollywood, getting the perfect shot means getting creative with camera techniques. Deadpool director Tim Miller brought in stunt superstar Regis Harrington to drive what the film team calls the cycle cam. Harrington is one of the movie business’ top stunt drivers, but this motorcycle wasn’t exactly a regular ride. The back of the ZF9 motorcycle was loaded with 80-100 pounds of highly valuable camera equipment, plus another 60 or so pounds of batteries, which also served to balance the load.

The bridge scene was filmed as Harrington weaved in and out of a grid of cars, following escaping motorcycles on the custom-made cycle cam. Since the ZF9 is completely electric, there were no motor vibrations to the camera. And to make the ride that much smoother, the camera rig was set up on a stabilized head so that even if Harrington rode over something or hit a bump in the road, the camera would still be able to capture a smooth, uninterrupted shot.

Of course, motorcycles and cycle cams and car traffic aside, the scene was also packed with plenty of shots showing Deadpool counting off kills, reprimanding himself, and executing spinning katana death jumps.

So with this glimpse at inventions like the cycle cam, now we know — what goes on behind the scenes is often just as exciting as, well, Ryan Reynolds kicking ass in red spandex.