Burj Khalifa Stunt / MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL.

ART DIRECTOR

Title: Mission Accomplished: How the Burj Khalifa Stunt in Ghost Protocol Came to Life

Filming a movie involves a lot of challenges, especially when the story requires the actors to perform extreme stunts. The movie "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" is an example of such a film, and the iconic scene of Tom Cruise climbing the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, is one that many people remember.

However, not all of the scenes were shot at the actual Burj Khalifa. In fact, a three-story set piece was built behind the production office in Dubai for some sequences.

We used the same company that built the actual Burj Khalifa to ensure that everything was an exact match for materials and design. The set piece was used for the ‘IMF Suite’ jumping off and landing, as well as the server room where Tom Cruise crashes into and also jumps out of.

Of course, some of the scenes required shooting at the actual Burj Khalifa. We had to make a false 'as black granite' floor to the existing spandrel height on the 122nd floor.

There were also a large number of windows taken out of the actual building for stunt rigging and camera requests, from the 120th floor up to the 144th floor. This was a huge technical feat, and no one was allowed onto any of the floors once the windows were taken out without safety harnesses for obvious reasons.

The Burj Khalifa had just opened, so the building at these levels was still largely unoccupied, which gave the team some flexibility.

The stunt was was an incredible challenge that required the coordination of several departments, including art, construction, set decoration, locations, stunt, camera, and visual effects.

The production department also deserves a big congratulations for overseeing it all and creating an iconic film stunt. And, of course, hats off to Tom Cruise for becoming so comfortable on the actual Burj Khalifa that the three-story set became mostly redundant for filming.

Overall, the making of "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" was a testament to the creativity, skill, and hard work of the entire production team. The result was an unforgettable stunt sequence that left audiences in awe of the stunning visuals and heart-pumping action sequences.

WDGs and presentation package by Mark Stephen.

Benji Dunn : [explaining Ethan's gloves] Easy way to remember: blue is glue.

Ethan Hunt : And when it's red?

Benji Dunn : Dead.