You might try to make one of ice (colored black I guess). You also might try plaster or something.

Use a plastic toy bat, cut off the end and use the rest for a mold, then cut the bat apart leaving the handle for a grip. I've never done this but it should work. Be careful if you intend to use it to shatter on someones head though, ice can be pretty solid.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

Are there any websites on the internet that sell this kind of equipment?

does it have to be a baseball bat? If not use a broomstick. Then just pre beak it and tape it with scotch tape, just enough so its straight. Then hit the person with it. Obviously if you have to hit them in the face then don't do this. But because it is already broken it doesnt hurt if you hit somebody in the limb or torso.

If it does have to be a baseball bat, which probably looks better and cooler anyway, then im not sure. Ice sounds like a fairly good idea. I would try this though (im not sure if this will work but its worth a try) I'll break it down in steps

1)Shoot the person swinging the bat and stop right before you hit the person (lets say the right side of the head). Shoot this pointing at the right side of the head.
2)Break the bat. Maybe take a sledge hammer to it. Or just hit it against a concrete floor a couple times. Now you have two halfs of a bat.
3)Have the person hitting the victim hold the handle half. Then tie a string (maybe a fishing line) to the other half of the bat.
5) Now set up the camera on the left side of the victim and at shoulder hieght. Have the Hitter hold the handle half up on the place where he is hitting the person so that the handle is pressed against the persons face.
6)have another person hold the other half of the bat and the handle together on the right side of the person. So from the camera (on the left side) it looks as though the bat is still whole. The middle (broken part) of the bat is hidden by the persons head.
7)Have the person that is on the right side of the victim crouch down out of frame but keep their hand on the bat in order to keep it together. But there hand should be hidden from teh camera on teh other side of the person.
8)now have one last person grab the string tied to the big part of the bat off screen.
9)start recording. Then on the count of three have the hitter continues their swing, have the person pull the string, and have the victim react as if they just got hit by a bat.
10)edit the first part of the swing so that it cuts right as the bat is about to hit the face. then cut to just as the bat is breaking.

Now, this might not work at all. But i think if you do it right it might look fairly decent. It involves no actual hitting but a couple extra people. Try it and let me know how it works. good luck

"Anyone who has ever been privileged to direct a film also knows that, although it can be like trying to write 'War and Peace' in a bumper car in an amusement park, when you finally get it right, there are not many joys in life that can equal the feeling." - Stanley Kubrick

If you are looking for someone to get hit with the bat:

(1) Shoot with the batman between the victim and the camera. Put them 10 feet apart if you want for safety, as long as you don't show the feet and you line it up properly nobody will know. Then have the batman swing as if they wanted to clock the victim. The victim reacts as if they are invunerable or whatever.

(2) Shoot with the victim between the batman and the camera, the reverse of the previous shot. So we get the batmans reaction. Put a pole or some other object between the batman and the victim so the bat can actually hit something. Cut the bat into half and cut the top off the bat and connect the pieces with paper and tape and fill the inside of this week hollow section with sand or wood chunks or whatever. When this paper bat hits the pole (hidden behind the victim) the paper will tear sending the top of the bat and sand flying. Remember the victim can be a safe distance incase the pieces fly off early and the camera won't show. Do some test swings to make sure the victim will be safe.

(3) Shoot the same angle as shot (1) but in closeup of the victim smiling smugly at the failed attempt to smack them.

(4) Shoot the same angle as (2) but in closeup of the batter mouthing "shit".

(4) Edit the shots so that shot one starts the swing, shot two completes the swings. Then Three and Four show the reactions to it to sell what happened.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

haha wow, thats a lot easier then my approach. kudos to you rj

"Anyone who has ever been privileged to direct a film also knows that, although it can be like trying to write 'War and Peace' in a bumper car in an amusement park, when you finally get it right, there are not many joys in life that can equal the feeling." - Stanley Kubrick