Preparation

• 1). Find a suitable location where the actors can face off against each other with at least 15 feet of space between them. It's usually best to find a quiet spot outside.
  
  
• 2). Position the tripod with the camera approximately halfway between the actors and about five feet back from them. Pan the camera from actor A (on the left) across to actor B (on the right). There should be a large gap between leaving actor A and picking up actor B. Once you are happy with the position, mark the spots for both actors and the tripod.
  
  
• 3). Loosen the head of the tripod so that it gives little resistance when you pan from side to side and make sure that it is completely level to the ground.
  
  
• 4). Attach the ninja star that has been cut in half to actor B's body so that it looks like it is embedded in her flesh, and give actor A the whole ninja star.
  
  

Execution

• 1). Film actor A with ninja star in hand. Actor A will now throw the ninja star towards actor B. Pan the camera as fast as you can, or "whip pan," to the right the moment actor A throws the ninja star at actor B. The whip pan is essentially mimicking the movement of the projectile. You may need several tries to time the shot perfectly. Then prepare for the next shot.
  
  
• 2). Whip pan the camera to the right onto actor B. The moment the camera picks up actor B, she should act as if she has just been hit by the ninja star. Again, you may need several attempts to get this right.
  
  
• 3). Edit the best two shots together with the whip pans joined in the middle. This will give the effect that the ninja star has left actor A's hand, sped through the air and stuck into actor B's body. The speed of the two whip pans will disguise the edit point to make it look like one fluid shot.