I have seen many an adventure seeker poke their curious heads into the world of stunts. I feel there are too many people, both inside and outside of this industry who have jumped to conclusions when it comes to stunt performers and what it is that we do. We are not reckless, thrill seeking, adrenaline junkies (well, some of us are), but more of skilled, calculated artists who happen to do things that look (and sometimes are) very dangerous and painful. I have seen people try to come into this world thinking that they just need to be willing and able to jump off buildings, be set on fire or have a steel sword swung at their heads, but there is so much more to what we do. A good stunt performer isn't the one who says "Yeah... take it up another 10 ft I can take it" and ends up with a wicked case of whip lash or worse, but the one who does what is necessary to get the shot, get it done well and shows up to work the next day. Everyone on set already thinks you're a superhero just because you showed up with the stunt team, no need push an already elevated situation. Also, a good stunt performer doesn't just DO the stunt, they have to be able to ACT in accordance to what's happening before, during and after the stunt, and be able to take direction from the director via their coordinator. You can't expect to show up for a job, be dead faced, no acting, no motivation behind what it is you're doing and be surprised when that is the last stunt gig you ever get offered. But the best part, and what I think a lot of people forget, including some stunt professionals, is at the end of the day, after walking away from the stunt safely and making the shot/actors look good, the biggest part of our job, and sometimes the most difficult to accept, is to disappear. Our job isn't to stand out, but to be such good actors, imitators and stunt performers that in the final product, no one ever knows we were there.
Acting : From an actor turned stunt performer, we are actors too. by Jess Durham
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Great post, Jess.
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Thanks CJ.
Alle, not necessarily bad experiences, just observations. I am sure every department of production has a similar story. I just didn't see anything representing stunts in the lounge and thought I might start a conversation with those interested.
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I'm part of that breed of actor who does his own stunt work and fight choreography. Stunt people are not respected by a lot of people in the industry. I have seen stunt people get hurt by actors who want to do their own stunts with no or little experience. I have seen bad directors get stunt people hurt because they don't care as long as they get the shot. I have been acting since I was a kid but I can't say I do stunt work if I'm going in for an audition because they will just pigeonhole me as a JUST A STUNT MAN. And Jess is right about stunt people knowing how to act. That is totally true. And the actors these days are not being trained right. I've had them come up to me and ask how to depict pain or do a simple prat fall. It's insane. And this is for everyone out there who may find themselves on a set dealing with guns. Blank guns are not toys! They are real modified guns that just fire blanks. Blanks that can hurt or kill you. If there isn't a good gun wrangler on the set watch out! Bruce Lee's son Brandon was killed with a blank gun because some idiot didn't clean the gun after use. And the actor that fired the gun was not, I repeat, not suppose to point the gun right at him. It's suppose too be from side to side. Your not suppose to point a gun at anyone! EVER! And I don't care what a damn director says. Another actor (John Eric Hexum) was playing Russian roulette with a blank gun. He put it up to his head and pop! It killed him. The charge from a blank gun cam blow a hole in a watermelon so you know what happen. The gun should not have been laying around between shooting. If I am scarring you, GOOD. Nobody likes to talk about this stuff but it's a reality and it's your life. One last story. Gene Hackman was working on this film back in the 80's that was suppose to take place in central america. They had some real solders on the set as extras. One of the solders was suppose to shoot Gene and kill him in the film. Hackman was smart enough to check the guys weapon because he had seen enough bad things happen with blank guns over the years. The guys weapon was loaded with live ammo.
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Derrick is right on it! I'm a Police Technical Advisor among other things within the Industry. SAFETY comes First! Any Director/Producer that doesn't have weapons experts on the set if firearms, edged or impact weapons are used is basically engaged in potential criminal negligence. Actors/Actresses who won't train or want to "do their own thing" when there is CQB, especially involving weapons, are morons. This is why smart Directors, Cinematographers, Editors and Stunt Professionals actively consider things like ballistics and trajectories.
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He is on the money. There are too many people that assume that these weapons have been super modified for extreme safety and are little more than children's toys. And while there have been modifications, they create there own kind of dangers in the process. I have seen people picking up and wielding blunt swords and knives from and unattended weapons table (shouldn't have been unattended) and when they are asked not too, they get testy and don't understand why we are acting like this blunt sword is dangerous.... BECAUSE THEY ARE! Every department seems to understand and respect etiquette for each other, but some how, stunts seem to slip through the cracks. Now that is not true for every set or every person, some people are well aware of what it is that goes on in a stunt performers day and that their equipment is off limits. But there are too many who don't. Do you lean on a camera stand, sit in an actor/directors chair? Then why are you lying on my air ram pad?
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Love the response. i thinks it's important that these things are talked about because as of yet I only hear it in closed circles. Like I said. I have seen actors do very stupid things. Some directors too . If talking these things out can keep someone from getting hurt or killed then it's totally worth it.
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As many people in the business say: - The difference between a stunt performer and a daredevil is that a stunt performer can do take after take if need should be. Of course there are occasions when there is only one chance of doing a stunt, but that should be due to other things than a stunt not being safe. Props or locations that once they are broken can't be re-built (at least not easy). And I agree that stunt work over all needs to be talked about more among film makers in general. It goes both ways - those that think You can just toss in a stunt performer and have any action shot You want, to those on the other end that think stunt complicates things too much (or don't even think of the possibility to bring in stunt people) and re-writes or cut out scenes instead.
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Or just use CGI to solve their problem Fredrik. But you are right. I was on a shoot about two years ago and they didn't listen to a damn thing I told them. It was pointless for me to even be there.
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CGI have its place in film making and action scenes, but as we all know it can't replace physical stunts all the way. Maybe we could get "stunt" or "stunt work" topic here at stage 32 where these things can be discussed and somewhat give other film makers a better insight to what stunt work can and con not do for their productions? I have asked for this from time to time but so far nothing has happened.