There are two things to keep in mind while being burned alive for a movie scene.
The first, says stunt performer Ben Jenkin, is not to breathe in a flame. That would be bad. Jenkin was reminded of that over and over before doing his first fire burn (and then seven more) in an action extravaganza that affectionately celebrates the rough-and-tumble lives of stunt performers.
The other thing: Keep moving.
香蕉视频直播淢oving forward and keeping the fire behind you allows you to breathe and to control the fire,香蕉视频直播� Jenkin says. 香蕉视频直播淢ovement is your friend.香蕉视频直播�
That would make a decent slogan for stunt performers who have, since the early days of Hollywood, fueled the mayhem of movies. Since at least when the facade of (stillness can also be your friend when it comes to stunts), stunt performers have played a vital role in sustaining the illusion of countless car chases, bar fights, rooftop leaps and, yes, guys on fire.
By its nature, it香蕉视频直播檚 nearly anonymous work, with stunt performers doubling for daintier stars. But Leitch, a longtime stuntman before he became a director, and 香蕉视频直播淭he Fall Guy,香蕉视频直播� which opens in theaters Friday, hope to redefine the role of stunt work in Hollywood. 香蕉视频直播淭he Fall Guy,香蕉视频直播� which features nearly every kind of stunt imaginable, arrives as a growing chorus is calling for a new Oscar category for stunt performance.
香蕉视频直播淚t was never really about: The individual stunt performer needs to be recognized,香蕉视频直播� says Leitch, who spent years as Brad Pitt香蕉视频直播檚 double before transitioning to directing with 香蕉视频直播淛ohn Wick.香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淚t was more about the contribution of the department. We create these sequences, whether it香蕉视频直播檚 for Paul Thomas Anderson or Adam Sandler or James Cameron.香蕉视频直播�
The most eye-catching stunts come in big-budget action movies like 香蕉视频直播淭he Fall Guy,香蕉视频直播� but nearly every studio movie involves some stunt work. Take Chris O香蕉视频直播橦ara, head of Stunts Unlimited and the stunt designer on 香蕉视频直播淭he Fall Guy.香蕉视频直播� He香蕉视频直播檚 not only a veteran of innovative, stunt-heavy films like 香蕉视频直播淭he Matrix香蕉视频直播� and the Jason Bourne series but he was also the guy who caught Saoirse Ronan when she leapt out of a (seemingly) moving car in Greta Gerwig香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淟ady Bird.香蕉视频直播�
With 香蕉视频直播淭he Fall Guy,香蕉视频直播� O香蕉视频直播橦ara is the first person to be credited as a 香蕉视频直播渟tunt designer,香蕉视频直播� a designation that香蕉视频直播檚 been approved by SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild. To O香蕉视频直播橦ara, that credit better represents what香蕉视频直播檚 usually called stunt coordination. Conceptualizing and crafting elaborate sequences requires more than making sure everyone stays safe.
香蕉视频直播淭o be seen by the film community as stunt designers hopefully brings more light to what we really do,香蕉视频直播� says O香蕉视频直播橦ara. 香蕉视频直播淏ack in the day, stunt guys were the cowboys. Now we are creative. We create amazing things, just like a production designer does or a costume designer does.香蕉视频直播�
THE FALLS LEADING TO 香蕉视频直播楩ALL GUY香蕉视频直播�
When they were starting out in Los Angeles, Leitch and O香蕉视频直播橦ara lived together. Their garage was stuffed with mats and air bags. They dug a hole in the backyard and put a trampoline in it. 香蕉视频直播淭he landlord never caught us,香蕉视频直播� says Leitch, grinning.
They, along with four other stuntmen including Chad Stahelski, set out with big ambitions to make their mark on Hollywood. While cutting their teeth on TV shows like 香蕉视频直播淏uffy the Vampire Slayer,香蕉视频直播� they trained. Some were gymnasts, some drivers, some martial arts experts.
香蕉视频直播淚t was a nonstop circus of skills you need but it香蕉视频直播檚 fun to learn them,香蕉视频直播� says Leitch. 香蕉视频直播淗ard on your body, but fun.香蕉视频直播�
They became masters of their craft 香蕉视频直播� or at least mostly. Leitch never got driving down. On 香蕉视频直播淭he Mexican,香蕉视频直播� he crashed an El Camino into its only back-up, another El Camino.
But eventually, filmmaking seemed like one more skill to hone. Leitch had become adept at pre-visualizing sequences as a moving storyboard to show directors how an action scene would move and fit together. Plus, he was accustomed to keeping a cool head in extreme circumstances. How scary could directing be compared to standing on a ledge as a production raced to get a high fall in before the day香蕉视频直播檚 light went?
香蕉视频直播淲hen you香蕉视频直播檝e had life and death stakes, what香蕉视频直播檚 the worst that can happen in a scene?香蕉视频直播� says Leitch. 香蕉视频直播淚 have to cut it differently?香蕉视频直播�
Leitch has since become a sought-after action director, helming films like 香蕉视频直播淎tomic Blonde,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淒eadpool 2香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淏ullet Train,香蕉视频直播� in which Pitt starred. That was a full circle moment for the former star-stuntman tandem but 香蕉视频直播淭he Fall Guy香蕉视频直播� might be more so. Based on the 1980s Lee Majors TV series, it香蕉视频直播檚 a comic, behind-the-scenes ode to the nature of stunt work and on-set life.
Ryan Gosling stars as Colt Seavers, a veteran stuntman and double for star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) whose romance with a fellow crew member, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), is severed after an accident on set only to fitfully resume years later. By then Jody is directing her first feature and Colt is brought in as a stuntman, including for that fire-burn scene.
For Leitch and Kelly McCormick, his wife and production partner, both the stunts and the love story of 香蕉视频直播淭he Fall Guy香蕉视频直播� have a touch of autobiography. After a years-long working relationship, McCormick and Leitch were married in 2014 and together run their production company 87North.
香蕉视频直播淢aybe I am a little bit like Jody,香蕉视频直播� says McCormick. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 definitely the one that would set you on fire eight times.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淲ould you?香蕉视频直播� replies Leitch.
香蕉视频直播淥nly if it was safe,香蕉视频直播� says McCormick, laughing.
香蕉视频直播業香蕉视频直播橫 RYAN GOSLING AND I DID ALMOST NONE OF MY OWN STUNTS IN THIS MOVIE香蕉视频直播�
At Gosling proudly announced what few actors do: He did not do his own stunts. The movie required five stuntmen to double as Gosling, including Jenkin and Logan Holladay. In the film, Holladay sets a of a vehicle, rolling a Jeep Grand Cherokee eight and a half times down a Australian beach. In one of the movie香蕉视频直播檚 many ironic moments, you can see Holladay strapping Gosling into the car just before the scene.
Before working in film, Jenkin was accomplished in parkour.
香蕉视频直播淚 feel right into stunts,香蕉视频直播� he puns. His gift for contorting himself through the air and landing on the designated spot has made him one of the most sought-after stuntmen. Still, 香蕉视频直播淭he Fall Guy香蕉视频直播� was the busiest he香蕉视频直播檚 ever been on a movie. 香蕉视频直播淚 can香蕉视频直播檛 remember how many times I went through a pane of glass,香蕉视频直播� says Jenkin.
Some moves were new for Jenkin, like getting hit by a car. 香蕉视频直播淗ips over hood,香蕉视频直播� Leitch advised him.
香蕉视频直播淲hen you香蕉视频直播檙e a kid and you watch Jackie Chan running down the street and he香蕉视频直播檚 chasing a bus and then he hooks onto the bus with an umbrella, you香蕉视频直播檙e like, 香蕉视频直播楾hat香蕉视频直播檚 so cool,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 Jenkin says. 香蕉视频直播淣ow we get to live that. Me and Ryan were surfing a door across the Harbour Bridge holding onto the back of a bin truck with a shovel. When do you get to do things like that?香蕉视频直播�
AN OSCAR FOR STUNTS?
Though the campaign has been ongoing for years, it will take time for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to embrace a new category (though it did so recently by ). They have some strength in numbers; stunt professionals make up the largest group of members in the academy香蕉视频直播檚 Production and Technology branch.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not that they want more recognition than any other sort of department. These days, they香蕉视频直播檙e in almost every film,香蕉视频直播� says McCormick. 香蕉视频直播淭hey are front and center working with all the other departments 香蕉视频直播� including, by the way, they go to post. A lot of times they are helping the editor find the way through a sequence. I haven香蕉视频直播檛 had a hair person come to post ever.香蕉视频直播�
For some stunt performers, it香蕉视频直播檚 the family business. Troy Brown香蕉视频直播檚 first stunt was the 2005 Vin Diesel comedy 香蕉视频直播淭he Pacifier,香蕉视频直播� for which his father, Bob Brown, was stunt coordinator. Troy jumped out of a helicopter into the ocean. He was 5.
香蕉视频直播淪tunts was just everything I knew,香蕉视频直播� says Troy Brown. 香蕉视频直播淚t started out with my dad in the front yard jumping off of stuff into a port-a-pit. I just thought was super fun so I香蕉视频直播檇 do it everyday.香蕉视频直播�
In 香蕉视频直播淭he Fall Guy,香蕉视频直播� Brown makes the biggest jump of his career, falling 150 feet from a helicopter and landing on an air bag used by his father. During it, his dad was standing next to the bag, talking his son through the jump.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 going out of this helicopter backwards and I香蕉视频直播檓 lining it up as best I can,香蕉视频直播� says Brown. 香蕉视频直播淲hen I get out there and I香蕉视频直播檓 about go backwards off of this thing, I have my dad on the radio giving me the green light for the bag: 香蕉视频直播榊ou can go whenever you want. We香蕉视频直播檙e good, we香蕉视频直播檙e good, we香蕉视频直播檙e good.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
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