03/05/2024
Good morning FB, thank you for asking what is on my mind, so here goes from my heart. Why the sudden rush of the Stunt Industry into the spotlight, yes it's refreshing and long overdue, but why is this? Here is my take on what is happening!
It's fairly obvious to me, which is why I write about the topics I do, I often see everything from a different camera angle than most. I saw that we "the stunt community" needed to have an image overhaul and rebranding of the Stunt community for a long time. And it took a Universal Blockbuster movie and a forward-thinking member of our community turned creative writer/director, David Leitch to do it.
David successfully climbed his way to the top of the Hollywood food chain, which is the director's chair in major motion pictures. No small feat! Then he capitalized on an established successful brand when he had the clout to pitch his own product, "The Fall Guy TV series" which stars Lee Majors as Stuntman C**t Seavers.
This 1980s popular TV series is about a Hollywood Stuntman, who moonlighted as a bounty hunter because there was NOT enough money in stunts to live off of just doing movies and TV. This TV show is very near to my heart because it was the show where I performed my very first Stunt, " wheeling a motorcycle down the railing of a bridge, and my mentor Judo Gene LeBell recommended me for this job.
Many people say we risk our lives every day on set as Movie Stuntmen, but honestly, that is NOT exactly true, however, we do hang it all out on the line often enough to be very sober to survive. If you are doing serious stuntwork. things do go wrong, really wrong, more times than anybody wants to admit.
For example, "Just look at the horrible truck and car crash accident we just had in Georgia? So this is NOT a profession for the weak, it takes a unique human being to survive, let alone thrive as a Hollywood Stuntman. And those who have survived and thrived, possess unique and incredible survival skills and knowledge, which needs to be passed on to future generations of Stuntmen and women. Otherwise, we are doomed to repeat the same horrible mistakes that have happened in the past.
Back to the Branding! The key theme of The Fall Guy movie is the New Image of what a Stuntman is or should be. One that the general movie-going public and the industry can understand and relate to.
Within the movie industry, the image stunt performer has become someone who is easily manipulated, pushed around, used/abused then disposed of when no longer needed. Much like when the C**t Seavers character portrays when he is parking cars for a living to survive in the new Fall Guy movie.
In that scene, a fellow crew member from a recent movie sees C**t parking cars for a meager living and offers him a 5-dollar tip if he does a good job bringing his car to him, it's either pity or contempt. This image of the car parking C**t Seavers represents the "Image" the Stunt Community NOW has of the rest of the movie and TV industry, we are lowlifes! They honestly see stunt people as depressed, downtrodden, and desperate for anything from anyone, the lowest of the low in the industry who will do anything for almost nothing! Then have us simply go away when we are NO longer needed.
This is actually the theme of the New Movie The Fall Guy, C**t is called in to solve a problem but is manipulated, lied to, and doublecrossed, meaning they plan to use, abuse, and trash him when they are finished and don't need him anymore, they need a fall guy. I won't go deeper into this theme otherwise I give away the plot of the movie, and I don't want to spoil it for you.
What The FALL GUY movie does do and very successfully is rebrand the Stuntman himself, showing the value of the top tier of our profession. Which is the A-List Stunt Performers, and injects a new Term "Action Designer" which is the person behind the creative force of the action and characters.
What exactly does the "Action Designer" do? It's the one individual who is responsible for bringing the adrenaline to the lead character's scenes. They don't really perform the stunts, and they do not really coordinate the stunts which is an administrative position, instead that person the "Action Designer" "Designs" the action scene, to bring it to life on screen.
The Action Designer brings a certain flow, grace, timing, rhythm, and chemistry to the scene, which draws the audience into the scene and characters, seamlessly blending the story, visuals, and lead actors, into the action sequence. Without this, the action goes FLAT, makes no sense, and does NOT add to the story.
Does the Action Designer deserve an Oscar? Yes!
This is why the rest of the community of filmmakers and Oscar people has been so resistant to giving an Oscar to the stunt department. They see most of the stunt community as the C**t Seavers who was parking cars, while they are having dinner at an expensive restaurant. Which is reality is true most of the time for the vast majority of the Stunt Community. They are extremely desperate and will do anything for a job.
When in reality, to win an Oscar an individual MUST establish credibility within an industry and solve problems for that industry. As the Action Designer does, this individual brings a certain chemistry, flow, and passion to the performance of the Actors. Something a singular stuntman or stunt coordinator can not.
Is this a watershed moment for Motion Picture Action? I would say Yes, Yes, Yes. And the Action Oscar is just around the corner.
