♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> KENTUCKY TO THE WORLD WELCOMED LEGENDARY STUNT DOUBLE TOM O'CONNELL BACK TO THE BLUEGRASS BLUEGRASS STATE FOR AN EXCLUSIVE LIVE PROGRAM FEATURING HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO HOLLYWOOD AND THE ART OF STUNTS AND STAGE CRAFT.

THIS FEATURES JAW DROPPING DEMONSTRATIONS AND A CAPTIVATING CONVERSATION WITH FILM MAKER STU POLLARD.

♪ ♪ >> FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE REPUBLIC BANK FOUNDATION WITH SUPPORT FROM SPEED ART MUSEUM.

>> SO A BRIEF BIO ABOUT ME.

SO AS RICK WAS NICE ENOUGH TO SAY, I GRADUATED FROM TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL IN 1996.

I WAS, I THINK MY FAMILY, WHO IS HERE IN GREAT NUMBER WOULD PROBABLY DESCRIBE ME, ESPECIALLY MY SISTERS AS A SHY COMPUTER NERD GROWING UP.

AND SO THERE IS QUITE A BROKEN ROAD OF HOW I WENT FROM THAT BACKGROUND TO WHERE I AM TODAY AS A STUNT MAN IN HOLLYWOOD.

AFTER I GRADUATED, I WAS REALLY SEEKING OUT, AS RICK SAID AGAIN, TO GET INTO COMPUTER ENGINEERING DOWN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE, AND I WAS MY IOWAS ON BEING A ASTRONAUT.

I QUICKLY DID FIND OUT THERE IS A HEIGHT LIMIT TO ASTRONAUTS OF 6'2 AND A HALF INCHES TALL SO I JUST MISSED THE MARK.

BUT I WAS ALREADY NECK DEEP IN PURSUING MY ENGINEERING DEGREE AND I WENT FULL BORE INTO THAT.

I LIKE THE IDEA OF COMPUTER GAMES, HONESTLY AT THE TIME AND I WAS LIKE HOW DO I GET INTO THIS WORLD?

TOWARD THE END OF MY COLLEGE CAREER, IT DID TAKE ME A LITTLE LONGER THAN YOUR AVERAGE STUDENT.

I STARTED WORKING FULL TIME.

SO IN 2003 WHEN I FINALLY DID GRADUATE, I WAS PRETTY BURNED OUT, TO BE HONEST.

AND I WAS LOOKING FOR OUTLETS, SOMETHING TO SORT OF BALANCE THAT LEFT BRAIN MENTALITY OUT.

AND I WAS MOTIVATED BY A COUPLE OF MY FRIENDS.

ONE OF WHICH WAS IN A IMPROV COMEDY TROUPE F. YOU HAVE EVER SEEN "WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? "

DREW CAREY, WAYNE BRADY AND THOSE GUYS.

WE HAD A SIMILAR SETUP GAME BASED IMPROV, CORPORATE EVENTS, COFFEE HOUSES, BARS WHEREVER THEY WOULD LET US PERFORM, WE WERE PERFORMING.

EVENTUALLY THAT LED TO ME BEING INVOLVED IN SOME COMMUNITY THEATER AS WELL.

AND A FEW SHORT FILMS THAT I CAN TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LATER.

NOTABLY ONE THAT TOOK PLACE, IT WAS A WORLD WAR II DRAMA SET SORT OF AT THE END OF THE WAR WHERE I PLAYED A NAZI ACTUALLY, UNDERSTAND AND WE WERE WALKING AROUND ON AN ALABAMA FARM AND SPEAKING BROKEN GERMAN.

SO VERY CRAZY CIRCUMSTANCES.

ING BUT WE'LL BUT WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT HOW WE GOT THERE.

SO A LITTLE BIT MORE, I WANT TO DIVE INTO THE BACKGROUND A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW I GOT FROM A TO Z IF YOU ARE STARTING AS A SHY COMPUTER KID WHO REFUSED TO GET ON STAGE OR DO THEATER, HOW DO YOU GO IT TO BE PERFORMING ON SOME OF THE BIGGEST STAGES THERE ARE OUT IN HOLLYWOOD?

SO WHEN I STARTED OUT, I HAD SEEN A PLAY IN HIGH SCHOOL.

IT WAS THE MAN OF LA MANCHA.

AND I BELIEVE IT WAS GREG SISSEL WHO WAS A THEATER DIRECTOR AND THERE WAS A STUDENT ATHLETE IN THE PLAY.

A GUY NAMED JOE.

CAN'T REMEMBER HIS LAST NAME.

HE WAS ON THE FOOTBALL TEAM, A FOOTBALL STAR BUT HE WAS OUT THERE SINGING AND DANCING AND I WAS LIKE WOW, IF THAT I GO CAN DO THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO TRY.

AND IT TOOK ME A LOT OF YEARS TO GET OVER THAT SHY STAGE FRIGHT TO BE ABLE TO BE ABLE DO TO DO THAT AFTER I GRADUATED, AFTER I WAS DOING THE COMMUNITY THEATER, I MOVED TO NEW YORK FOR A WHILE.

SOMEHOW IN RURAL ALABAMA, THERE WAS A GUY FROM NEW YORK WHO SOUNDED LIKE HE STEPPED STRAIGHT OUT OF A MOB MOVIE LIKE CASINO OR SOMETHING.

NAMED FRANK VITOLO AND HE MARRIED A WOMAN WHO WAS BORN AND RAISED IN ALABAMA AND THEY MOVED BACK THERE TO START THEIR FAMILY.

FRANK HAD AN ACTING CLASS GOING AND AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS OF THAT AROUND 2005 OR SO, HE SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TALENT.

IF YOU WANT TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER, I THINK YOU SHOULD GET TO ONE OF THE BIG MARKETS.

YOU SHOULD GO TO NEW YORK OR L.A. AND L.A., YOU KNOW, WHILE IT IS THE SHOW BUSINESS CAPITAL OF THE WORLD FROM THE ENTERTAINMENT PERSPECTIVE, NEW YORK IS REALLY WHERE I WANTED TO GO TO LEARN THE CRAFT OF ACTING.

I SEPARATE SHOW BUSINESS INTO TWO PIECES.

THE SHOW AND THE BUSINESS.

AND SO I WENT TO NEW YORK AND I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO STUDY THERE FOR THREE YEARS TO LEARN THE CRAFT OF ACTING.

WHAT IT MEANT TO BE AN ACTOR.

HOW DO YOU CREATE A CHARACTER.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN ACTOR BECAUSE I HAD NEVER DONE THAT GROWING UP OR IN SCHOOL, I FELT THAT WAS SOMETHING I NEEDED TO DO.

IT WAS REALLY, REALLY A GREAT TIME IN MY LIFE WHERE I WAS ABLE TO PURSUE THAT.

I'LL SAY SOMEWHAT STUPIDLY, I DECIDED TO PURSUE THE STARVING ACTOR ROUTE WHICH WAS NOT THE SMARTEST THING IN THE WORLD.

HAVING AN ENGINEERING DEGREE AND WAITING TABLES IS A BIT BATTING UNDER YOUR WEIGHT AS THEY SAY.

I DON'T KNOW THAT I RECOMMEND THAT AS A PATH THAT I WOULD TAKE AND AFTER THREE YEARS, TWO AND A HALF, THREE YEARS THERE, I WAS AT AIR CROSSROADS WHERE THE TEACHER I WAS STUDYING REQUEST, ANTHONY ABESON, GREAT TEACHER TAUGHT AT THE LAGUARDIA PERFORMING ARTS HIGH SCHOOL IN NEW YORK.

HE KIND OF PUSHED THE BIRDS OUT OF THE NEST.

AFTER TWO YEARS IN THE PROGRAM, HE SAID IF YOU HAVEN'T LEARNED ENOUGH FROM ME TO BE BOOKING WORK BY NOW, I'M EITHER NOT THE TEACHER FOR YOU OR YOU NEED TO GO LEARN A NEW SKILL SET.

SO SORT OF FACING THE END OF THAT JOURNEY,HE SAID, YOU KNOW,I CAN'T TELL TELL YOU WHAT TO DO NEXT BUT I THINK YOU NEED TO GET OUT THERE AND WORK.

NEW YORK IS A TOUGH PLACE TO MAKE IT WORK.

THEY SAY IF YOU CAN MAKE IT THERE, YOU CAN MAKE IT NARE.

I WASN'T REALLY MAKING IT THERE.

SO I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE ONE OF MY FRIENDS FROM ALABAMA ACTUALLY, ONE OF THE GUYS THAT WAS IN THAT WORLD WAR II MOVIE WITH ME WHO LATER BECAME MY BEST MAN, SAID HEY, I'M MOVING OUT TO LOS ANGELES.

I JUST GRADUATED, GOT HIS MFA AND HE WANTED TO GIVE L.A. A TRY.

DO YOU WANT TO COME WITH ME?

I SAID YES.

I SAID YES.

THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT LESSON I THINK WE ARE GOING TO HIT ON A COUPLE OF TIMES TONIGHT HE SAID, YOU KNOW, HE THREW THE OFFER OUT THERE SPONTANEOUSLY AND I SAID YOU KNOW WHAT, YEAH, LET'S DO IT.

SO THEN I MOVED TO L.A. FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND I LIKE TO CONSIDER THIS THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS WHERE I LEARNED THE BUSINESS OF ACTING.

NOW I'M STILL LEARNING.

I ADMIT, IT'S STILL AN EDUCATION EVERY DAY.

BUT AT THAT TIME IT WAS ROUGH.

IT WAS A LOT OF NOS, A LOT OF AUDITIONS THAT DIDN'T PAN OUT I LOT I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE ON IN THE FIRST PLACE BUT I WAS TRYING TO LEARN WHAT IT MEANT TO BE A WORKING ACTOR BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING TO BE GREAT AT YOUR CRAFT, TO BE AN ARTIST.

IT'S ANOTHER THING TO MAKE A LIVING AT IT.

SO AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS THERE, YOU CAN PROBABLY GUESS WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.

I SORT OF WASHED OUT.

I MOVED BACK TO ALABAMA AND I WAS A LITTLE BIT DEFEATED AT THE TIME.

THIS WAS PROBABLY 2010 OR SO.

I WAS PRETTY DEFEATED.

AND I THOUGHT, MAN, I MESSED UP.

I GUESS THEY DIDN'T WANT ME AND SO BACK I GO.

AND I TOOK A DAY JOB AGAIN, TOOK THE 9 TO 5, GOT BACK IN THE ENGINEERING WORLD AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I REALLY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT I WANT TO DO MOVING FORWARD.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID THAT STU IS INVOLVED WITH HEAVILY NOW AND WAS BURGEONING AT THE TIME, WAS INDEPENDENT FILM.

INTERESTING FILM IS CLASSIFIED, SOME PEOPLE CALL IT LOW BUDGET FILM MAKING BUT IT'S ANYTHING DONE OUTSIDE OF THE STUDIO SYSTEM.

ANYBODY CAN DO IT NOWADAYS WITH A CAMERA ON THEIR PHONE.

BUT AT THE TIME IT WAS SORT OF A NEW THING.

SOME PEOPLE WERE DOING IT, BUT IT WAS PRETTY EXPENSIVE ENDEAVOR.

AT THE TIME, ALSO, HAVE YOU TO REMEMBER THAT DIGITAL FILM WAS JUST COMING ABOUT.

IT WASN'T REALLY A THINK THAT ALWAYS WHICHED.

IT USED TO BE YOU SHOT ON 35-MILLIMETER FILM WHEN YOU WERE MAKING MOVIES WHICH IS A VERY EXPENSIVE ENDEAVOR, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE LEARNING AND MAKING MISTAKES AND COSTING MONEY WHILE YOU ARE FILMING.

MOVING BACK TO ALABAMA AGAIN MY FRIEND GRIFFIN, WHO WAS FROM THE WORLD WAR II MOVIE AND ANOTHER GUY NAMED BARRY HAD WRITTEN A SCRIPT AND IT WAS A PRETTY FUN SOUTHERN FRIED KIND OF ADVENTURE, AN ACTION MOVIE AND WE HAD THIS PIE IN THE SKY DREAM OF GOING TO SUN DANCE FILM FESTIVAL.

WE WERE LIKE THIS IS GOING TO BE THE GREATEST THING.

WE ARE GOING TO MAX OUT OUR CREDIT CARDS AND SELF FUND THIS THING AND THE GREATEST ADVENTURE EVER.

AND THE CRAZY THING IS, IT KIND OF SORT OF WORKED.

WE MADE A SCRIPT.

WE MADE A PITCH DECK.

AND THE ONE THUNK WE KNEW WE NEEDED AND I'M SURE SOME INDEPENDENT FILM MAKERS ARE VERY FAMILIAR W. YOU NEED A NAMED TALENT.

SOMEONE WHO CAN DRAW IN INVEST OOR DOLLARS IF YOU CAN'T DO IT YOURSELF.

WE WENT TO CLAY CRAWFORD AS A GUY WHO HAD AN UNFORTUNATE RUN IN ON THE SET OF LETHAL WEAPON WITH DAME AN WAYANS.

HE WAS A RISING STAR IN HOLLYWOOD WHEN WE MADE OUR MOVIE.

HE HAD BEEN CO-STARRING IN A COUPLE OF BIG FILMS AND WE THOUGHT, OKAY, IF WE GET THIS GUY ATTACHED WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET INVESTMENT MONEY AND MAKE THIS MOVIE.

IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT.

SO WE SENT THE SCRIPT TO HIM THROUGH SOME BACKCHANNELS AND HE SAID YES.

AND HE WAS LIKE I SAY YES BUT I WANT TO SHOW THIS TO MY AGENCY.

IS IT COOL IF I SHOW IT TO MY AGENCY.

WE SAID YEAH, DO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO.

AS LONG AS YOU ARE ON BOARD, WE ARE GOOD.

WE SHOWED IT TO HIS AGENT AND THE SCRIPT TOOK ON A LIFE OF ITS OWN.

IT GOT LEGS, AS THEY SAY, AND THEY WANTED TO SIGN GRIFFIN AND BARRY AS WRITERS, AS AN AGENCY, THEY WANTED TO TAKE IT OUT TO HIGHER NAME ACTORS, HIGHER PROFILE ACTORS AND IT WAS A CATCH 22 AND DOUBLED EDGED SWORD TO HEAR THE WORDS WE ARE GOING TO CAST SOMEBODY ELSE IN YOUR PART AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT NEW THIS LITTLE PART NOW.

AGAIN, SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS, YOU KNOW, YOU LEARN THAT YOU ARE NOT ALWAYS THE CHIEF ON THE TOTEM POLE, RIGHT?

YOU CAN BE A LOW STATUS.

SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS, I BECAME A CHARACTER WHO HAD A SCENE IN A MOVIE WITH BILLY BOB THORNTON WHICH WAS STILL A DREAM COME TRUE, EVA LONG GORIA WAS IN THE MOVIE, AND TRAVIS WHO BECAME THE LEAD IN THE SHOW VIKINGS.

ALL THESE PEOPLE WERE EITHER AT A CROSSROADS IN THEIR CAREER, GOING UP, GOING DOWN, WHATEVER.

BUT IT WAS COOL TO JUST BE ON SET AND BE PART OF THAT COLLABORATIVE EXPERIMENT THAT IS FILM MAKING AND IN THE PROCESS WHAT HAPPENED WAS, LOUISIANA, AT THAT TIME, WHERE WE SHOT THE MOVIE, WAS COMING UP.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE.

I WOULD COMPARE IT TO THE WAY KENTUCKY IS RIGHT NOW.

KENTUCKY IS A BURGEONING FILM MARKET RIGHT NOW.

BUT THERE IS NOT THE BIGGEST INFRASTRUCTURE AND THAT MEANS PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO DO THE SPECIFIC JOB-RELATED POSITIONS, ESPECIALLY LIKE STUNT PERFORMERS,SO LOUISIANA, AT THIS TIME, WAS HAVING THAT PROBLEM IN 2010-2011 AND THE STUNT COORDINATOR ONE DAY CAME UP TO ME AND WAS LIKE HEY MAN, YOU LOOK LIKE YOU ARE AN ATHLETE.

DO YOU WANT TO DO SOME STUNT WORK?

AT THE TIME OTHER THAN THE OLD LEE MAJORS SHOW, THE FALL GUY, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT STUNT WORK WAS.

I HAD THE MISPERCEPTION THAT IT IS A BUNCH OF ADRENALINE JUNKIES WHO LIKE HURTING THEMSELVES.

THE STUFF YOU SEE ON YOUTUBE AND TICK TOCK NOW AND EVERYTHING ELSE, RIGHT?

WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW WAS WHAT THE ROLE OF A STUNT PERFORMER IS.

HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE TO PRODUCTION.

AND WHY THEY'RE NEEDED.

AND I'LL GIVE YOU A CASE EXAMPLE HERE.

ONE OF THE BOND MOVIES, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH WAS UNWAS, DANIEL CRAIG JUMPED FROM ONE BALCONY TO ANOTHER AND BROKE HIS ANKLE.

THAT SHUT DOWN THE FILM AND COST THE PRODUCERS A TON OF MONEY BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HAVE ANY RUNNING SCENES THEN, YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR SCHEDULE AROUND, SHOOT DIFFERENT SCENES IF OTHER ACTORS ARE NOT AVAILABLE.

HAVE YOU TO PUT UP YOUR CREW PER DIEM HOTEL, RENTING GEAR, RENTING LIGHTS, FOREIGN LOCATION, ALL OF THAT COSTS MONEY.

SO YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR STAR PERFORMERS AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE WHICH IS WHY STUNT DOUBLES EXIST.

YOU BRING IN THE STUNT DOUBLE.

THEY TRAIN ALL THE TIME TO DO THE DANGEROUS STUFF THAT CHEM DEMANDS THE JOB, THEY GET DO THAT DANGEROUS THING AND THIN THEY GET A PAT ON THE BACK AND THEY WALK OFF AND THE STAR GOES BACK IN AND TAKES THE CRED I. I'M GOING TO SPRINKLE A FEW MORE ANECDOTES IN HERE, BUT I WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND I WANT TO ASK, IS ANYBODY FAMILIAR WITH THE SHOW TED LASSO?

IF YOU REMEMBER THE SHOW, YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THE QUOTE BE CURIOUS, NOT JUDGMENTAL.

AND ONE OF THE LESSONS, ONE OF THE TAKEAWAYS I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH TONIGHT, IF ANYTHING ELSE, TO DO THAT.

NOW IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SHOW, TED WAS MAKING A LESSON OF PEOPLE, DON'T PREJUDGE SOMEONE.

DON'T READ A BOOK BY ITS COVER AND JUDGE THAT CHARACTER BEFORE YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO GET TO KNOW THEM, RIGHT?

I WANT TO TAKE THAT A STEP FURTHER AND SAY, BE CURIOUS ABOUT DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES.

BE CURIOUS ABOUT DIFFERENT IDEAS.

BE CURIOUS ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS THAT MIGHT CROSS YOUR PATH FOR A VERY DIRECT REASON.

YOU MAY NOT BE A PROFESSIONAL.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO ALL AMERICAN.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT MORE THAN A SEASON.

YOU MAY DO A FEW PRACTICES AND SAY THIS IS NOT FOR ME.

IF YOU GET AN OPPORTUNITY LIKE THAT, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE WRESTLING, OBVIOUSLY, BE CURIOUS ABOUT IT.

BE CURIOUS ENOUGH TO ASK QUESTIONS.

BE CURIOUS TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE.

LET'S GO ON.

THE NEXT THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS SAYING YES, SAYING YES TO OPPORTUNITIES.

THIS GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE BE CURIOUS MOMENT.

IT'S ONE THING, WHAT IS THE COMMON EXPRESSION.

LUCK IS THE NEXUS OF PREPARATION MEETS OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT?

YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BE PREPARED TO SAY YES WHEN THAT OPPORTUNITY COMES YOUR WAY.

SO IF YOU WATCHED YES MAN, A JIM CAREY MOVIE IN 2008.

HE WAS A SHUT IN GUY.

HE SAID NO TO EVERYTHING.

HE DIDN'T WANT TO DO THIS OR THAT.

HE GOT TRICKED INTO GOING TO A SEMINAR WITH A TONY ROBINS TYPE GUY, I'M GOING TO MAKE A COVENANT WITH YOU AND YOU ARE GOING SAY YES TO EVERYTHING.

HAVE YOU TO SAY YES TO EVERYTHING.

HE STARTS SAYING YES TO EVERYTHING.

A BUNCH OFLY LAYEROUS MISADVENTURES BUT OPENS THE DOOR TOE A PRETTY PROFOUND TIME IN HIS LIFE WHERE HE MEETS A ROMANTIC LOVE INTEREST AND DOES ALL THESE WILD THINGS HE NEVER WOULD HAVE DONE IN THE OLD VERSION OF IMS.

SO ANECDOTALLY, I THINK FOR ME, IT'S ABOUT SAYING YES TO OPPORTUNITIES.

YES, YOU WANT TO MOVE TO CALIFORNIA ON A WHIM, GO TRY L.A., YES.

HEY, TOM, DO YOU WANT TO DO SOME STUNT WORK?

YOU LOOK LIKE YOU ARE ATHLETIC.

SURE, WHY NOT.

AND AGAIN, EXTENDING THAT ANECDOTE, SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK, HOW DID YOU BECOME DARTH VADER.

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

WELL, IT'S ROOTED IN SAYING YES.

AFTER THAT FIRST INDEPENDENT FILM THAT I DID WITH MY BUDDIES, THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER FILMS, OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN SHOT IN SHREVEPORT LOUISIANA SAME STUNT GUY AND COORDINATOR.

HE SAID I LIKE WHAT YOU DID THERE.

DO YOU WANT TO BE A SOLDIER IN THIS THING.

YES,LY DO THAT.

AND AFTER THAT MOVIE, I MET A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE THERE AND THEN AFTER THAT MOVIE, THERE WAS ANOTHER MOVIE CALLED "BULLET TO THE HEAD" STARRING SYLVESTER STALLONE AND JASON MAMOA.

I DON'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE JASON MAMOA.

BUT THERE IS A CONCEPT THAT IS THE ROUGH DRAFT OF FIGHT SEQUENCES WE PRESENT TO THE DIRECTOR WHEN YOU ARE FILM MAKING AND THEY SORT OF GIVE NOTES AND THE STUNT COORDINATOR WILL COME BACK AND CHANGE THINGS IN THE FIGHT AND THAT EVENTUALLY MAKES IT TO SCREEN AND WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT LATER.

BUT AT THE TIME, THEY WERE LIKE, YOU ARE A TALL GUY.

YOU CAN AT LEAST STAND IN FOR JASON MAMOA WHEN WE PRE-VIS THE FIGHT.

IT WAS AN AXE FIGHT WITH TWO FIREMEN STYLE AXE.

I GOT A FEW DAYS OF PAY.

AGAIN, SAYING YES PAYS OFF.

10 YEARS LATER, 10 YEARS LATER, 10 YEARS LATER, THE STUNT COORDINATOR WHO WAS ON THAT MOVIE WAS WORKING WITH THE STUNT COORDINATOR OF WHAT WOULD BE THE OBI-WAN KENOBI SERIES AND THEY WERE IN BERLIN WORKING ON THE MATRIX 4 WORKING ON THE MOVIE TOGETHER AND THEY WERE ASSEMBLING THEIR TEAM.

STUNT COORDINATORS WILL ASSEMBLE THEIR CORE FIGHT TEAM LIKE SOMEONE IN A REC LEAGUE WOULD ASSEMBLE THEIR SPORTS TEAM.

I WANT THIS GUY AND THIS GUY AND THIS GUY.

WHEN THEY CAN'T FIND SOMEBODY FOR A SPECIFIC ROLE THEY'LL REACH OUT TO THE NETWORK OF PEOPLE AND SAY WHO DO YOU HAVE WHO MIGHT FIT THIS ROLE.

THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A TALL GUY AND WHERE THAT KICKED ME OUT OF NASA AND BEING AN ASTRONAUT, IT WAS THE RIGHT QUALIFICATION TO POTENTIALLY BE THE STUNT DOUBLE FOR DARTH VADER AND THE REST IS SORT OF HISTORY.

JUST WORD OF MOUTH FROM A 10-YEAR-OLD JOB IS HOW I GOT THAT JOB.

SO, AGAIN, THE TAKEAWAY THERE MAYBE IS SAY YES.

NOT TO EVERYTHING, DON'T BE RECKLESS LIKE JIM CAREY, BUT WHEN THOSE OPPORTUNITIES COME ALONG, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE WHEN AND WHERE YOU CAN SAY YES TO OPPORTUNITIES THAT MIGHT MORE ENRICH YOUR LIFE.

GOING ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SAYING YES TO OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN LED ME TO THIS MOMENT.

IF YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE THE GUY IF THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER, THAT'S JAMES CAMERON.

I WAS WORKING ON A MOVIE CALLED AVATAR, AT LEAST THE SEQUELS TO AVATAR.

THE SAME TIME MY DAY JOB SOFTWARE ENGINEER HAD ME WORKING A CONTRACT IN IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, SOUTH OF L.A.

I WAS WORKING THIS CONTRACT AND WE WERE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE WERE GROWING TO DEPLOY THE SOFTWARE TO THE CUSTOMER AND THEY CAME BACK AND SAID OKAY, YOU ARE GOING TO DEPLOY THIS SOFTWARE AND WE ARE GOING TO KEEP YOU OUT THERE FOR THREE WEEKS, ANOTHER THREE WEEKS.

SO JUST BEFORE I WENT TO ITALY, I HAD TO GET THIS CUSTOMER DEPLOYMENT IN.

WHILE I WAS OUT THERE.

I LOOK UP MY OLD STUNT BUDDIES FROM MY FILMS.

ONE OF WHOM WAS WORKING ON THAT FILM WITH JAMES CAMERON, DOING PREP WORK.

AND I TOLD THEM I SAID YES, MY LEASE IS ABOUT TO EXPIRE.

I'M GOING TO DO THIS ITALY THING, I'M GOING TO COME BACK AND I'M PROBABLY GOING TO MOVE TO NASHVILLE.

HE SAID YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

I SAID WHY.

NASHVILLE IS FUN.

HE SAID YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

HE SAID COME TO CALIFORNIA.

I SAID I DON'T KNOW, MAN.

THAT'S A HARD THING TO DO TO RESTART IN A DIFFERENT MARKET.

AND HE SAID COME TO CALIFORNIA.

HE SAID I WILL WALK YOU IN THE DOOR.

HE SAID YOU HAVE AN ENGINEERING BACKGROUND, RIGHT?

YES.

HE SAID THERE IS A WHOLE SUBDEPARTMENT OF STUNTS CALLED STUNT RIGGING.

STUNT RIGGING IS ALL THE WIRE WORK YOU SEE IN FILMS.

HOW YOU MAKE PEOPLE FLY, EXPLODE, HANG BIRDS FROM THE CEILING AND SIMULATE THAT THEY'RE FLYING.

THAT IS STUNT RIGGING.

HE SAID WE ARE USING THESE, SOMETIMES WE ARE PUPPETTING, BUT OTHER TIMES WE ARE USING THESE REALLY HIGH TECH LIKE COMPUTER CONTROLLED WRENCHES.

I BET YOU COULD FIGURE OUT THE PROGRAMMING.

WHY DON'T YOU COME APPRENTICE WITH THE GUY WHO DOES THAT AND EVERY NOW AND THEN WE'LL GET YOU A PAID DAY.

I SAID YES.

I MOVED OUT TO CALIFORNIA.

ON A WHIM, AGAIN.

AFTER ITALY.

I WENT OUT THERE AND FOR THREE MONTHS, I APPRENTICED UNDER THE STUNT RIGGERS THERE ON THE SET OF AVATAR 2 AND 3.

AND SO I GOT TO BE PART OF MAKING A FILM WITH ONE OF THE GREATEST AMERICAN DIRECTORS WE HAVE.

AND SOME OF THE MOST TALENTED PERFORMERS WE HAVE IN FILM TODAY, I THINK.

SO I THINK WE ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THIS QUOTE JACK OF ALL TRADES IS A MASTER OF NONE.

AND IF YOU HAVE HEARD THE EXTENSION OF THAT QUOTE WHICH IS A LITTLE MORE IMPORTANT, JACK OF ALL TRADES IS A MASTER OF NONE, THOUGH OFTEN TIMES BETTER THAN A MASTER OF ONE.

NOW I'M GOING TO ARGUE AGAINST SPECIFICITY, RIGHT.

IF YOU ARE A DOCTOR, BY ALL MEANS, STAY IN YOUR LANE, IF YOU ARE MY DOCTOR, ESPECIALLY.

BUT I WILL ALSO NOTE THAT TO SAY THAT IT HAS SERVED ME VERY WELL OVER MY CAREER TO DABBLE IN AND OUT OF ENGINEERING INTO COMPETITIVE SPORTS, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T THE BEST ATHLETE BUT EVEN IN COLLEGE I STARTED PLAYING ICE HOCKEY AND KRAV MAGA, A DIFFERENT STYLE OF MARTIAL ARTS.

I STARTED TO BROADEN MY PERSPECTIVE.

I SAID YES TO IMPROV COMEDY I HAD NEVER DONE.

IT'S OKAY IN THIS DAY AND AGE IN THIS WORLD TO BE A MASTER OF MANY TRADES.

IN FACT, IF YOU LOOK AT SORT OF THE TRAJECTORY THAT HOLLYWOOD IS GOING INTO THESE DAYS, STU IS A DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER.

NOBODY IS JUST AN ACTOR ANYMORE.

ACTOR WRITER, ACTOR RIGHT WRITER DIRECTOR, PERFORMERS.

MULTI-HYPHENATE.

THE THIS EXTENDS TO OTHER CAREERS AS WELL.

NOT JUST ABOUT THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY HERE.

SO JUST TO ILLUSTRATE THAT POINT.

I WANT TO SHOW ENTHUSIASM BOOK GIVEN TO ME WHEN I WAS STUNT RIGGING.

ENTERTAINMENT RIGGING FOR THE 21st CENTURY.

AND UNLESS YOU HAVE HAD A LOT OF HIGH LEVEL MATH THAT LOOKS LIKE A FOREIGN LANGUAGE TO YOU.

THESE ARE PHYSICS EQUATIONS AND THIS IS JUST TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT OF HOW WELL SERVED IT WAS THAT I HAD THAT EXPOSURE TO PHYSICS, ADVANCED MATH, STEM, COMPUTER PROGRAMMING, ALL OF THAT CAME INTO PLAY AND GOT ME BACK OUT TO HOLLYWOOD AND EVENTUALLY LED ME TO WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW.

SO DON'T TAKE THE LITTLE THINGS FOR GRANTED.

AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO REPEAT THIS PICTURE BECAUSE IT'S COOL.

JAMES CAMERON, AFTER ALL.

I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE CONCEPT OF SYSTEMS VERSUS GOALS.

BUT I'M GOING TO READ THE DEFINITION BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A LOT EASIER THAN ME TRYING TO PARAPHRASE THIS.

ACTUALLY THE PERSON THAT I'M QUOTING IS SCOTT ADAMS, HE HAD THE DILBIRT CARTOONS.

DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER THOSE.

A GOAL IS A SPECIFIC OBJECT ITCH THAT YOU EITHER ACHIEVE OR DON'T SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.

A SYSTEM IS SOMETHING THAT YOU DO ON A REGULAR BASIS THAT INCREASES YOUR ODDS OF HAPPINESS IN THE LONG RUN.

FOR ME, THE SYSTEM IS TRAINING.

AND HONESTLY, AGAIN, I WILL BE REALLY HONEST LIKE I WAS VERY LUCKY.

MY SYSTEM WAS ACCIDENTAL.

I LIKE PLAYING SPORTS.

SO I KEPT PLAYING SPORTS.

I LIKED WORKING OUT AND STAYING HEALTHY IN THE GYM SO I DID THAT.

AND THEN ONE DAY SOMEBODY WAS LIKE YOU LOOK ATHLETIC, DO YOU WANT TO DO STUNTS?

AND I HAD JUST GOTTEN LUCKY.

BUT AGAIN, OPPORTUNITY, PREPARATION, THAT'S WHERE LUCK MEETS, RIGHT?

ALL RIGHT.

SO, AGAIN, WHAT DOES ALL THIS HAVE TO DO WITH STUNTS?

A LITTLE MOTIVATIONAL TALK.

I LIKE TO TURN THE PHRASE AND SAY CURIOSITY HELPED SAVE THE CAT FOR ME.

BY BEING CURIOUS, BY STAYING CURIOUS ABOUT NEW SPORTS, NEW ATHLETICS, NEW MARTIAL ARTS, NEW IDEAS, NEW OPPORTUNITIES, BY SAYING YES TO THOSE THINGS, I WAS ABLE TO REACH WHAT I WOULD CALL PROBABLY THE HIGHEST STAGE IN THE WORLD, YOU KNOW, LUCAS FILMS, "STAR WARS."

I ALWAYS SAY LIKE EVEN YOU NEVER WATCHED A "STAR WARS" FILM OR TV SHOW, YOU KNOW WHO DARTH VADER IS, RIGHT?

AND THAT'S A PRETTY POIGNANT THING AND I SUFFER A LOT FROM IMPOSTER SYNDROME.

A LOT OF TIMES I HAD TO LOOK AROUND AND SAY AM I DREAMING?

IS THIS REAL?

I CAN'T BELIEVE I WAS WHERE I WAS.

BUT A LOT OF IT CAME OUT OF LUCK AND THE PREPARATION THAT I DID ACCIDENTALLY, ALBEIT, THAT GOT ME THERE.

SO, LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OF WE GET TO THE DEMONSTRATION, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW STUNTS GO FROM SCRIPT TO SCREEN BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

I'M GOING TO TAKE A PIECE OF A SCRIPT.

MY WIFE JUST DIRECTIONED THIS FILM.

AND-- MY WIFE DIRECTED THIS FILM AND I WANT TO FOCUS A COUPLE OF LINES BECAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

CAN YOU STILL HEAR ME OKAY?

I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A STUNT COORDINATOR.

A STUNT COORDINATOR IS SOMEBODY THAT BASICALLY MANAGES THE STUNT DEPARTMENT.

I HIRE THE STUNT MEN, I DECIDE WHAT THE ACTION IS GOING TO BE, I PLAN THAT OUT AND PRESENT IT TO THE DIRECTOR AND EVENTUALLY THEY MAKE DECISIONS ON WHAT IS GOING TO MAKE IT INTO THE FILM, ALONG WITH THE EDITOR.

I'M JUST GOING SPEED READ THIS QUICKLY.

WILLIE HAS DESMOND IN A STRANGLE HOLD BUT DESMOND DIGS AT HIS BULLET WOUND FORCING A BREAK.

WILLIE KNOCKS HIM BACK CREATING SPACE, SPOTS HIS GUN, TIRED OF THE FIGHT HE PICKS IT UP, STROLLS OVER TO A HURT DESMOND TO FINISH HIM OFF.

AS HE NEARS HIM TO EXECUTE THE FINAL BLOW, DESMOND LEAPS UP, SHOOTS HIM TWICE AND PULLS THE TRIGGER.

SO THIS IS ONE PARAGRAPH IN ABOUT A SEVEN TO EIGHT-PAGE FIGHT SCENE WE HAD TO DO.

ON THIS INDEPENDENT FILM.

AND A COUPLE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT THAT STRIKE TOUT ME AS BEING VERY GENERAL ARE HE DIGS IN HIS BULLET WOUND FORCING A BREAK, WILLIE KNOCKS HIM BACK CREATING SPACE.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

IF I ASK ALL OF NEW THIS ROOM TO TELL ME WHAT YOUR VERSION OF THAT LOOKS LIKE, WE WILL PROBABLY GET 100 DIFFERENT VERSIONS, RIGHT?

SO A LOT OF IT IS KNOWING THE STORY NARRATIVE, RIGHT?

LIKE I ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY THAT STUNTS IS A LOT LIKE A DANCE.

IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO OPERA OR BALLET, WHERE YOU ARE PERFORMING BUT WITH YOUR MOVEMENT.

OKAY?

AND IT HAS TO FOLLOW A CERTAIN STORY STRUCTURE, SO WE ALL KNOW, LIKE YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE READING A BOOK OR WATCHING A MOVIE OR WHATEVER, THERE ARE HIGHS AND LOWS, RIGHT?

YOU CAN'T HAVE THE BIGGEST FIGHT AND THE HIGHEST ACTION SEQUENCE AND MOST INTENSE THING HAPPEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCRIPT, RIGHT?

THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSES.

YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT HAPPEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MOVIE.

OTHERWISE WHAT IS THE PAYOFF LATER ON?

WE WANT TO BUILD THAT TENSION.

SO THIS SO HAPPENS TO BE TOWARDS THE END OF THE MOVIE.

SO WE DO WANT THIS TO BE A HIGH OCTANE MOMENT, RIGHT?

SO IT'S MY JOB THEN AS THE STUNT PERFORMER ALONG WITH THE FIGHT COORDINATOR PERHAPS SOMETIMES, YOU GET THEM IN AND YOU SAY HEY, GIVE ME LIKE TWO OR THREE IDEAS HOW THIS MIGHT WORK OUT.

WE PRESENT THAT TO THE DIRECTOR IN PRE--VIS, PRE-VISUALIZATION.

OUR ROUGH DRAFT OF WHAT THE STUNT WILL LOOK LIKE.

YOU TRY GET STUNT DOUBLES, WHOEVER YOU CAN TO HELP YOU VISUALIZE THAT STUNT AND THEN YOU SAY, HEY, DIRECTOR, DOES THIS LOOK GOOD-FOR-YOU.

THEY SAY NAH, THAT'S TOO MUCH.

THAT'S NOT ENOUGH.

THROW IN MORE PUNCHES, WHATEVER IT IS, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DAPT THAT AND-- TO ADAPT THAT.

I HOPE I'M NOT JUMPING THE SHARK HERE WHEN BUT IN THE STUDENT PROGRAM WE DID EARLIER, HE SAID WELL HOW DO YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT RIGHT BALANCE IS?

HOW DO YOU STAY ADAPTABLE WHILE HAVING THAT PLAN?

I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SPOIL IT.

THERE IS A QUOTE THAT TOM HANKS GAVE IN AN INTERVIEW WHERE HE SAID WHEN I SHOW AUTOPSY AS AN ACTOR, WHAT I LIKE TO DO, HE SAID I THINK THERE ARE THREE THINGS HE MENTIONED.

BE PREPARED, MEANING KNOW YOUR LINES.

HAVE A PLAN.

HAVE AN IDEA.

HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN BRING TO THE TABLE.

AND JUST BE PRESENT.

THAT MEANS BE ADAPTABLE.

THAT MEANS YOU CAN HAVE THAT PLAN, AND AGAIN JUST TO REFERENCE THE QUESTION SOMEBODY ASKED EARLIER, STU ASKED IT EARLIER, HOW DO YOU STAY ADAPTABLE IF YOU HAVE REHEARSED OR DONE A CERTAIN THING A CERTAIN WAY?

THAT'S JUST PART OF THE GIG.

HAVE YOU TO IT.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE CLOSEST YOU CAN GET TO JAZZ OR RIFFING, RIGHT?

ONCE YOU ARE IN THAT MOMENT, MAYBE THE ART DIRECTOR WILL SAY HEY, THERE IS A PODIUM IN YOUR WAY NOW.

YOU CAN'T DO THE BACK FLIP HERE ANYMORE.

HAVE YOU TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

THERE IS A POOL TABLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OFFICE FOR SOME REASON.

SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

ARE YOU GOING TO GET PURCHASED IT PROBABLY.

SO THIS IS A ROUGH DRAFT THAT WE WORKED OUT FOR THIS PIECE WHERE IT SAYS HE STRIPS THE PISTOL FROM WILLIE SHOOTING HIM TWICE AND TURNING THE PISTOL ON GARGOS.

WE WANTED TO MAKE THIS MORE DYNAMIC.

THIS IS MY FIGHT COORDINATOR.

HE WOULD STRIP THE GUN AWAY FROM HIM USING SOME JOHN WICK STYLE MOVES AND FIRE THE SHOT YOU THE BUT IT'S OUR IDEA, EVEN IF WE DON'T GET TO SEE THE INDIVIDUAL I DON'TY PIECE OF.

THIS IS WHAT WE SUBMIT TO THE DIRECTOR.

THAT'S ONE PARAGRAPH IN EIGHT PAGES OF ACTION.

SO THE WORK, THE PREPARATORY WORK THAT GOES INTO THIS STUFF CAN'T BE UNDERSTATED AND FRANKLY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN CAN'T BE UNDERSTATED EITHER.

SO THAT SORT OF CONCLUDES MORE OR LESS OF SLIDE PIECES OF THINGS, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE THIS INTERACTIVE AND SHOW YOU LIKE HOW WE ACTUALLY DO THIS AND WHAT SOME OF THESE THINGS MEAN IN TERMS OF LIKE WHAT STUNT MEN HAVE TO PREPARE FOR, WHAT STUNT PERFORMERS, STUNT MEN AND WOMEN HAVE TO BE AWARE OF WHEN THEY'RE ON SET.

SO I THINK I'M GOING TO CALL UP SOME OF THE TRINITY GUYS HERE, IF WILL YOU COME ON UP.

BEN, COME ON UP FIRST.

YOU GUYS CAN HANG OUT FOR JUST A SECOND.

ONE OF THE THINGS I SAID EARLIER, THANKS, BEN FOR COMING UP.

THIS IS BEN, EVERYBODY.

[ APPLAUSE ] ONE OF THE THINGS I STATED EARLIER WAS WE HAD IN CONCEPT OF THE CAMERA IS THE THIRD PERSON IN THE DANCE, OKAY?

SO BEN AND I MIGHT BE IN A FIGHT SCENE, BUT I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CAMERA IS WORKING, TOO.

BUT LET'S START BACK A LITTLE FURTHER.

AS A BASIS, I THINK ALL STUNT MEN NEED TO KNOW REACTIONS.

AND HAVE YOU TO KNOW HOW TO FALL BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO BE DOING IT A LOT.

SO LET'S WORK THROUGH THAT REACTION WE DID EARLIER.

SO IF YOU GUYS ARE THE CAMERA, IF THE CAMERA IS OUT HERE, I NEED TO KNOW A COUPLE OF THINGS, SAFETY FIRST, RIGHT?

AND ONE OF THE PRINCIPLES OF SAFETY IS DISTANCE MANAGEMENT AS A STUNT MAN.

ONE WAY I CAN DO THAT IS I CAN USE MY HAND AS A MEASURING STICK.

IF I'M GOING TO THROW A RIGHT PUNCH WITH MY RIGHT HAND, I USE THIS AS MY MEASURING STICK AND I KNOW HE IS ALWAYS RIGHT THERE.

IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, YOU MIGHT BE THINKING YEAH, YOU CAN SEE HIM.

YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

WHAT IF THE MOVE IS THIS.

DO THE SHOULDER GRAB AGAIN.

HE GRABS ME BY THE SHOULDER AND HAVE I TO PUNCH HIM.

HOW CLOSE ARE WE NOW.

IF I FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE SAME MOVEMENT, AND I'M PROBABLY GOING TO HIT HIM.

IF THAT'S BRAD PITT AND I HIT HIM, I'M PROBABLY GOING TO GET FIRED.

LET'S DO THE SHOULDER GRAB AGAIN.

USE MY DISTANCE AND THROW THE PUNCH.

DUDE, YOU MISSED BY I A MILE.

THAT'S THE POINT.

WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

LET'S GET ONE MORE UP HERE FOR THE CAMERA MAN.

THEN YOU CAN STAY THIS TIME.

SO I HAVE A CAMERA DOWN HERE BUT WE ARE GOING TO PRETEND HE IS OUR CAMERA MAN RIGHT NOW.

STAND BEHIND ME AGAIN.

ALL RIGHT.

TELL ME AGAIN.

THIS IS LIAM.

WELCOME LIAM.

SO LET'S STAY OUT HERE A LITTLE BIT SO WE CAN STAY AWAY FROM THE PAD.

IF LIAM IS HERE AND HOLDING THE CAMERA, AND I GOT TO PUNCH THIS GUY AND IT'S GOT A SELL ON CAMERA, SELLING THE HIT, HOW DO I DO THAT?

WHERE HE IS RIGHT NOW IS HELPING ME A LOT.

BUT IF I GO IT IF THE CAM AUTO'S-- CAMERA'S WAY, I CAN'T SEE WHERE HE IS RIGHT NOW.

SO IF I THROW THE HIT, THAT'S ALL GREAT BUT HE DIDN'T SEE ANY OF THAT.

CUT, DO IT AGAIN.

WELL, MEAN WHILE HE IS DOING THIS WITH HIS NECK EVERY TIME OR MAYBE HE TAKES A FALL FOOT POOL TABLE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.

THAT'S A BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE F. HE GETS BLOWN UP AND THE CAMERA CAN'T SEE IT, THAT'S A REALLY BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE BECAUSE THAT'S A LONG RESET AND TIME IS MONEY, RIGHT?

ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO TO HELP OUT IS LIKE THERE IS A DIALOGUE THAT HAPPENS BETWEEN ALL THREE OF US AT THIS POINT, RIGHT?

I TALK TO THE CAMERA MAN.

I SAY OKAY WE ARE GOING TO BLOCK THE CHOREOGRAPHY.

I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU THE CHOREOGRAPHY.

IT'S.

THIS HE IS GOING TO BE ON MY CAMERA, PULL ME ON THE SHOULDER, I CAN'T JUST SPIN AROUND HERE ANYMORE BECAUSE I'M BLOCKING THE LENS.

PART OF STUNTS IS KNOWING WHERE THE CAMERA IS AND KNOWING WHERE YOU ARE BECAUSE YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING TO SELL THE HIT AND RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING EVERYBODY SAFE.

WE WENT OVER THE SAFETY THING WITH THE DISTANCE, RIGHT?

LET'S DO IT ONE MORE TIME.

TAKE TWO AND ACTION.

BOOM, I STEP.

NOW I'M OUT HERE.

AND JUST BY ADJUSTING MY FOOTWORK I'M ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE CAMERA BECAUSE I KNOW HE IS GOING TO BE THERE AND IF WE GET MORE DYNAMIC AND THE CAMERA MOVES AROUND, THAT'S AN ADDED PIECE TO IT, RIGHT?

ALL THAT STUFF GOES INTO THE FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN.

IT COULD BE CARS, EXPLOSIONS, TOM CRUISE DANGLING OFF THE SIDE OF A BUILDING.

IT'S ALL THE SAME.

WE REHEARSE IT, BLOCK IT WITH THE CAMERA AND SHOOT IT.

IF I'M HAVING A DISCUSSION WITH MINIMUM WAGE AND HAVING THE CLIMAX OF THE SCENE AND HE SAYS I KNEW WERE YOU A DIRTY COP THE WHOLE TRIEM, WHATEVER AND HE GRABS ME ON THE SHOULDER AND I TURN AROUND AND PUNCH HIM AND HE FALLS INTO THE POOL TABLE, HE HAS TO DO ATHLETE AT LEAST TWO OR THREE TIMES SO WE FEEL SAFE WITH THE CAMERA, RIGHT?

IF IT IS FILM WE MIGHT DO IT MORE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE SAFETY, RIGHT?

MIGHT DO IT MORE THAN THAT IF THE DIALOGUE WAS BAD.

THE SOUND SCREWED UP.

THE FOCUS WAS SOFT ON THE CAMERA.

MIGHT HAVE TO DO IT A BUNCH.

FIVE TIMES THERE IS AN MOVE THAT IS BASICALLY LIKE A FLIP BUT IT COMES FROM A WRIST LOCK, GENERALLY A PUNCH AT THE TOP.

WE DID SOME VERY SIMILAR CHOREOGRAPHY FOR OBI-WAN KENOBI AND THIS IS JUST SORT OF A SIGNATURE MOVE THAT PEOPLE DO.

I'M GOING TO TRY NOT TO HURT MYSELF TONIGHT DOING THIS.

BUT TRENT HAS BEEN HAPPY ENOUGH TO HELP ME OUT HERE.

SO TIP THEIR WHAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO AND THANK YOU FOR STAYING PATIENT WHILE I EXPLAIN THIS.

TYPICALLY WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO MAKE THE ACTORS WORK THAT HARD, EITHER.

AND THAT'S NOT TO BESMIRCH THE GOOD NAMES OF ACTORS.

I'M AN ACTOR MYSELF.

BUT THEY ALSO HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY, NOT JUST OF DOING THE ACTION SEQUENCES BUT ALSO GOING BACK AND MEMORIZING PAGES AND PAGES OF DIALOGUE, DOING PRESS FOR THE SHOW, GOING OUT AND DOING WHATEVER ELSE, YOU KNOW, THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE STUDIO DEMANDS OF THEM.

AND SO THERE IS A LOT OF WORK THAT THEY HAVE TO DO.

SO WE DON'T WANT THEM WEARING THEMSELVES OUT FOR, YOU KNOW, 30 SECONDS OF FILM THAT GENERALLY WOULD TAKE A LOT OF TIME TO ACTUALLY CHOREOGRAPH AND PRE-VIS AND PRESENT TO THE DIRECTOR AND EVENTUALLY SHOOT SO AGAIN THAT'S TIPPING OUR HAT TO STUNT COORDINATORS.

WE WANT TO MAKE IT EASY ON THE PERFORMERS.

WE RAN THIS A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT THIS IS REALISTIC OF HEY, WE ARE ON SET AND I SAY HEY, SO WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IS SOMETHING CALLED AN ARM DRAG INTO THAT...

SO LET'S STAND TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE STAGE HERE AND IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER, SAY THE CRAM IS OUT HERE BUT WE PROBABLY HAVE A CAMERA OUT HERE WHERE WE ARE GOING TO LAND.

WE ARE NOT GOING TO LAND YET.

THIS IS WHY YOU PRACTICE.

SO IF I THROW THIS PUNCH, HE IS GOING TO WRAP IT AND DO THE ARM DRAG AND TURN ME INTO THIS.

SO LET'S PICK THIS UP.

AND MOVE IT FORWARD.

I WAS ON THE REVERSE SIDE.

THAT'S WHY IT WAS OPPOSITE.

THIS IS GOING TO BE COOLER.

EVERYBODY IS OUT HERE.

LET'S DO THIS.

DANGLE THIS SIDE OVER THE EDGE OF THE STAGE.

LET'S JUST PUSH IT OUT ALL THE WAY TO THE EDGE.

NOW BACK OVER HERE, IT WILL BASICALLY BE A LITTLE STEP OVER AND SO IT WILL BE THIS AND WE'LL COME OVER HERE AND PLAN IT AND BASICALLY I'M GOING TO COME AROUND HERE AND ROLL OUT, OKAY?

NOW AT FULL SPEED, THIS IS THE FIGHT MOVE THAT YOU MIGHT SEE IN A LOT OF THOSE SHOWS THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.

LET'S MOVE IT FURTHER BACK BECAUSE NOW THAT I'M SEEING...

I DON'T WANT TO LAND IN ANYBODY'S LAP.

I HOPE THIS MIC DOESN'T BREAK.

I'M SORRY THE IF I DO.

IT'S GOOD THIS IS THE CONCLUSION OF THE PROGRAM.

SO ONE MORE TIME.

AND THIS IS, AGAIN, THIS IS REALLY REALISTIC WHEN I MOVE THIS ASIDE JUST A LITTLE BIT SO WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE SPACE.

ONE OF MY GUYS, CAN YOU COME UP HERE AND SAFETY THIS?

ANOTHER JOB OF STUNTS IS JUST DOING SAFETY A LOT OF TIME.

HOLD ON TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS THING SO IF IT DOES MOVE, I IT DOESN'T GO TOO FAR.

>> WHAT IS THAT?

SO THIS IS VERY TYPICAL OF LIKE WHAT WILL HAPPEN.

THE DIRECTOR WILL SAY HEY, YOU GOT THREE TO FIVE MINUTES TO GET THE SHOT AND THE ACTOR, ESPECIALLY IN AN INDEPENDENT FILM, WE DIDN'T HAVE SIX WEEKS TO TRAIN THEM.

WE DIDN'T GET TO SEND THEM TO BOOT CAMP TO LEARN THE MARTIAL ARTS.

IT'S LIKE YOU GOT TWO HOURS.

THEY HAD THEIR LUNCH RIGHT NOW, SEE IF YOU CAN PULL THEM AWAY FROM THINK PHONE AND CHECKING IN WITH THEIR FAMILY TO DO THIS.

I SAY OKAY, GREAT.

YOU GO TO THE ACTORS AND YOU TRY TO PROD THEM OUT OF THE TRAILER AND YOU SAY WE GOT TO RUN THIS STUNT REAL QUICK.

ARE YOU COOL?

YEAH, HE'S COOL.

GREAT.

WE'LL WALK IT ONE MORE TIME AND THEN WE WILL DO IT HOPEFULLY IN ONE TAKE AT FULL SPEED.

I'M GOING TO COME OVER HERE, PUNCH AT YOU.

BOOM, ARM DRAG AND THEN THERE, YEAH JUST MAKE THAT TURN NICE AND TIGHT.

START A LITTLE FURTHER OUT.

YEP, PERFECT.

SO WHEN I PUNCH WE WILL DO IT HERE.

RIGHT THERE.

YOU LAND ME RIGHT ON THE PAD, OKAY?

DO YOU WANT TO DO ONE AT FULL SPEED?

>> SURE.

>> OKAY, PAUSE.

NO, YOU ARE GOOD.

PAUSE.

THEY'RE SAYING SHOULD WE BACK OUT NOW?

MAYBE.

NO, SO I'LL TELL YOU AN INTERESTING ANECDOTE REALLY QUICK AND THEN WE WILL DO IT.

IN A SCENE IN OBI-WAN KENOBI, IT WAS ACTUALLY THIS EXACT TRICK.

AND THEY SAID HEY, TOM, YOU MAKE A BIG SPLASH BECAUSE YOU ARE 225 AND 6'4" DRESSED OUT LIKE I'M GOING TO PUT A CAMERA WHERE YOUR FEET GO.

REWIND.

OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN.

ONE OF MY FIRST STUNT JOBS I WAS REALLY NERVOUS.

THEY SAID TOM, RUN DOWN THIS STREET AND WHEN YOU GET TO THE PARKING LOT, THE CARS AND THE WINDOWS WILL BE SHOT OUT FROM AN EXPLOSION AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, I WANT YOU TO HIT THIS RAILING AND ROLL OVER INTO THE PARKING LOT AS FAR AS THE STAGE DOWN.

THEY HAD THE MATS DOWN, HIT THAT RAIL AND ROLL INTO THE PARKING LOT.

DOWN ON THE GROUND ABOUT WHERE YOU GUYS ARE SITTING, DON'T MAKE ME NERVOUS HERE.

THERE WAS A CAM CAMERA ON A DOLLY, CINEMATIC CAMERA ON A DOLLY THEY WERE FOLLOWING THE SHOT AND WHEN I WENT OVER THE RAIL, THEY SAID RUN 100%, GET NUTS.

I WAS PSYCHED UP READY TO GO AND I GO AND THE EXPLOSION HAPPENS AND YOU FLIP OVER AND I KICKED THE CAMERA.

AND THEY YELLED CUT AND THE CAMERA MAN LOOKED AT ME AND SAID THAT JUST COST $100,000.

YEAH.

SO PART OF IT IS ALSO LEARNING TO KNOW WHERE YOU NEED TO LAND AND NOT HITTING THE CAMERA.

SO WITH THAT IN MIND, WATCH THE CAMERA.

ONE MORE TIME SLOW AND THEN WE'LL DO IT.

WE ARE GOING TO THROW THE PUNCH, STEP, WAIT UNTIL I FACE AND THERE YOU GO.

COOL.

YOU SEE IT?

YOU GOT TO GO FOR IT.

READY?

SOMEBODY GIVE ME LIKE LET'S HAVE, SOMEBODY NEEDS TO BE THE DIRECTOR.

[ APPLAUSE ] I DON'T KNEED THAT.

THAT'S GREAT.

SAVE THAT.

I WAS THE DIRECTOR.

STU, HAVE YOU SOME EXPERIENCE.

CAN YOU GIVE ME A 3, 2, 1, ACTION.

NICE AND LOUD FOR US?

>> 3, 2, 1.

(GRUNTING) [ APPLAUSE ] I DROPPED THE MIC A LITTLE BIT.

TRENT EVERYBODY.

[ APPLAUSE ] THAT'S GOOD.

GRATSZ GREAT.

APPRECIATE IT.

THAT IS BASICALLY HOW IT GOES.

NOW THE ONE CAVEAT IS THEY WILL SAY, OH MAN, WE DIDN'T HAVE FOCUS THAT.

CAN YOU DO IT FIVE MORE TIMES?

THAT'S WHEN YOUR DAY STARTS TO GET LONGER.

AND THE EPSOM SALT COMES IN HANDY.

THAT'S IS SORT OF THE DEMONSTRATION I HAD IN MIND TONIGHT.

I WOULD LOVE TO OPEN IT UP FOR YOU GUYS MUCH I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE STU HERE ASK SOME QUESTIONS.

I BELIEVE THAT THE GREATEST VALUE HERE IS THE STUFF THAT YOU GUYS WANT ANSWERED, SO IF WE CAN KICK OFF, CAN WE KICK OFF THE QUESTION AND ANSWER PART?

FASCINATING STUFF THAT YOU HAVE COVERED THROUGHOUT THE EVENING.

I KNOW THAT THERE IS THAT OLD SAYING MOVIES ARE MADE OF PREP.

I GUESS WALK US THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS IN PIECES, BUT WHAT IS THE STANDARD -- WHEN YOU GET HIRED AS A COORDINATOR, AND YOU ARE GOING TO DO SOME OF THE STUNT ON A SMALLER FILM, THAT MEANS YOU ARE DOING THE STUNTS SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN RAMPING UP.

YOU GET THE SCRIPT, YOU SAY YES.

WHAT DOES YOUR DAY LOOK LIKE, ESPECIALLY WHEN PREP IS SHORT?

>> IDEALLY YOU WANT AS MUCH TIME AS YOU CAN, OBVIOUSLY, RIGHT?

YOU WANT TO KNOW--LY IMMEDIATELY START LINING UP STUNT DOUBLES.

I WILL IMMEDIATELY START THINKING IN MY HEAD LIKE I WILL GIVE IT A READ TO SEE WHAT THE STORY IS AND SEE WHAT THE ARC OF THE STORY IS, WHERE THE HIGHS AND LOWS ARE.

SEE WHAT THE AXEL EMPTIES ARE.

I'M PROBABLY-- ACTION ELEMENTS ARE.

WHAT IS THE BUDGET, WHAT DO I HAVE TO PLAY WITH BECAUSE IT DOES COST, RIGHT?

IT'S A BUSINESS EQUATION AT THE END OF THE DAY.

YOU START FIGURING OUT HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN I HIRE, WHO CAN I GET AS DOUBLES WHO ARE THE ACTORS, WHO DO I NEED TO MATCH?

A LOT OF THAT HAPPENS FAST BECAUSE PEOPLE BOOK OUT.

THE MORE UNIQUE SOMEONE LOOKS, THE HARDER IT IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE TO FIND A DOUBLE FOR THEM.

I WILL ASK THE ACTORS, WHAT ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH?

EVERY ACTOR EVER, NOT TO ROLL MY EYES EVER WILL SAY I'LL DO IT ALL.

I'M READY TO DO IT ALL BUT YOU TAKE ONE OF THOSE WITHOUT A PAD AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, NOBODY WANTS TO DO IT.

DO YOU THAT, PEOPLE DO THAT ON THE CONCRETE.

PEOPLE DO THAT POLISHED CONCRETE FLOORS AND STREETS AND GET HIT BY CARS.

IT SEEMS LIKE A REALLY COOL JOB AND IT IS A LOT OF TIMES BUT THERE IS A FUNCTION FOR STUNT DOUBLES TO BE IN THIS BUSINESS AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LINE UP IMMEDIATELY.

>> I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF YOUNG FILM MAKERS IN ATTENDANCE AND FOLKS WHO WERE HERE EARLIER AND MAYBE SOME PARENTS OF SOME ASPIRING FILM MAKERS IN THIS CROWD.

WE EMPHASIZE SAFETY A LOT.

WE DIDN'T GET TO SEE CLIPS AS PART OF THIS BUT FROM WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOUR WORK INVOLVES, YOU CAN'T PLAY DARTH VADER STUNT DOUBLE WITHOUT A LIGHT SABRE, THE PIECE OF THE SCRIPT YOU WROTE INVOLVED A FIREARM.

TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE POSSIBLE OF SAFETY-- THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY IN YOUR LINE OF WORK ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF RECENT EVENTS ON MOTION PICTURES WHERE LIVES WERE LOST BECAUSE OF PERHAPS A MORE CASUAL ATTITUDE TOWARD SAFETY.

I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED... >> I WON'T COMMENT ON THE EXACT BUT I WILL SAY THAT I'M LUCKY TO HAVE NEVER BEEN ON A SET LIKE THAT.

TYPICALLY THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE OF FIREARMS ARE CALLED ARMORERS AS YOU WELL KNOW AND TYPICALLY THE STUNT, THE GUYS WHO WORK SPECIAL EFFECTS, ANY SORT OF EXPLOSIVE ROUNDS OR WHAT THEY CALL SCWIBS, A BLOOD BALLOON WITH A FIRECRACKER UNDERNEATH IT FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERMINOLOGY.

ALL OF THAT STUFF IS KEPT UNDER LOCK AND KEY.

ON INDEPENDENT SETS, UNFORTUNATELY, TYPICALLY PEEP WEAR MANY HATS-- PEOPLE WEAR MANY HATS AND SOMEBODY MAY GET PULLED AWAY AND THAT'S WHEN ATTENTION GETS DIVERTED AND THINGS CAN GET UNSAFE.

BUT I HAVE BEEN ON MULTIMILLION DOLLAR SETS WHERE UNFORTUNATELY ACCIDENTS HAVE HAPPENED.

NOT TO THE EXTENT OF THAT ONE IN PARTICULAR, BUT I WAS ON SET ONE DAY WHERE THERE WAS A REALLY UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, JUST A TIME CRUNCH.

PEOPLE WERE YELLING SAYING WE HAVE TO GET THIS SHOT BEFORE LUNCH.

STUNT COORDINATOR SAID PLEASE DON'T DO THIS.

I DON'T THINK IT'S SAFE.

THEY DID IT ANYWAY.

AND SOMEBODY LOST HALF THEIR LEG THAT DAY.

>> JESUS.

>> THERE IS AN INHERENT DANGER TO SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE DO.

YOU DON'T GET THE BIG BOOMS ON SCREEN WITHOUT TAKING RISK.

FOR INDEPENDENT FILM MAKERS AND SMALLER FILM MAKERS, I THINK THE SAFETY INITIATIVE SHOULD BE MORE STRINGENT BECAUSE THE FACT IS, AND I THINK YOU BROUGHT THIS UP IN THE STUDENT PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, EVEN A RUBBER GUN OR A PLASTIC GUN, FROM 100 YARDS AWAY, YOUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR OR SOMEBODY DOWN THE BLOCK DOESN'T KNOW THAT THAT IS NOT REAL.

IT'S IMPERATIVE TO SPIN THOSE-- SPEND THOSE EXTRA DOLLARS ON SAFETY SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IS GOING O.

IT'S IMPERATIVE TO KEEP ANY WEAPONRY UNDER LOCK AND KEY OR FOR, YOU KNOW, IT'S EVEN ON THE SET OF OBI-WAN KENOBI, IT WAS, AFTER EVERY TAKE THEY WOULD TAKE AWAY THE LIGHT SABERS SO NOBODY WAS FOOLING AROUND WITH THEM.

>> THEY CUT NEW HALF, MAN.

>> YES, THAT.

>> SO YOU MENTIONED OBI-WAN AND THIS IS SOMETHING I GREW UP, I SAW THE ORIGINAL "STAR WARS" 10 TIMES.

I KNOW WHO DAVID PROUSE.

ONE HALLOWEEN I WENT OUT TO BUY THE STORM TROOPER MASK AND I LASTED TWO MINUTES IN IT BECAUSE I WAS SWEATING MY TAIL OFF LIKE IT WAS SO CLAUSTROPHOBIC AND I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING.

THAT WAS FOR A KID WHO WAS GOING WEAR A MASK TO SCHOOL FOR HALLOWEEN.

YOU ARE DOING LIKE FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY AND MAJOR STUNTS WITH WEAPONS AND ALL THAT WEARING ALL THIS STUFF.

TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT-- I DON'T KNOW, THE SKILL SET HAVE YOU TO HAVE-- OBVIOUSLY GOES INTO PREPARATION BUT YOU ARE BASICALLY FLYING BLIND, RIGHT?

>> THERE WAS A LOT OF FEAR.

A I SAID IF YOU HIT THE STAR, YOU GET FIRED SO THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY FOREFRONT IN MY MIND.

AND SO WE PRACTICED A LOT.

I MEAN WE STARTED TRAINING IN FEBRUARY AND WE ENDED UP SHOOTING THAT FINAL FIGHT SCENE ANYWAY IN EARLY SEPTEMBER.

AND SO WE HAD A LOT OF PREP TIME AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE VERY STRICT ABOUT WAS HEY, CAN WE PRACTICE IN THE COSTUME.

CAN WE DO THIS?

CAN WE SIMULATE GAME DAY.

WE HAD A VERY SUPPORTIVE CAST.

EWAN McGREGER, THEY WERE ALL OF THE SAME MIND.

IT IS ONE THICK TO HOLD A RUBBER MOLD OF A LIGHT SABRE IN YOUR HAND AND ANOTHER THING TO HOLD THE METAL SHOW PIECE THAT WAYS A LOT MORE IN A GLOVED HAND.

THESE ARE LEATHER GLOVES WE WERE WEARING.

>> WHAT IS THE WEIGHT OF THE ENTIRE COS COSTUME WHEN YOU ARE PLAYING VADER.

>> PROBABLY ABOUT 40 POUNDS.

IT WAS PRETTY HEAVY.

THE HELMET ALONE, I REMEMBER THE STUNT COORDINATOR THE LAST DAY, A LITTLE FILIPINO GUY, HE CAME UP TO ME AND-- GREAT DUDE AND HE WAS LIKE, I GOT TO TRY THAT THING ON AT LEAST ONCE.

HE PUT IT ON AND HE WAS LIKE HOW IS YOUR NECK STILL IN TACT.

IT IS HEAVY.

LIKE 10 POUNDS.

AND SO IT WAS A LOT.

AND THE VISIBILTY THING, THAT'S JUST TRUST.

AGAIN I'LL SORT OF REITERATE, I CONSIDER MY FIGHT PARTNERS AS DANCE PARTNERS.

YOU DON'T WANT TO STEP ON YOUR DANCE PARTNER'S TOES OR HIT THEM EITHER.

SO A LOT OF THAT WAS JUST BUILDING TRUST.

WE KNEW THE CHOREOGRAPHY AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN GET TO HAVING YOUR EYES CLOSED, WE KNEW IT THAT WELL AND IT GO ET CETERA TO BE THAT THING ABOUT DISTANCE, TOO, WHETHER IT'S PUTTING A HAND OUT OR JUST TALKING TO EACH OTHER.

IF YOU WATCH-- THERE WAS A MOVIE IN THE EARLY 2000 CALLED "RUSH HOUR" WITH JACKIE CHAN AND CHRIS TUCKER.

WHAT WAS SO FASCINATING WAS THE BEHIND THE SCENES STUFF.

HE TALKS ABOUT HIS STUNT TEAM, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH LIKE THE BEST IN THE BYES, JACKIE CHAN'S STUNT TEAM.

THEY TALK ABOUT AUDIO CUES.

THE SOUND GUYS CALL IT STUNT GRUNTS BUT WE WILL CUE EACH OTHER, ESPECIALLY IF I CAN'T SEE YOU, IF IT'S THAT SCENE I WORKED OUT WITH BEN WHERE HE HAS HIS HAND ON MY SHOULDER AND I TURN AROUND TO PUNCH HIM.

I'M NOT GOING TO TURN AROUND AND COLD COCK HIM WITHOUT MAKING A NOISE BECAUSE AUDIO CAN BE FIXED LATER IN POST.

WHAT I WILL PROBABLY DO IS I WILL COME AROUND AND CRESCENDO UP TO THE MOMENT OF IMPACT TO HELP WITH HIS REACTION NUMBER ONE AND TO CUE HIM AND LET HIM KNOW, HEY, THIS IS COMING CHT IT HELPS A LOT WHEN YOU ARE HITTING SOMEBODY BLIND.

IF IN EPISODE THREE OF OBI-WAN, I HAD TO SWING AND LEE HAD HIS BACK TURNED AND I WAS LIKE HERE WE GO, THIS IS WHERE I GET FIRED AND IT WAS PITCH BLACK.

IT WAS ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS IN CALIFORNIA WHERE IT WAS LIKE EARLY SPRING, SO IT WENT FROM LIKE 80 SOMETHING DURING THE DAY TO LIKE 50 OR 60 AT NIGHT.

AND SO THE MINUTE I PUT THE HELL MITT ON-- HELMET ON, IT FOGGED UP AND THEY HAD A SPARSE LIGHT BECAUSE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A MOONLESS NIGHT ON A DESERT PLANET.

GREAT STORY TELLING.

TERRIBLE FOR ME.

AND SO I HAD TO CUE HIM.

I HAD TO... AND HE KNEW RIGHT WHEN THAT MOMENT CAME.

WE PRACTICED THAT IN OUR PRACTICE IN OUR REHEARSALS SO HE KNEW WHEN THAT WAS COMING SO HE COULD REACT AT THAT MOMENT TO BLOCK THE SHOT.

>> SO SOMETHING ELSE YOU TOUCHED ON EARLIER, ESPECIALLY ON INDEPENDENT FILMS, WHICH IS WHERE MOST OF MY EXPERIENCE IS.

MAYBE YOU WERE WORKING WITH A DIRECTOR WHO DOESN'T HAVE AS MUCH EXPERIENCE, THEY HAVE A SHOT LIST OR STORY BOARDS.

YOU TALKED ABOUT HAVING A PLAN, YOU CAN DEVIATE FROM IT BUT ESPECIALLY WITH STUNT SEQUENCES WITH LIMITED RESOURCES, IT REALLY IS ABOUT GRABBING THE PIECES YOU NEED TO MAKE THE PUZZLE FIT TOGETHER IN POST.

SO HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU ARE LIKE THIS IS SUCH A WELL WRITTEN SEQUENCE ON THE PAGE AND THE DIRECTOR HAS ALL THESE SHOTS THEY WANT BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO FIT TOGETHER.

DO YOU EVER SORT OF JEDI MIND TRICK THE FILM MAKERS YOU ARE WORKING WITH, WHAT IF YOU THINK WE SHOT IT THIS WAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK FILM MAKING, I MEAN, AGAIN, I SORT OF COMPARE IT, THE FIGHTING PIECE TO DANCING BUT I THINK FILM MAKING IN GENERAL, IS ONE OF THE MORE COLLABORATIVE ART FORMS OUT THERE.

SHORT OF SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OR IF YOU HAPPEN TO PLAY IN A BAND, IKE LIKE IT'S SIMILAR AND THERE ARE TEAM SPORTS WHERE YOU NEED THE SINK ANYTHINGS AT THIS BETWEEN PLAYERS.

-- SYNCHRONICITY BUT IF YOU SEE THE CREDITS YOU ARE SEEING SOMETIMES A THOUSAND PEOPLE ACROSS DIFFERENT CONTINENTS A LOT OF TIMES WORKING ON A PROJECT TOGETHER TO DELIVER THAT FINISHED PRODUCT.

SO IT HELPS WHEN YOU HAVE MORE SEASONED DIRECTORS WHO ARE AWARE OF THE CONSTRAINTS.

YOU CAN SAY I CAN DO THIS BUT IT'S GOING TO COST THIS MUCH DOLLARS.

AND THEY IMMEDIATELY SAY WE DON'T HAVE THAT MANY DOLLARS.

TAKE A ZERO OFF OF THAT SO HAVE YOU TO START MAKING DECISIONS.

I LIKE THAT I THINK IT'S PART OF THE FUN SAYING WE CAN'T SOLVE THIS BY WRITING A CHECK.

>> THE ENEMY OF ART IS THE ABSENCE OF LIMITATIONS.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> HOW CREATIVE CAN YOU GET WITH DELIVERING SOMETHING THAT LOOKS COOL AND DELIVERS ON THE ACTION THAT IS NEEDED FOR THE SCENE SORE THE STORY WITHOUT TAKING AWAY LIKE WELL YOU JUST CAN'T DO THAT.

SORRY.

>> ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM, WE OBVIOUSLY HAD A MAJOR WORK STOPPAGE, TWO MAJOR WORK STOPPAGES IN THE INDUSTRY LAST YEAR AND THE PERFORMERS WON, WHICH Y'ALL ARE UNDER, EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE AN ACTOR, STUNT PERFORMERS ARE UNDER THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD.

LET'S TALK ABOUT TWO THINGS AS IT RELATES TO THIS WHOLE A.I.

THING.

ONE IS PRACTICAL VERSUS DIGITAL EFFECTS, RIGHT.

YOU TALKED ABOUT SQUIBS AND YOU MIGHT EXPLAIN PRACTICAL VERSUS DIGITAL.

TELL ME THE IMPACT IT'S HAVING ON YOUR WORK AND THEN YOU CAN TELL ME ABOUT THE A.I.

THING.

>> HOW MUCH TIME DO HAVE YOU?

>> THAT'S UP TO I'M.

>>-- >> I'M HERE TO LEARN.

>> AS SOMEONE WHO IS ALSO IN SOFTWARE, I DO FEEL LIKE I HAVE SOME SOMEWHAT OF A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT LIKE THE AICHT TOOLS THAT ARE OUT THERE CAN HELP WITH SOME THINGS.

YOU TALK ABOUT CLEANING UP FOOTAGE OR CLEANING UP SOUND OR FIX IS THINGS, RIGHT, UTILITARIAN ASPECTS OF IT.

IN GENERAL, I WOULD SAY LEAK THERE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE THAT WAR AND UNFORTUNATELY SOMETIMES AS SMIB WHO HAS RUN A BUSINESS, IT WILL COME DOWN TO A DOLLAR ARGUMENT.

SOMEBODY IS GOING SAY IT COSTS LESS TO DO IT THIS DIGITAL WAY SO LET'S DO IT: I KNOW A LOT OF TELEVISION SHOWS, NOW THERE IS ALSO THE ARGUMENT OF SAFETY.

YOU KNOW, WE ALL, AGAIN KNOW WHAT HAPPENED ON THE FILM SET AND IT'S LIKE WELL, IF YOU CAN GO WITH ALL RUBBER GUNS, ALL FAKE GUNS AND IN THE SPARKS LATER, THE MUZZLE FLASH AND THE BANGS, WHY WOULDN'T YOU.

AND TO A GREAT DEGREE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE DONE THAT NOW.

THERE IS NOT EVEN AS MANY BLOOD SQUIBS BECAUSE YOU ARE LIGHTING A LIVE FIRECRACKER ON SOMEBODY'S BODY.

NOT THE BEST IDEA.

THERE ARE VALID REASONS TO SAY THIS IS SAFER AND IF IT IS CHEAPER, LET'S DO IT.

BUT AGAIN WHEN IT'S A MORE U UTILITARIAN ASPECT, I SAY LET'S GO-FOR-IT.

WHEN IT TAKES AWAY FROM THE CREATIVITY, WHAT I FEAR IS JUST FROM A BROADER ASPECT, IF I SAY I'M GOING TO FEED THESE SCRIPTS INTO AN A.I.

AND SPIT OUT THE NEXT MISSION IMPOSSIBLE MOVIE, DO THAT 100 TIMES, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE BEFORE THE STORY IS HOMOGENOUS BEFORE YOU GET TO THE MOST GENERIC MOST LEAST COMMON DENOMINATOR.

THERE IS SOMETHING FOR CREATE TIFFT AND NEW STORIES.

EVERY TIME SOMEBODY THINKS THEY HAVE CRACKED THE CODE.

ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS DO THIS AND IT PRINTS MONEY.

WHAT HAPPENS?

IT FAILS.

THEY TRY TO DO THE SAME THING OVER AGAIN AND IT FAILS.

THERE IS SOMEBODY THAT COMES OUT OF THE WOODWORK LIKE RECENT HORROR MOVIE I SAW WITH ONE OF OUR FRIENDS, STRANGE DARLING, HE ACTUALLY JUST SHOT HERE IN KENTUCKY ON A DIFFERENT FILM.

BUT THAT WAS JUST SUCH A WEIRD WAY OF STORY TELLING WHERE YOU DIDN'T QUITE SEE WHAT WAS COMING.

AND THEY SHOT ON 35-MILLIMETER FILM.

IT WASN'T EVEN DIGITAL.

SO THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR THE ORGANIC FEEL OF THINGS.

>> WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO ANYONE WHO, I KNOW WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT AT THE BEGINNING EARLY IN YOUR CAREER, SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO GET INTO STUNT WORK IN 2024?

ESPECIALLY WITH LIKE YOU SAID, THERE IS A LOT OF PRODUCTION GOING ON IN KENTUCKY THESE DAYS.

WHAT IS THE BESTED WAY IN?

>> SO IN STUNTS IT'S A REALLY WEIRD THING.

AND I DON'T THINK THIS HAPPENS, AT LEAST IN THE ACTING SCOPE OF THINGS.

I NEVER REALLY DID IT THIS WAY BUT THERE WAS A CONCEPT OF HUSTLING.

I MEAN WE ALL KNOW WHAT HUSTLING IS IN THE GENERIC SENSE OF THE WORD.

IN STUNTSZ, HUSTLING IS WHEN YOU WOULD GO TO THE SET AND BASICALLY CRASH THE PARTY LIKE A WEDDING CRASHER.

I'M GOING TO THE SET.

TAKE MY HEAD SHOT WITH ME AND I'M GOING TO THE STUNT COORDINATOR AND FIND HIM HOPEFULLY AT LUNCH AND GIVE THEM MY HEAD SHOT AND RESUME AND SAY, PLEASE HIRE ME.

AND THAT WAS A VERY COMMON PRACTICE THAT WAS TAUGHT.

IT IS VERY HARD TO DO NOW, ESPECIALLY AFTER COVID.

SETS ARE VERY CLOSED DOWN BECAUSE YOU CAN'T WALK ON TO ANY SET AND DO THAT.

THERE ARE STILL TRICKS WE USE TO DO THAT SOMETIMES.

BUT NOW, I MEAN SOCIAL MEDIA IS KIND OF REPAINTED THE LANDSCAPE OF ENTERTAINMENT LIKE STREAMING AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE DIGITAL WORD WE LIVE IN IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HAS COME BEFORE.

A LOT OF THE INDUSTRY IS TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.

I MEAN IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR PROFIT SHEETS, YOU KNOW THEY HAVEN'T GOT IT CRACKED YET, RIGHT?

SO I THINK THERE IS LIKE SOME LEARNING TO BE DONE.

FOR THE INDIVIDUAL STUNT PERFORMERS, I THINK THE CORE PRINCIPLES ARE STILL THERE.

SOMETHING I MENTIONED IN THE STUDENT PROGRAM IS BE HUMBLE, WORK HARD AND BE KIND.

LIKE I WOULD NEVER HAVE GOTTEN WHERE I AM TODAY WITHOUT, YOU KNOW-- GRANTED I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THE TALL SYNDROME.

I DON'T SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE I BELONG BECAUSE I WORK WITH PROFESSIONAL RACE CAR DRIVERS, EX-PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES AND, YOU KNOW, D-1 ALL AMERICAN COLLEGIATE WRESTLERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

IT IS VERY EASY TO FEEL LIKE WHY AM I STANDING NEXT TO THIS GUY, YOU KNOW?

BUT THAT SAID, ALL OF THE CORE PRINCIPLES ARE THERE.

THEY WORKED HARD.

I WORKED HARD.

I HOPEFULLY-- I LIKE TO TRY TO STAY HUMBLE WITH A CORRECT BALANCE, SAY LIKE I WANT TO BE HUM BELIEVE IN WHAT I'VE DONE AND SHOW GRATITUDE BUT ALSO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THERE IS MORE TO GO.

I'M NOT DONE YET.

AND I ALSO WANT TO BE KIND.

WE TALKED ABOUT THIS EARLIER IN THE STUDENT PROGRAM, TOO.

SORT OF THE LOWEST RUNG OF THE LADDER ON A FILM SET, YOU KNOW, JUST IN TERMS OF JOB HIERARCHY IS THE PA, THE PRODUCTION ASSISTANT, THEY'RE THE PEOPLE RUNNING AROUND WITH WALKY TALKIES, CRAZY, GENERALLY THERE AT THE START OF THE DAY, THEY'RE THE LAST TO LEAVE AT THE END OF THE DAY AND THEY'RE BASICALLY PAID MINIMUM WAGE.

AND THAT IS A LONG, LONG DAY AND THEN YOU GOT TO WAKE UP AND DO IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

FILMS DON'T LAST AS LONG AS THEY USED TO BUT OVER THE RUN OF A SHOW, YOU ARE TALKING 12 TO 16-HOUR DAYS FOUR OR FIVE DAYS A WEEK FOR MONTHS, MONTHS ON END.

AND, YOU KNOW, BEING KIND TO THOSE PEOPLE, I MEAN I THINK THAT'S TRUE OF ANY INDUSTRY OR ANY POSITION IN LIFE, RIGHT?

LIKE BE KIND TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SERVING YOU.

IT'S NOT A GREAT JOB TO HAVE, AND WE SHOULD BE MORE KIND TO THEM.

[ APPLAUSE ] >> AND SO MUCH OF YOUR PERSONAL JOURNEY SOUNDS LIKE IT HAS BENEFITED FROM PEOPLE BEING WILLING TO MENTOR YOU AND GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY.

>> OH YEAH.

>> CALL YOU AN IDIOT WHEN YOU ARE MAKING THE WRONG CHOICE.

SO IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU PAY THAT FORWARD, ESPECIALLY COMING BACK TO YOUR HOMETOWN.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

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