tunting growt

 

 

As the stunt-double industry evolves,

competition and high tech effects keep the adrenaline
pumping

By Michelle Zubiate

Daily Bruin ContributorIn the air! It’s a bird! It’s a plane!
No! It’s Superman! Who’s that waiting for him down below? Oh no!
Could it be the evil Mr. Kryptonite? Nope. It would be his stunt
double, Mr. Gene LeBell.

Filled with notions of danger and mastery of the impossible,
stunt doubles have wooed audiences for decades with their daring
feats and fearless vigor. Everywhere one turns, people beg to see
how the magic behind the camera becomes reality on the screen.

In motion pictures and television, however, the stunt performers
function as more than just daredevils out for the cheap thrills.
They perform as actors themselves, integral to the plot of the
overall film and essential to the success of a great action
sequence.

"Stunts are necessary for keeping the audience’s attention,"
John Cann of Action PAC Stunts explains. "People have short
attention spans these days and they love to see others put in
potentially life-threatening situations."

Stunts first began in the old cowboy picture shows in which
pretty much everything the audience saw involved a large element of
physical reality, including the classic fighting scenes and horse
chases that have become the symbols of classic movies throughout
the century.

Since LeBell joined the business over 40 years ago, he has
witnessed stunt performing evolve before his very eyes, from the
techniques to even the amount of people in the industry.

"We performed in anything and everything back then," LeBell
says. "There were only about 50 stuntmen back then and you worked
every day. Today there are thousands and everyone is vying for the
same job."

The main difference between the old days and contemporary
picture making lies in the realm of technology. Directors today
utilize camera angles, high-tech equipment and special computer
effects to give the scene a virtual reality much different from
what actually occurs in production.

"It’s kind of like a magic show," Cann says. "The main
difference between the stunt performer and the daredevil is that we
use film techniques to create the illusion of a potentially
dangerous situation. We use air bags, air rams, cables and other
things to make it look like we are jumping off of a 10-story
building. You have to know your physics because if you don’t know
what you’re doing you can get killed."

Many stunt performers see their job as an art form and as an
equally difficult job as that of the average actor. Besides
performing challenging feats, the good stunt double needs to
emulate real fear in his performance and behave exactly like the
actor they are doubling in order to convince the viewer that the
person is one and the same.

"Often times I study the actor I’m doubling," Cann reveals. "I
often have to apologize to an actor and let them know that if I’m
staring at them too much it’s because I want to be able to move
like them and know their character to imitate them on film."

Entrance into the highly competitive industry can either be a
piece of cake or almost impossible, depending on one key factor:
one’s family.

As Cann explains, there are two ways to get started: One is
either born into a stunt family or one works his or her way into
becoming figuratively adopted into the business by those who
already have the inside edge.

Stuntman Tony Eper who now looks back fondly on his 40-year
career from the comfort of retirement, also understands what it
means to be part of this community. Belonging to the largest family
in stunts, he joined the business when he was born.

After starring in such movies as "Maverick" and "Fire Down
Below," today he works with Stunts Unlimited, one of the largest
stunt organizations in the world, and recalls the hard work it took
living as a stuntman over the years.

"The key is knowing big producers," Eper reveals. "It’s who you
know and knowing what you are doing. It’s a highly competitive
business and requires a lot of grind, especially for young men.
I’ve never told anyone not to do it. It’s just tough, that’s all. A
lot of nepotism occurs."

Cann faced this challenge when he first decided to try to break
in.

"I came to Los Angeles and just pounded the pavement so to
speak," Cann says. "I always had an interest in it and was finally
adopted by Greg Elam of the Stuntman Association."

Once into the business it’s nothing but more and more hard work.
In order to get hired, which is not always a guarantee on a
day-to-day basis, a stuntman needs to have mastered an enormous
variety of stunts, from wrestling to drag racing to surfing.

According to the stunt veterans, many young performers today
fail to see the dangerous side of stunts.

"They don’t see the risks," Eper says. "There’s a lot of
excitement and glory involved. It was always that way when I was a
kid and it’s that way now."

One of the problems with young stuntmen these days partly lies
in their willingness to attempt anything and everything. The
excitement of attempting the "impossible" compels them to yield to
demanding directors and stunt coordinators.

"No movie is worth even breaking a nail over," Cann says. "It’s
important that actors keep safety in mind when they perform."

According to many stuntmen, there are three keys to being a
success: who you know, being an extrovert and mastering as many
skills as possible.

Many stuntmen receive their training from either many
specialized schools or "stunt" schools that out of work stunt
performers set up to meet the bills.

"You often learn from just watching others," LeBell says. "You
learn surfing from some friends or you go to a shoot with someone
who’s setting himself on fire. If you get along with people and
don’t have an attitude they might help you out. But that’s no
guarantee you get hired."

Those with dedication and passion become those the audience sees
on screen.

"When your adrenaline quits pumping you know it’s time to quit,"
Eper says. "That’s the greatest thing a stuntman has working for
him. It’s also good to have a little fear sometimes. It keeps you
alert."