Stunts and Connectivity

Ian Quinn
 

"As all of us in the movie and television industry are keenly aware, it takes a great many individuals to make a quality movie or television show. It is the sum of the talents and skills of the various individuals involved in the project that will determine its worth. So what is the common denominator that connects or creates the connectivity within this collection of unique individuals?" asked Nashville Local Board member Ian Quinn.

"In real estate, they say the three most important things are 'location, location, location.' In moviemaking, most people agree the three most important things are 'story, story, story.' All scenes in a movie must help to move the story forward. This is particularly true when it comes to action sequences." Quinn is an Emmy- and SAG Award-nominated stunt performer and coordinator.

"Stuntmen and stuntwomen are tasked with helping to move the story forward often without one word of dialogue. We do this by driving fast and crashing cars, by being set on fire, by engaging in fantastic barroom brawls, by falling out of helicopters and just about anything else the scriptwriter can come up with. But of course, stunt professionals do not accomplish these daring feats in a vacuum. They are connected to many other talented individuals. From the wardrobe department to the transportation department, from the hair and makeup department to the grip department, from the special effects department to the camera department, everyone has an important role to play in making the action sequence believable and, above all, safe for everyone else involved," he continued.

"Stunt professionals have a unique bond, a connection if you will, forged from the knowledge that our safety, the safety of the crew and sometimes even our very lives rely on how the others we are connected to do their jobs.

"Stunt performers often train together. The rather unconventional things that we are often asked to do — i.e., being set on fire, jumping off fifth-floor balconies, or falling off a horse — are things that you just can’t seem to do at your local gym. We need each other to learn our craft and hone our skills. Stunt professionals connect with each other on a regular basis, sharing knowledge and passing on the “tricks of the trade” to the new people coming up in the industry.

"A very unique connection is established when, for various reasons, a stunt performer is asked to double an actor. Having a stunt performer double an actor is done for many reasons. Often, a scene may call for an actor to be in a precarious situation where there is a potential risk of injury, or the scene calls for the actor to do something requiring a skill level that the actor does not possess. SAG-AFTRA rules provide that an actor may at any time request a stunt double. Stunt doubles work very closely with the actor they are to double. They must portray the character in question the way the actor has chosen to portray the character. This calls for understanding on the stunt performer’s part of how the actor sees the character in question. If for example, the scene calls for the actor to exit a burning car and run away from it, our stunt performer must do this as the actor would do it while portraying the character. The stunt performer does not do this as he or she would do it themselves but does it as the actor they are doubling has chosen to do it in their portrayal of their character.

"The path to connectivity is not always a straight or easy route. But the concept of strength in numbers and people being connected for a common purpose is what makes SAG-AFTRA the remarkably successful organization it is."

This appeared in the local newsletter.