(We’ve got a workshop for screenfighting coming March 24-25. Register at the SFilms Store).
Experienced & Trained Actors Save Time & Money
Early in my directing career, I was casting a day player speaking role on one of my films. I auditioned the part with some sides that included her lines. I looked at whether she could pull off the part as an actor. But I made a mistake. On the day of the shoot, it was required that she get roughed up a bit– not really a stunt situation– but needed to move a bit and the actor I cast was extremely stiff. It showed. It was not pretty.
The lesson I took moving forward was not to be so tunneled-vision in the audition. If the part requires the person to take a punch, I might want to see how they move in the audition room. It matters.
This is one reason we’re teaching screenfighting basics on Sunday morning. It’s not about becoming a stunt person, but about being a better actor for film and tv. For instance, on Striking Range, the Yancy Butler character sucker punches the Lou Diamond Phillips character. All I had to say to Yancy was, “do an uppercut” and like the pros the two were, it was done. Yancy punched and Lou sold it. Saved me tons of time. And time is money.
Lou and Yancy have done this before. Again and again. The experience is what helps them. To all our local actors, get experience. If you don’t come to the workshop, get training from somewhere. As a director, I want someone who won’t cost me on the set.
