There are two things to keep in mind while being burned alive for a movie scene.

The first, says stunt performer Ben Jenkin, is not to breathe in a flame. That would be bad. Jenkin was reminded of that over and over before doing his first fire burn (and then seven more) in an action extravaganza that affectionately celebrates the rough-and-tumble lives of stunt performers.

The other thing: Keep moving.

害羞草研究所淢oving forward and keeping the fire behind you allows you to breathe and to control the fire,害羞草研究所� Jenkin says. 害羞草研究所淢ovement is your friend.害羞草研究所�

That would make a decent slogan for stunt performers who have, since the early days of Hollywood, fueled the mayhem of movies. Since at least when the facade of (stillness can also be your friend when it comes to stunts), stunt performers have played a vital role in sustaining the illusion of countless car chases, bar fights, rooftop leaps and, yes, guys on fire.

By its nature, it害羞草研究所檚 nearly anonymous work, with stunt performers doubling for daintier stars. But Leitch, a longtime stuntman before he became a director, and 害羞草研究所淭he Fall Guy,害羞草研究所� which opens in theaters Friday, hope to redefine the role of stunt work in Hollywood. 害羞草研究所淭he Fall Guy,害羞草研究所� which features nearly every kind of stunt imaginable, arrives as a growing chorus is calling for a new Oscar category for stunt performance.

害羞草研究所淚t was never really about: The individual stunt performer needs to be recognized,害羞草研究所� says Leitch, who spent years as Brad Pitt害羞草研究所檚 double before transitioning to directing with 害羞草研究所淛ohn Wick.害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淚t was more about the contribution of the department. We create these sequences, whether it害羞草研究所檚 for Paul Thomas Anderson or Adam Sandler or James Cameron.害羞草研究所�

The most eye-catching stunts come in big-budget action movies like 害羞草研究所淭he Fall Guy,害羞草研究所� but nearly every studio movie involves some stunt work. Take Chris O害羞草研究所橦ara, head of Stunts Unlimited and the stunt designer on 害羞草研究所淭he Fall Guy.害羞草研究所� He害羞草研究所檚 not only a veteran of innovative, stunt-heavy films like 害羞草研究所淭he Matrix害羞草研究所� and the Jason Bourne series but he was also the guy who caught Saoirse Ronan when she leapt out of a (seemingly) moving car in Greta Gerwig害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淟ady Bird.害羞草研究所�

With 害羞草研究所淭he Fall Guy,害羞草研究所� O害羞草研究所橦ara is the first person to be credited as a 害羞草研究所渟tunt designer,害羞草研究所� a designation that害羞草研究所檚 been approved by SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild. To O害羞草研究所橦ara, that credit better represents what害羞草研究所檚 usually called stunt coordination. Conceptualizing and crafting elaborate sequences requires more than making sure everyone stays safe.

害羞草研究所淭o be seen by the film community as stunt designers hopefully brings more light to what we really do,害羞草研究所� says O害羞草研究所橦ara. 害羞草研究所淏ack in the day, stunt guys were the cowboys. Now we are creative. We create amazing things, just like a production designer does or a costume designer does.害羞草研究所�

THE FALLS LEADING TO 害羞草研究所楩ALL GUY害羞草研究所�

When they were starting out in Los Angeles, Leitch and O害羞草研究所橦ara lived together. Their garage was stuffed with mats and air bags. They dug a hole in the backyard and put a trampoline in it. 害羞草研究所淭he landlord never caught us,害羞草研究所� says Leitch, grinning.

They, along with four other stuntmen including Chad Stahelski, set out with big ambitions to make their mark on Hollywood. While cutting their teeth on TV shows like 害羞草研究所淏uffy the Vampire Slayer,害羞草研究所� they trained. Some were gymnasts, some drivers, some martial arts experts.

害羞草研究所淚t was a nonstop circus of skills you need but it害羞草研究所檚 fun to learn them,害羞草研究所� says Leitch. 害羞草研究所淗ard on your body, but fun.害羞草研究所�

They became masters of their craft 害羞草研究所� or at least mostly. Leitch never got driving down. On 害羞草研究所淭he Mexican,害羞草研究所� he crashed an El Camino into its only back-up, another El Camino.

But eventually, filmmaking seemed like one more skill to hone. Leitch had become adept at pre-visualizing sequences as a moving storyboard to show directors how an action scene would move and fit together. Plus, he was accustomed to keeping a cool head in extreme circumstances. How scary could directing be compared to standing on a ledge as a production raced to get a high fall in before the day害羞草研究所檚 light went?

害羞草研究所淲hen you害羞草研究所檝e had life and death stakes, what害羞草研究所檚 the worst that can happen in a scene?害羞草研究所� says Leitch. 害羞草研究所淚 have to cut it differently?害羞草研究所�

Leitch has since become a sought-after action director, helming films like 害羞草研究所淎tomic Blonde,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淒eadpool 2害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淏ullet Train,害羞草研究所� in which Pitt starred. That was a full circle moment for the former star-stuntman tandem but 害羞草研究所淭he Fall Guy害羞草研究所� might be more so. Based on the 1980s Lee Majors TV series, it害羞草研究所檚 a comic, behind-the-scenes ode to the nature of stunt work and on-set life.

Ryan Gosling stars as Colt Seavers, a veteran stuntman and double for star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) whose romance with a fellow crew member, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), is severed after an accident on set only to fitfully resume years later. By then Jody is directing her first feature and Colt is brought in as a stuntman, including for that fire-burn scene.

For Leitch and Kelly McCormick, his wife and production partner, both the stunts and the love story of 害羞草研究所淭he Fall Guy害羞草研究所� have a touch of autobiography. After a years-long working relationship, McCormick and Leitch were married in 2014 and together run their production company 87North.

害羞草研究所淢aybe I am a little bit like Jody,害羞草研究所� says McCormick. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 definitely the one that would set you on fire eight times.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲ould you?害羞草研究所� replies Leitch.

害羞草研究所淥nly if it was safe,害羞草研究所� says McCormick, laughing.

害羞草研究所業害羞草研究所橫 RYAN GOSLING AND I DID ALMOST NONE OF MY OWN STUNTS IN THIS MOVIE害羞草研究所�

At Gosling proudly announced what few actors do: He did not do his own stunts. The movie required five stuntmen to double as Gosling, including Jenkin and Logan Holladay. In the film, Holladay sets a of a vehicle, rolling a Jeep Grand Cherokee eight and a half times down a Australian beach. In one of the movie害羞草研究所檚 many ironic moments, you can see Holladay strapping Gosling into the car just before the scene.

Before working in film, Jenkin was accomplished in parkour.

害羞草研究所淚 feel right into stunts,害羞草研究所� he puns. His gift for contorting himself through the air and landing on the designated spot has made him one of the most sought-after stuntmen. Still, 害羞草研究所淭he Fall Guy害羞草研究所� was the busiest he害羞草研究所檚 ever been on a movie. 害羞草研究所淚 can害羞草研究所檛 remember how many times I went through a pane of glass,害羞草研究所� says Jenkin.

Some moves were new for Jenkin, like getting hit by a car. 害羞草研究所淗ips over hood,害羞草研究所� Leitch advised him.

害羞草研究所淲hen you害羞草研究所檙e a kid and you watch Jackie Chan running down the street and he害羞草研究所檚 chasing a bus and then he hooks onto the bus with an umbrella, you害羞草研究所檙e like, 害羞草研究所楾hat害羞草研究所檚 so cool,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Jenkin says. 害羞草研究所淣ow we get to live that. Me and Ryan were surfing a door across the Harbour Bridge holding onto the back of a bin truck with a shovel. When do you get to do things like that?害羞草研究所�

AN OSCAR FOR STUNTS?

Though the campaign has been ongoing for years, it will take time for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to embrace a new category (though it did so recently by ). They have some strength in numbers; stunt professionals make up the largest group of members in the academy害羞草研究所檚 Production and Technology branch.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not that they want more recognition than any other sort of department. These days, they害羞草研究所檙e in almost every film,害羞草研究所� says McCormick. 害羞草研究所淭hey are front and center working with all the other departments 害羞草研究所� including, by the way, they go to post. A lot of times they are helping the editor find the way through a sequence. I haven害羞草研究所檛 had a hair person come to post ever.害羞草研究所�

For some stunt performers, it害羞草研究所檚 the family business. Troy Brown害羞草研究所檚 first stunt was the 2005 Vin Diesel comedy 害羞草研究所淭he Pacifier,害羞草研究所� for which his father, Bob Brown, was stunt coordinator. Troy jumped out of a helicopter into the ocean. He was 5.

害羞草研究所淪tunts was just everything I knew,害羞草研究所� says Troy Brown. 害羞草研究所淚t started out with my dad in the front yard jumping off of stuff into a port-a-pit. I just thought was super fun so I害羞草研究所檇 do it everyday.害羞草研究所�

In 害羞草研究所淭he Fall Guy,害羞草研究所� Brown makes the biggest jump of his career, falling 150 feet from a helicopter and landing on an air bag used by his father. During it, his dad was standing next to the bag, talking his son through the jump.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 going out of this helicopter backwards and I害羞草研究所檓 lining it up as best I can,害羞草研究所� says Brown. 害羞草研究所淲hen I get out there and I害羞草研究所檓 about go backwards off of this thing, I have my dad on the radio giving me the green light for the bag: 害羞草研究所榊ou can go whenever you want. We害羞草研究所檙e good, we害羞草研究所檙e good, we害羞草研究所檙e good.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

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