Dive Another Day: Stunt performers hang tight
Stunt men and women are the go-to team for risk-taking. But is this school of hard knocks doing it tough in the industry. Georgina Pearson reports.
As humans, we have a natural fascination with danger. Since Buster Keaton emerged unscathed from a house collapsing around him (Steamboat Bill Jr) we have been unable to tear ourselves from a thrilling action sequence, or a daring gunfight.
However, with each actor comes a stunt double and despite their relatively low-profile these gutsy professionals put their bodies on the line for their craft – and in turn are vital to the success of the films they represent. But as we move into an age of increased CGI and VFX, the fundamentals of post-production are rapidly shifting. Not only do we now have the ability to digitally change the way an entire scene is shaped – but we can actually create the physical characters within that scene. At a glance, it would seem that stunt work is a rapidly dying art. Will five years’ time show an industry struggling to match the infallibility of digital avatars? Or is this merely a pot-hole (granted a very large one) on an otherwise even road of high demand?
Perhaps. But whilst the demand is there, it’s becoming harder than ever to get a leg up in the industry. Jeff Prewett (pictured) – an experienced Australian stunt worker who has doubled the likes of Vin Diesel and worked on features such as Fast and Furious Five, Cross and Avengers – left our shores for LA due to lack of consistent work. “I remember living in Sydney for five years and not being able to land an agent or even get a casting for acting or stunt roles. The industry is small with a very large amount of people wanting work or trying to break in. The difference in the States is that there is a lot of work in comparison, which creates much more opportunity for people.”
Underbelly stunt co-ordinator Spike Cherrie agrees – but told Encore the fact that this industry is so hard to crack is a good thing. “It’s not easy, but it’s meant to be not easy. It sorts out the shit from the clay and I like it that way because the guys who start and really want to do this keep doing it, and the guys who come into it for the wrong reasons – like some romantic reason – fall by the wayside.”
Aussie stunt veteran Grant Page (Mad Max, Death Ship, Roadgames) believes the huge amount of competition in recent years could be potentially dangerous. “Too many people are trying to prove themselves. It is a game that requires an enormous amount of co-operation. Nowadays there is too much competition in it. Competition kills. When everybody working in Australian films feels like a family, when everybody cares for everybody else, then you’ve got a lot of people watching your ass. But when it gets into big competition then, can you imagine a situation where one stunt person doesn’t want the other stunt person to look good? That’s when it gets dangerous. It’s not a safe environment.”
Broadening your Calibre
Unfortunately, it appears that competition is here to stay. With the Australian film market seemingly stagnant, it is becoming much harder to stay on top. However Dennis Kreusler (The Pacific, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Kokoda) told Encore that once you’re in, work is fruitful – it’s just the initial introduction that is the toughest. “Australia has a smaller film industry compared with other countries and this acts as a double-edged sword: the right people are easier to access, yet it is difficult as the size makes it much more competitive. Cherrie agrees. “There’s a saying that 90 percent of the work is done by 10 percent of the people and I think that flows over to the stunt fraternity as well.” Kreusler – who specialises in military stunts – believes that if you have a particular skill you will be in much higher demand. “If you have a speciality or niche; it is much easier to sustain yourself. The military circles are much tighter as there a fewer military advisors and film soldiers in this area so we are involved in a fair chunk of the military productions in Australia.”
The temptation to work overseas is a large drawcard, but not just because of the lack of work at home, Kreusler explained. “Personally, going overseas is tantamount to the evolution of the actor, stunt person, and military advisor for the simple reason that it diversifies your knowledge and gives you the opportunity to work on productions of a broader calibre. The volume of work abroad and in America is obviously more than Australia, so it is only natural that the range and scope of work is more varied there.” But it’s not as straightforward as it seems. Prewett told Encore that the recent financial downturn is having a significant impact on the US market as well. “There has definitely been a decline in the amount of work for myself. A lot of my American peers are struggling more now to get work and the general statement on set is that the industry is slow.”
Digital Vs Stunt Work
Another threat comes from the digital realm. It remains to be seen whether CGI will leave the stunt industry more than a little battered. Prewett thinks not. “I think that may be determined by what audiences are willing to accept as real and fake in a movie. I know it is necessary at times to stay within budgets and complement a scene sequence. There are films like Avatar that are brilliant in its use of CGI, but they still need actors and stunt people to do the action and motion capture work. We accept this type of film for what it is and enjoy it. On the other hand, if we are watching a drama or action film and we suddenly see computer-created cars in a street chase or unreal people fighting, this would obviously affect our illusion of the story and take away from the film.”
Cherrie believes that whilst CGI is here to stay, it can never detract from real stunt work. “There will always be a place for CGI but it’s never going to replace a live stunt performance. Nothing can ever do that. While there are great inroads for the enhancement of our stunt performance I very much doubt, in fact I know, nothing will ever take the place of a stunt performer getting up and doing his thing.”
In an interview for Wired.com by Caleb Garling, stunt professional and co-ordinator Vic Armstrong (Superman, Mission: Impossible 3, The Green Hornet, The Amazing Spider-Man) explains the positives of CGI for the safety of stunt performers. “The beauty of CGI is that you can use cables as thick as your little finger. When we made Superman, we were hanging on little piano wires and they had to be painted to match the sky or whatever. So, modern technology has allowed us to do more stunts while putting the actors in, too.”
Then is the cost argument – and although it’s hardly an even comparison, CGI expenditure is falling. “We always joke that it’s “cheaper to use a real person,” said Armstrong, “but CGI costs are still coming down. But they are a hidden charge, if you like. In the end, a stunt may get lost in the budget of a $10 or $12 million scene, and you never really get to compare it against what you could have done.”
So where is this industry actually headed? For now an even plateau. Prewett told Encore it all depends on the amount of projects out here. “The future of the Australian stunt industry is proportional to the amount of work that comes to the continent. If the Australian film industry cannot sustain itself then it would have to bring productions from offshore and how to devise these incentives with the dollar value right now would be something to look at.” Kreusler explained that the economic climate will have to stabilise before any significant progress is made. “The reality is that not much can be predicted until the current exchange rate adjusts to a point it is again favourable in combination with offset incentives for productions to return and subsequently, increase work in this field.”
Ultimately, the draw of an actual, physical, real, stunt performance is far greater than the pull of CGI sequence. And although the industry is teetering – there is no doubt it will come back stronger than ever. Grant Page knows it. “As long as entertainment is around there will always be the need for stunts. No. It is not a dying industry. Absolutely not.”
