Danger On Set

Many years ago

I was working on a movie

I flew to the island for rehearsals two weeks before filming commenced

Part of those rehearsals included fight choreography

When I rocked up to that first stunt rehearsal

We did some basic warm up drills

And then commenced working on some fights

I’ve done plenty of fight choreography in my years as a professional actor

We had plenty of it at drama school

And probably more than half the jobs I have had have involved some kind of physical altercation

(Just last month I shot my first under water fight scene)

This means I’ve had plenty of time with stunties

Now

It’s a small town vibe in our Australian industry

So I have worked with several fight choreographers & stunties multiple times

And have gotten to know them quite well

A wonderful stunty, Ben, has double me at least six or seven times

Point being

I have some radar for what a normal fight rehearsal looks like

As well as having at least some level of understanding and awareness of what their job entails

And what a normal collaboration between actors and stunties looks like

So I found it a little strange when

During this particular rehearsal

My gut felt a little off

Hard to explain

Just certain things being said

Little short cuts here and there

As well as the sudden (and strange) encouragement of intensity only once the director had walked in

A kind of “make me look good” vibe

Mmm

Anyway

Later that night

I sat silently eating dinner

And just couldn’t shake the strange feeling

My gut was still off

In fact

It was off just enough for me to let it lead

I picked up the phone

And reached out to a particular stunt coordinator

Someone who I would literally trust with my life

Just flagging my situation and seeing if he knew something I didn’t

He texted back within thirty seconds.

To say that he went out of his way to protect me

Is a drastic understatement

He explained everything

All of the chaos that was associated with that certain individual in the industry

And dear god

The injuries of people who were under that persons supervision…

It was terrifying

One stunty will never walk the same

Another almost got squashed by a falling car

And most tragically

One young man sadly never made it home to his baby daughter

Okay

Hairs were standing up on the back of my neck by now

This persons advice?

“Mike

Take care of yourself.

You have experience

So if you notice something is off

Listen to it

And go straight to your safety supervisor or first AD”.

I thanked him profusely

And off I went

To make a movie

With a fight choreographer who had a very iffy wrap sheet

And what happened?

On the second day of filming

I had a big fight scene

I had to punch the antagonist

Then he had to grab me by the throat

And slam me down on a wooden table.

As we were getting ready to begin filming

I realised I wasn’t wearing a back pad to protect my spine

So I asked the choreographer

“Could I please get my pad?”

His response?

“Na, you won’t need it”

Huh?

Ooo

There it is

That little gem

Dissonance

The lack of harmony in the mind or body

Millions of years of biology doing it’s best to protect me

I noticed it

Took a breath

And this time

I made a new choice

I turned instead to the safety supervisor and said

“I would like my back pad please”

…

Now

It might not seem like much

But I think about this moment a lot

I am someone who generally walks around pretty terrified

I don’t think that’s an uncommon thing

I see it in my colleagues on set

I see it in my classes & clients

Heck

An Oscar winning director once walked passed me on the first day of filming and said

“I have no fucking idea what I’m doing”

Yep

Everyone is afarid

It aint good, bad, right or wrong

But what fills me with joy

Is when I see artists & performers change their relationship with fear

Rather than wishing it away

When I see them respond to dissonance

Rather than react to it

When I see them make a new choice

A choice to do things their way

Like letting the body lead

Even when its scary to do so

Like connecting with others

When you just want to hide in your shell

Or like reaching out for help

Even when you feel like you’re going to look like an idiot.

Yes… I might still be an idiot

But at least this idiot still has a spine

Hope this helps

x