It’s hard to go to work when social distancing rules are in place and the studios you normally work with are shut down. But give these stuntmen and women props, they’ve found a way to make people laugh with this video and have done a pretty good job for the most part selling the hits in a very convincing way in most parts of the clip. Michael Walsh of Nerdist has more to say on this matter. For every individual that’s involved with the entertainment industry this is a tough time right now since getting back to work isn’t all that easy and the act of making a steady paycheck has become something of a hassle. At least these individuals have found a way to entertain people by ‘passing along’ a series of hits and kicks that are pretty creative and easy to laugh at since some of them really go for it and use other items in their environment to keep the action going. Heck, one guy even uses his daughter as she squeals in surprise or delight as her flying feet smack into the next stunt person in line. The stuntman that used his dog as a prop was hilarious since the guy after him sold it perfectly with a ripped-up shirt before passing it along to the next person. That’s some serious coordination and in a way it’s just about as impressive as what stunt performers do on set most of the time.
What stunt performers do for movies is often overlooked even though their contributions are hard to miss and the things they do are often enough to make a person wince or groan aloud since some of the hits they take on camera are pretty hard when it comes right down to it. Those that find their way into stunt work are often those that are specifically trained on how to take a hit, how to roll with it, and how to sell a fake hit and make it look good. A lot of times though the stunts that these people are taking on are dangerous enough that they’ll need time to recover soon after since there are moments when even careful planning and an a strict attention to detail aren’t quite enough. Stunt performers have died on the job unfortunately and this is why their job should be respected since they go into each and every gig knowing that if something doesn’t go right that it could be their last. To say that these people are hard to the core might not be one hundred percent accurate, but it’s definitely true that they’re well aware of the risks they’re taking and will go full out when it comes to planning and making sure that every possible variable is being considered so that they can walk away at the end of the day and be ready to take on another job soon after. Thankfully stunt people aren’t looked at as expendable human beings as they provide a great and very important service to the entertainment industry. While there are a few actors that have taken to doing their own stunts, a good majority will depend heavily on their stunt doubles to get the shots that the director needs and make sure it looks good.
What’s uplifting is that a lot of actors have come to fully appreciate their stunt doubles in the past and their ability to take the hits and keep on going. After all in today’s movies there’s still plenty of content that’s not left to CGI and green screens and there are still enough perilous moments that require a stunt double. Some stunt performers are also actors as well, serving as extras or supporting characters from time to time. While a good number of them might be featured in movies that don’t normally get a lot of attention thanks to being straight to video or straight to streaming, there are still plenty that would be easy enough to recognize if anyone took the time to do so since they’ve shown up in various big-name movies that have them in the same vicinity as the celebrities they’re backing up. So in reality stunt performers aren’t just stuck performing stunts that actors aren’t typically allowed to do, as they are featured now and again in a way that would be recognizable if a person knows who they are. Their role in Hollywood is pretty important when you think about it since they take on a tremendous amount of responsibility and run some of the biggest risks, so it’s usually wise to show a good deal of respect to those that follow this path.
But it’s also nice to see that a good number of them are finding something constructive to do with their time during the pandemic, and it’s a big hope that the studios will open eventually so that the lot of them can get back to work.
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