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| | | | | | | | | | | | | Rick LeFevour - Stunt Coordinator
I am frequently asked what it is like being a stuntman. Well, it is a lot of hard work but I think it's the best job in the whole world.
I have been a stuntman for over 20 years. I have had the opportunity to do many different stunts. The question comes up, "How does one become a stuntman?" I think if you asked ten different stunt people that question you would get ten different answers. That is partly because we come from many different backgrounds: gymnastics, motocross, rodeo, racing, martial arts and scuba. We all have one thing in common: we are all athletes and have the timing and ability to do the stunt, and make it look easy over and over.
This is a tough business to get into. It's even tougher to find jobs because there are already many good stunt people out there. Also, it takes years of training to learn to do stunts properly. A stunt person learns from stunt coordinators and fellow stunt people how to do a stunt the right way. This ranges from hitting a mark to setting up an air bag correctly for a high fall.
A stunt person works long hours and in all kinds of conditions: 110 or 20 degrees below, rain, sleet, snow, and swamps. Even hurricanes! You name it; a stunt person has to perform in all conditions, either brought on by Mother Nature herself, or created through special effects.
Our job is always different. What other job could you be a pirate, fireman, cop, robber, cowboy, Native American, soldier, or even a sailor in Pearl Harbor? To me, this is one of the best parts of this job.
There are always different challenges so it keeps the job from getting routine or boring. Also, it's the people. You work with directors, actors, and film crews. You could be involved in a car chase with Ben Affleck, and later that week, you could be doing a fight scene with Matt Damon.
As a stunt coordinator, part of my job is to work with the director to get the action sequences to work for the scenes he wants to shoot. I also work with all the departments from special effects to wardrobe. This includes preparing the budget, hiring the stunt people, checking all the rigging, and setting up the shots for the scene.
For "Stolen Summer," I met with Pete Jones and we went over the scenes that had stunts. Although "Stolen Summer" wasn't an action movie, it had a couple of stunts that were important to the movie. One stunt involved fire. The scene involved firemen battling the fire, and as Aidan Quinn approached the house, a fireman dives out the door while being chased by a fireball, leaving no hope for anyone left inside. The other stunt scene involved two kids swimming in Lake Michigan and looking as if they might drown. This doesn't sound difficult except the waves can get very large and neither boy could swim well. So the proper safety had to be in place.
In conclusion, I give this movie a thumbs up. I enjoyed working with the director and the crew. I am looking forward to seeing how the movie turns out.
As a final comment about this business in general, I have always embraced new technology that helped advance our business. I just hope there's always a spot for stunt people in the movies of the future.
Thanks-
Hope to see you on the set.
Rick LeFevour | | | |
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