Stunt performers gave the audience a show during Artisans: Crafting the Stunt panel
Written by Katherine Severin. Photo by Kat Severin.
From falling down stairs to flying through jungle tree tops, stunt performers are always ready to step in for the fun and dangerous actions that make movies pop!
SCAD Savannah Film Festival’s Artisans: Crafting The Stunt panel took place Wednesday on the newly opened film backlot. It featured a panel of acclaimed stunt actors and coordinators, including Rachel Gelfeld, Regis Harrington, Adam Hart, Mike Massa and Dan Pera. Gelfeld, a SCAD alum, received the SCAD45 award from SCAD President Paula Wallace before the panel. In her acceptance, Gelfeld thanked the hands-on training she received at SCAD for giving her the skills she needed to start her career right after graduation.
No two stunt performers share the same story when it comes to the path they took to get into this career. However, they all share a lifelong love for risk and thrill. Harrington discussed how he started off riding dirt bikes when he was just five years old, and how his background in this sport prepared him for stunt driving on the big screen. During one set he worked on, the motorcycle engine started smoking, making it unsafe for the actress to shoot the scene. This experience led him to start his own camera vehicle company, Covert Camera Vehicles, which creates tools to make filming with vehicles safer and easier. One of these vehicles was later shown off in an example stunt done by the panel.
After being asked to share their favorite stunts, Massa recalled a vivid story about a boat chase scene he did in Venice, Italy. It’s more about the place and story than the action itself that excites him nowadays. In this scene, he faced new challenges like driving a boat without a speedometer through narrow waterways. Despite all the precautions put in place, the first take didn’t quite meet the director’s vision, and Massa was told to do it over and over again. All of the guests shared a laugh over the amount of boats and cars they have crashed in their careers, saying that it never really leaves them.
After the panel, the audience was treated to a live example of what stunt work looks like. It featured a pre-choreographed scene in which Gelfeld ran through one of the backlot interiors and was then attacked on the balcony before running down the stairs and tackling a fellow performer. All of this was simultaneously filmed by one of the Covert Camera Cars to show the audience the visual difference between what happens in person and what is seen on screen, impressing the audience and giving them a greater appreciation for an often-overlooked part of filmmaking.
