Eric Jacobus hosts this action-oriented podcast, talking to directors, choreographers, action stars, stunt performers, combat animators, and anyone else involved in the action entertainment world
Mathis Landwehr an actor, stuntman, producer, and indie action filmmaker. He's known for his show Lasko, The Foreigner, and Kamfansage II (my personal favorite). You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1716923/Edited by Tristan GloverAction Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.comBlog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:05:26 Time constraints shooting "the Last Kumite"0:06:45 Shooting until it's perfect0:07:55 How Mathis built his skill set0:09:31 Inspirations0:10:40 The film scene in Germany0:12:11 Why Germany didn't make action films0:14:44 No German action heros allowed0:18:21 Mathis's first short film0:22:34 Did Mathis make the first German martial arts movie?0:24:24 German people's and regulators perceptions of action movies and violence0:30:14 Martial arts vs acting0:32:02 Martial arts culture in Germany0:33:59 V for Vendetta0:38:42 Advancing one's choreography skills0:40:20 How previz changed over time0:42:16 Lasko Previz0:46:43 Martial art monk0:50:44 Different approaches to Kampfensage and Lasko0:58:30 Action design in Lasko1:01:45 The feedback about Lasko, the super fans and haters1:05:04 It's different when Germans watch Germans1:08:39 Mathis's career after Lasko1:10:43 Changing his approach and attitude toward action1:13:44 Stroytelling vs unnecessary fighting / shoe leather1:17:13 The Foreigner1:25:16 The Last Kumite and emulating the 80s action film1:36:53 Finding his own way1:39:00 Perceptions on violence
Mathis Landwehr an actor, stuntman, producer, and indie action filmmaker. He's known for his show Lasko, The Foreigner, and Kamfansage II. You can see his imdb here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1716923/ Edited by Tristan Glover Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Sam Kefi Abrikh is a stuntman, fight coordinator, and second unit director based out of France, who got started Japan. He's known for Princess, Fury, and Furies, but has done a load of quality indie action material. You can see his imdb here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3768608/ Edited by Joey Min Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps 0:02:04 Where it all began 0:04:37 Japanese influences 0:07:45 French action films 0:11:38 Indie filmmaking 0:13:09 Learning to move HK style 0:14:35 Making his team for indie films 0:18:04 What techniques did you use to make shorts? 0:21:22 Rhythm diff between HK and Japanese action? French action? US action? 0:25:03 What was it like going to Japan? 0:30:39 What did you take from Shibahara's method? 0:32:23 What was the rhythmic difference? 0:37:08 Was there any overlap between JP language and the JP movement style? 0:38:18 JP movement might come from animation and theater 0:40:20 huge contrast between acting and normal talking 0:41:18 "Developing his skills in JP " 0:43:35 After Japan, what came next? 0:48:06 Was it hard going back to stunts after being in Japan? 0:51:38 Could you apply your skills to Luc Besson films? 0:54:14 What do you look at as a stunt double? 0:55:10 Did you ever perform music? 0:56:17 How are you applying your skills to indie projects? 0:58:23 Bourne style might lose the audience... 1:01:13 Filming the action on District 9 and Bourne series 1:03:45 Working on the Princess 1:06:17 Training actress vs hiding the double 1:07:18 How did he get involved in Furie? 1:09:50 Approaching the action of Furie 1:11:15 Preproduction on Furie 1:15:37 Any stories about when you had to improvise? 1:17:56 Any inspirations for shooting style? 1:19:33 Do you think about camera and editing before shooting? 1:22:15 Do you try to break expectation in action? 1:23:59 What films have succeeded in looking un-choreographed? 1:25:32 Do you apply yourself most to your own projects? 1:26:25 What are you watching now? 1:31:48 What's your approach to female-led action film as opposed to male-led? 1:33:18 Do you have to pull back with Veronica if she was too good? 1:35:40 Toning down big guys against smaller performers
Sam Kefi Abrikh is a stuntman, fight coordinator, and second unit director based out of France, who got started Japan. He's known for Princess, Fury, and Furies, but has done a load of quality indie action material. You can see his imdb here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3768608/ Edited by Joey Min Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Christopher Troy is a stuntman, actor, and a filmmaker. Marvel and Star Wars shows as a fight coordinator, he's worked on Tenet and Shameless, he makes amazing short films on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/christophertroyofficial/?hl=en) and you can see his IMDB here: https://www.instagram.com/christophertroyofficial/?hl=en Edited by Ian Volner Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com 00:01:38 Chris Troy: Today 00:06:24 What are the actor guilds fighting for? 00:12:35 Do you see a parallel with the studios of yesterday and the streaming services of today? 00:15:07 Acting and Stunts: How do you manage the two? 00:20:21 What do you think editors are looking for when it comes to choreo? 00:23:27 What "skills" are needed for commercial acting? 00:26:56 Separating the actor from the human, how easy is it? 00:28:07 From Dancing to Stunts 00:33:18 Learning to fall "ugly" 00:37:23 How does your experience inform your performance? 00:39:00 What do you think makes a solid editor? 00:45:18 Pre-Visis to Production: challenges faced by choreographers 00:47:59 Previs work for auteurs: Is it an amicable process? 00:49:55 Working on Tenet: Nolan's witnessed process 00:54:17 Doubling Back: What do you look for in the actor you'll be doubling 00:59:44 Doubling: Getting into your actor's headspace 01:03:33 Why does comedy stunting hurt so much more than action stunting? 01:04:51 Working on Dayshift 01:08:54 Social Media as an engine for your career 01:11:25 Cultivating your mythos 01:21:00 Innovation in Movement: The Sell 01:24:36 Shorts on socials to short films: What do you set out to accomplish in short form storytelling? 01:27:10 Directing action and camera on "Suppression" 01:30:13 Action Designing with the Camera In-Mind: How much do you consider the camera and the edit in your choreo? 01:32:14 Have you always considered the camera in movement? When or where did it start? 01:33:57 How do you look at movement? With an intention to innovate or...? 01:37:36 From Short to Shoot: Have you travelled the distance from youtube short to feature film? 01:40:51 What was the reception to your feature? 01:43:22 The future of indie action comedy 01:50:21 What are you watching these days and what do you look for while you watch?
Christopher Troy is a stuntman, actor, and a filmmaker. Marvel and Star Wars shows as a fight coordinator, he's worked on Tenet and Shameless, he makes amazing short films on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/christophertroyofficial/?hl=en) and you can see his IMDB here: https://www.instagram.com/christophertroyofficial/?hl=en Edited by Ian Volner Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
English voiceover version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se1TqcdmSV4 Kensuke Sonomura / 園村健介 a director and action designer known for films like Hydra, Baby Assassins, and Bad City. He talks about how he created his unique action style. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2338317/ Edited by Yutaka Nozawa English Voiceover by Phill Kismartoni Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:01:05 Intro 0:01:34 Childhood and cultural influences growing up 0:02:14 Inspiration from martial arts films 0:02:43 Inspirations from Jackie Chan 0:03:07 Karate 0:03:45 Getting into stunts 0:04:19 Trainig at Kurata Action Club 0:06:28 Relationship between the Kurata Action Club and Japan Action Club 0:07:18 Difference in visual styles of Kurata Action Club and JAC 0:08:50 Early career 0:10:01 Process of action design for Japanese video games 0:11:31 Working with different types of directors 0:12:10 Camera and editing for video games 0:12:51 Filmmaking at Kurata Action Club 0:13:22 Kurata Action Club's action style 0:14:36 Traditional shooting style and new style 0:16:14 Films with extreme violence 0:17:37 Working with a foreign crew 0:19:12 "Merihari" = contrast 0:21:11 Japanese language and "merihari" 0:23:18 Tekken Blood Vengeance 0:24:48 Goals with action design for independent films 0:25:40 Changes of action design 0:26:36 Action design for Hydra 0:28:17 Fast punches in Hydra and its trainng 0:30:52 Startig to use Pre-viz 0:31:11 His Involvement in Pre-viz 0:31:25 Filmmaking influences for Pre-viz 0:31:46 Shooting Pre-viz for other directors 0:33:12 Designing action for actors 0:34:01 Training actors 0:34:48 Working with skilled fighters 0:36:29 Baby Assassins 0:37:21 Pre-viz for animation 0:38:11 Pre-viz for anime vs. Pre-viz for live action 0:38:58 Resident Evil 3 0:39:28 Bad City 0:40:55 Shooting action in one day 0:42:21 What needs to change in the Japanese action business 0:44:16 The future of Japanese action 0:44:48 Side interests 0:45:18 Drawing 0:45:37 Time restrictions on Chambara films 0:46:23 Kurata memories 0:46:44 Advice for Japanese stunt performers
English voiceover version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se1TqcdmSV4 Kensuke Sonomura / 園村健介 a direction and action designer known for films like Hydra, Baby Assassins, and Bad City. He talks about how he created his unique action style. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2338317/ Edited by Yutaka Nozawa Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:01:05 Intro 0:01:34 Childhood and cultural influences growing up 0:02:14 Inspiration from martial arts films 0:02:43 Inspirations from Jackie Chan 0:03:07 Karate 0:03:45 Getting into stunts 0:04:19 Trainig at Kurata Action Club 0:06:28 Relationship between the Kurata Action Club and Japan Action Club 0:07:18 Difference in visual styles of Kurata Action Club and JAC 0:08:50 Early career 0:10:01 Process of action design for Japanese video games 0:11:31 Working with different types of directors 0:12:10 Camera and editing for video games 0:12:51 Filmmaking at Kurata Action Club 0:13:22 Kurata Action Club's action style 0:14:36 Traditional shooting style and new style 0:16:14 Films with extreme violence 0:17:37 Working with a foreign crew 0:19:12 "Merihari" = contrast 0:21:11 Japanese language and "merihari" 0:23:18 Tekken Blood Vengeance 0:24:48 Goals with action design for independent films 0:25:40 Changes of action design 0:26:36 Action design for Hydra 0:28:17 Fast punches in Hydra and its trainng 0:30:52 Startig to use Pre-viz 0:31:11 His Involvement in Pre-viz 0:31:25 Filmmaking influences for Pre-viz 0:31:46 Shooting Pre-viz for other directors 0:33:12 Designing action for actors 0:34:01 Training actors 0:34:48 Working with skilled fighters 0:36:29 Baby Assassins 0:37:21 Pre-viz for animation 0:38:11 Pre-viz for anime vs. Pre-viz for live action 0:38:58 Resident Evil 3 0:39:28 Bad City 0:40:55 Shooting action in one day 0:42:21 What needs to change in the Japanese action business 0:44:16 The future of Japanese action 0:44:48 Side interests 0:45:18 Drawing 0:45:37 Time restrictions on Chambara films 0:46:23 Kurata memories 0:46:44 Advice for Japanese stunt performers
Kensuke Sonomura / 園村健介 a director and action designer known for films like Hydra, Baby Assassins, and Bad City. He talks about how he created his unique action style. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2338317/ Edited by Yutaka Nozawa English Voiceover by Phill Kismartoni Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Kensuke Sonomura / 園村健介 a direction and action designer known for films like Hydra, Baby Assassins, and Bad City. He talks about how he created his unique action style. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2338317/ Edited by Yutaka Nozawa Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Simon Rhee is an action star, martial artist, and pioneer in American martial arts cinema with the Best of the Best series under his belt. Lately he's been the stunt coordinator for Lucifer and American Horror Story. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722223/ Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:00:57 Introduction 0:02:21 Origins of films like Best of the Best 0:04:39 Making real contact in fights 0:07:21 His first movie "Bruce Lee Fights Back from the Grave" 0:08:54 Inspirations and Kicking 0:14:48 Designing action for Best of the Best 0:22:50 Stuntwork in the early 90's 0:29:06 Koreatown Riots in 1992 0:37:17 Best of the Best 2 (1992) 0:45:14 Best of the Best 4 (1998) 0:50:27 Simon's Father 0:53:06 Buddhism can be brutal, i.e. Steven Seagal 0:56:16 Working with Wesley Snipes 1:02:34 Working with Hong Kong 1:09:59 Tom Cruise & Madonna 1:15:11 Working with David Mamet & Christopher Nolan 1:23:04 Lee Byung-Hun 1:25:26 Helping out Korean Pastor with orphanage (The Drobox) 1:27:41 On the Korean Action industry 1:33:53 What makes a realistic fight? 1:38:23 Director Park Chan-wook 1:40:49 Tauris Award Winning Fight scenes 1:45:32 On Fatherhood 1:53:39 Signing off
Simon Rhee is an action star, martial artist, and pioneer in American martial arts cinema with the Best of the Best series under his belt. Lately he's been the stunt coordinator for Lucifer and American Horror Story. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722223/ Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Larry Leong was an early member of the Zero Gravity action team, known for films like the Title Pending and Damn series. He also directed the feature action comedy Yeah, Sure, Okay. You can see his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@UCJwF-hQCBZVJFIsRrSMHP4w Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:00:34 Introduction 0:03:12 Joining Zero Gravity 0:09:23 Title Pending 1 0:14:53 How did Capoeira help in action scenes? 0:18:08 Tricking in the late 90's 0:23:01 The Damn Series 0:29:05 Title Pending 2 (2002) 0:33:53 Previz? 0:36:03 Hong Kong action comes to the US 0:55:47 Gauging succes 0:59:46 Moving to LA 1:12:33 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) 1:19:11 Yeah, Sure, Okay (2008) 1:29:39 On depression and COVID 1:41:46 On reading books 1:44:02 Doing social work 1:52:37 Staying in touch with Zero Gravity members 1:55:20 Thoughts on mass media 2:09:15 What would you like to see in the action industry? 2:13:20 What would you tell your younger self?
Larry Leong was an early member of the Zero Gravity action team, known for films like the Title Pending and Damn series. He also directed the feature action comedy Yeah, Sure, Okay. You can see his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@UCJwF-hQCBZVJFIsRrSMHP4w Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Marko Zaror is a Chilean action star and producer known for films like Mirageman, Undisputed 3, John Wick 4, and Fist of the Condor. We talk about his body of work and how he approaches the characters he plays. His IMDB can be seen here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1047252/ Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:00:33 Introduction 0:01:36 Marko's first movie: Hard as Nails (2001) 0:03:11 Moving to the US 0:07:38 Marko's Background 0:14:19 Getting started in Hollywood 0:18:11 To be a stuntman or actor? 0:25:04 Mirageman (2007) 0:36:19 Chilean Action Style 0:38:10 The necessity of producing your own films 0:40:21 On Previz 0:43:59 Previz in Hollywood 0:48:46 Mandrill (2009) 0:55:33 Training for Combat 0:57:28 Machette Kills (2013) 1:01:21 Undisputed 3: Redemption (2010) 1:05:55 Learning acrobatics 1:07:21 Redeemer (2014) 1:10:09 Life outside the Silver Screen 1:16:20 Sultan (2016) 1:18:56 Working in American Television 1:25:15 On film distribution 1:31:40 John Wick 4 (2023) 1:37:45 Fist of the Condor (2023) 1:47:02 Marko's least favorite part of the filmmaking process 1:49:12 Marko's top 5 films 1:53:38 Why Eric loves Fist of the Condor so much 1:58:33 Closing
Marko Zaror is a Chilean action star and producer known for films like Mirageman, Undisputed 3, John Wick 4, and Fist of the Condor. We talk about his body of work and how he approaches the characters he plays. His IMDB can be seen here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1047252/ Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Mike Leeder is filmmaker and producer in Hong Kong whose work includes most Hong Kong films you've probably ever seen. We talk about his work as a journalist during the heyday of Hong Kong action, the insane drive of Hong Kong filmmakers and stars, and the differences between HK, Korean, and Japanese action. You can see his imdb here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0498566/ and his HKMDB here: https://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=26183&display_set=eng Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com 0:00:58 Introductions 0:02:21 Moving to Hong Kong 0:05:33 Hong Kong in the 90's 0:13:27 Mike's easy access to Hong Kong stars 0:23:29 International appeal of Hong Kong action 0:30:31 Hong Kong breaking into other industries 0:44:25 Hong Kong Stars and the Japanese market 0:53:39 Hong Kong audiences 0:58:37 Censorship 1:13:34 The Hong Kong handover 1:15:23 Financial complications of the Handover 1:17:00 Hong Kong spontaneity 1:21:18 Japan 1:26:11 Korean stuntman in Hong Kong 1:42:28 Korean Films inspired by Hong Kong 1:47:28 Working with inexperienced stunt performers 1:55:12 Nicholas Tse's drive 2:02:29 Copying choreography 2:07:56 Authenticity in Action 2:33:34 Stunt doubles 2:42:18 Shooting Fight Scenes takes time 2:43:49 On Pre-Viz and casting problems 2:53:37 On new potential industries 3:04:04 Political correctness 3:15:57 Preservering original copies of films 3:25:48 Closing thoughts
Mike Leeder is filmmaker and producer in Hong Kong whose work includes most Hong Kong films you've probably ever seen. We talk about his work as a journalist during the heyday of Hong Kong action, the insane drive of Hong Kong filmmakers and stars, and the differences between HK, Korean, and Japanese action. You can see his imdb here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0498566/ and his HKMDB here: https://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=26183&display_set=eng Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Koichi Sakamoto / 坂本 浩一 is a director and action designer known for his work in the Power Rangers series, Drive (1997), the Kamen Rider and Ultraman series, and my personal favorite Extreme Heist aka Wicked Game (2002). You can see his imdb here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0757084/ and his JFDB here: https://jfdb.jp/person/13975 Edited by Jean Paul Franco Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:02:12 Young Koichi's influences 0:04:44 What attracted Koichi to sentai action 0:06:17 Yasuaki Kurata's teaching style compared to standard style in Japan 0:11:04 The reaction of Kurata bringing a new style to Japan 0:12:31 How the TOEI action club changed 0:14:28 The teammates 0:15:28 Coming to America 0:18:02 The Crazy Japanese kid doing stunts on American films 0:19:30 Koichi's description of Sentai 0:24:25 Working on Power rangers 0:27:36 Shooting style of Power Rangers in New Zealand 0:31:04 Designing action for Power rangers 0:34:34 Koichi's work ethic 0:35:29 Guyver, the first Alpha Stunts film 0:37:36 The Guyver kick. "we felt bad because we took the credit" 0:39:31 Drive (1997) 0:48:10 Working with Takeshi Kitano 0:50:21 Wicked Game (2002) 1:00:10 Broken Path 1:05:14 Directing his wife with their 1yr old baby on set 1:07:03 What happened with the Broken Path release 1:08:06 Working with power players on Power Rangers, Sentai etc. 1:14:27 How Koichi's inspirations changed 1:17:22 Action designing for kaiju monsters and more 1:21:27 Koichi's explanation of Kaiju 1:25:23 All about suits 1:28:34 How stunt actors perform in masks 1:31:21 Noh and Kabuki Japanese theater influences in Japanese action 1:38:28 Black Fox 1:40:03 Family trees, and the evolving action movie world 1:48:50 Japanese Wrestling 1:49:29 Advice for people wanting to get into action business in Japan 1:51:49 Being a father in the action film industry
Koichi Sakamoto / 坂本 浩一 is a director and action designer known for his work in the Power Rangers series, Drive (1997), the Kamen Rider and Ultraman series, and my personal favorite Extreme Heist aka Wicked Game (2002). You can see his imdb here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0757084/ and his JFDB here: https://jfdb.jp/person/13975 Edited by Jean Paul Franco Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Rocco Botte is a filmmaker and creator of the comedy YouTube channel Mega64. We talk about indie film, the YouTube algorithm, and comedy. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1822049/ and his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@UCgc4xqIMDoiP4KOTFS21TJA Edited by William Asbury Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:01:43 INTRO 0:02:44 MEGA 64 SUMMARY 0:04:57 STARTING OUT AS A PUBLIC ACCESS SHOW 0:12:23 MOVING TO YOUTUBE 0:15:01 FIRST TIME AS A CHARACTER ACTOR 0:17:39 FEAR OF SECURITY GUARDS 0:19:09 BAD EXPERIENCES 0:22:04 SURPRISE AT PEOPLE'S REACTIONS 0:26:34 UNCOMFORTABLE PEOPLE 0:28:39 REFLECTIVE BEHAVIOR 0:32:15 HOW YOUTUBE AD REVENUE WORKS 0:34:11 SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 0:39:08 SELLING MERCH 0:40:55 FULLTIME FILMMAKERS 0:43:50 ON NEW MEDIA 0:48:02 ANALYTICS 0:53:05 ALGORITHM 0:56:54 SHELF LIFE 0:59:32 THE MEGA64 BRAND 1:02:47 MEGA64 PODCAST 1:05:43 PRODUCTION PROCESS 1:15:12 ROCCO'S WELL OF IDEAS 1:19:05 FEEDBACK 1:27:31 POWER OF CONVERSATION 1:29:37 STICK TO THE TOPIC 1:35:44 MAKE FUN OF THIS GAME 1:38:53 DISARMING COMEDY 1:42:20 LONGFORM COMEDY 1:48:07 FUTURE OF LONGFORM COMEDY 1:54:33 FINAL THANKS
Rocco Botte is a filmmaker and creator of the comedy YouTube channel Mega64. We talk about indie film, the YouTube algorithm, and comedy. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1822049/ and his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@UCgc4xqIMDoiP4KOTFS21TJA Edited by William Asbury Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Ron Smoorenburg is an action actor and action director based in Thailand known for his work on Who Am I?, Tom Yum Goong / The Protector, Sultan, and Triple Threat. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0810653/ Here's Ron's YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@RonSmoorenburg-LIfeisaction Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:00:51 Introduction 0:01:59 Where it started for Ron 0:03:58 Adapting to Jackie Chan's style 0:07:57 Martial arts scene in Holland in the 90's 0:11:48 Casting process for Who Am I? 0:20:52 Going to Hong Kong 0:25:59 Evolution as an Actor 0:33:50 Working with Donnie Yen on Der Puma 0:37:22 The death of Hong Kong Cinema 0:40:57 Living in Thailand 0:44:10 Different Fight Styles 0:47:27 Thai Cinema 0:53:10 Creating his Recharge system 1:01:53 Research between projects 1:05:20 The challenge of working on Triple threat 1:07:49 Thai Production model, and taking time 1:09:52 Working with Seagal & Michael J. White 1:15:43 Jackie's method 1:18:49 On Previz 1:20:27 Videogame Inspirations 1:23:18 Adapting video game moves to cinema 1:30:22 How You See It: Bloodsport (1988) 1:31:32 How You See It: Marvel Action 1:37:48 Reflecting on his own work 1:41:30 On fatherhood
Ron Smoorenburg is an action actor and action director based in Thailand known for his work on Who Am I?, Tom Yum Goong / The Protector, Sultan, and Triple Threat. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0810653/ Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Ric Meyers is an author, screenwriter, consultant, and teacher known for Kung Fu Panda and Films of Fury: The Kung Fu Movie Book and its documentary counterpart. We talk all about kung fu, martial art films, writing and high-concept action design. You can see his imdb here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1838515/ and his Amazon author's page here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Richard-S.-Meyers/author/B000APPD3E?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true Edited by Tristan Glover Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Ric Meyers is an author, screenwriter, consultant, and teacher known for Kung Fu Panda and Films of Fury: The Kung Fu Movie Book and its documentary counterpart. We talk all about kung fu, martial art films, writing and high-concept action design. You can see his imdb here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1838515/ and his Amazon author's page here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Richard-S.-Meyers/author/B000APPD3E?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true Edited by Tristan Glover Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Mike Moy is filmmaker and retired police specializing in Chinese organized crime in America. We talk about his history as a gangster and transitioning to being a police officer. You can see his YouTube channel here: https://youtube.com/@chinatowngangstories Edited by Rustic Bodomov Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps 0:00:45 Mike's Introduction 0:02:31 Childhood 0:03:36 Family Stories 0:03:47 Mike's uncle in the Triads 0:06:19 Gangsters in Movies 0:07:32 Difference between Triads and US gangs 0:10:53 Weapons used by Hong Kong gangsters' 0:12:55 Directors inspired by Chinatown gangs 0:15:50 Relationships between Police and Gangs 0:19:17 Being initiated into a Chinese Gang 0:20:43 Initiation and ceremonies in US vs HK Chinese gangs 0:22:13 Was there shared history between the gang Mike joined and the Triads? 0:24:20 1994: What did the Triads think about the Hong Kong Handover? 0:28:01 Gangsters don't make much money 0:28:31 Breakdown of the hourly rate of a young gangster 0:29:46 Bullying as cause of being a gangster 0:31:21 Triad involvement in the film industry. 0:34:02 Becoming a Police officer 0:37:58 How do people change even in a bad environment? 0:39:16 How did Mike's former gang member status factor into his Police work? 0:42:03 Working as an Officer in his old stomping grounds 0:42:50 What films portray Chinese gangs accurately? 0:47:19 Michael Chan Wai Man 0:48:24 Film industry's responsibility in violence? 0:50:47 Where can we watch more gangster stories? 0:53:53 Do Chinatown Gangsters train martial arts? 0:58:13 If a knife comes out, you run!
Mike Moy is filmmaker and retired police specializing in Chinese organized crime in America. We talk about his history as a gangster and transitioning to being a police officer. You can see his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@UCc8TYPZeoq0qqOT32OEwtGg Edited by Rustic Bodomov Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Kane Kosugi is an action star known for films like Muscle Heat, Ninja Shadow of a Tear, and the Kamen Rider series. His work in action films in Hong Kong, Japan, America, Korea, and Thailand makes him one of the most versatile action stars in the business. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0467559/ Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:00:58 Early influences 0:06:07 Martial arts training 0:10:53 Later inspirations 0:12:27 Kane's early film work 0:15:29 Working with the Japan Action Club 0:21:47 Breakdancing 0:25:32 Meeting Jackie chan 0:30:05 Muscle Heat (2002) 0:33:51 Rehearsals, or on the spot choreo? 0:39:27 Ninja 2: Shadow of a Tear (2013) 0:43:34 Timeless (2009) 0:51:07 The Korean Action Style 0:56:25 Adjusting to different styles 1:02:35 Working with camera angles 1:05:42 Learning to look at yourself 1:08:11 Working with Mark Dacascos 1:09:46 Kane's viewing habits 1:11:42 Fatherhood 1:15:45 The future of Japanese action 1:22:06 Defining the Japanese action style
Kane Kosugi is an action star known for films like Muscle Heat, Ninja Shadow of a Tear, and the Kamen Rider series. His work in action films in Hong Kong, Japan, America, Korea, and Thailand makes him one of the most versatile action stars in the business. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0467559/ Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Andy Cheng (鄭繼宗) is a stuntman, stunt coordinator, and 2nd unit director known for his work with the Jackie Chan Stunt Team on Who Am I?, the Rush Hour series, and many more, as well as films like The Rundown and Shang-Chi. We talk all about the Jackie Chan brand of action and how he transitioned to being one of the biggest action directors in the world. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0155536/ and his HKMDB here: https://www.hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=50320&display_set=eng Edited by Patrick Nan Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:06:04 Andy Cheng's First Movie 0:07:38 Andy resigning from TVB and joining Mr. Nice Guy 0:09:25 Andy wished he could've worked with Lau Kar-Leung on stunts 0:10:23 Networking with Cho Wing and getting onto Mr. Nice Guy 0:11:34 How good was kicking in HK back then? 0:13:47 How did Jackie, Yuen Biao and Sammo learn how to kick? 0:15:19 Why Andy chose Taekwondo 0:19:05 HK Film vs TV Movies 0:20:47 Experience with Wong Jing 0:24:17 Takeaways from Dion Lam 0:28:12 Mr. Nice Guy - Joining Jackie Chan Stunt Team 0:30:28 Friendly competition between Jackie and Sammo Stunt Teams? 0:35:13 How to learn HK style action filmmaking 0:38:46 How Jackie treated his stunt teamJackie's style changing in the 90s 0:42:17 Jackie's Non-violent Style of Action in Mr. Nice Guy 0:49:22 Car stunts in Who am I? and Mr Nice Guy 0:56:38 How to gain Jackie's trust 0:58:32 Working on the Who Am I? rooftop fight 1:03:46 What skills did Brad Allen and Paul Andreovski have to get on the JC team? 1:07:11 Staying in touch with Brad Allen 1:11:56 Alternative means to get opportunities in the action business 1:20:03 How did Jackie plan the Who Am I? action scenes? 1:22:22 Issues with Pre-vizzing action without access to location 1:26:42 Jackie's filming style vs Sammo's filming style 1:32:43 The myth of the 'My Stunts' action gym 1:37:48 Stunts vs Insurance 1:45:38 Andy Cheng transition to US filmmaking 1:56:00 Is editing an issue in American fights? 1:59:53 Was there more flexibility on Rush Hour 2? 2:05:58 Working on US Seals 2 2:11:27 Origin of the Hong Kong spin 2:14:38 Andy's action style in Scorpion King 2:18:41 Andy combining both the US and HK action style in The Rundown (2003) 2:20:52 Why does hollywood cut fights short? 2:25:07 Working with The Rock 2:28:51 Similar aspects between Beijing Opera and WWE 2:31:08 The Rundown hill stunt 2:35:36 Involvement with Red Trousers 2:36:39 Andy introducing the US stunt pay system to HK 2:38:44 Being a stuntman vs being a stunt double in HK 2:40:20 Difference between Seung Ba and Ha Ba (high stuntman vs low stuntman) 2:42:56 Doing stunts in US vs. HK TV 2:44:36 Does Andy like the coverage shooting style? 2:48:13 Why do US fight scenes cut to the ultra wide shot? 2:52:48 When did the fights shift to having less wide-coverage? 2:56:20 What was the difference between action in the 80s and late 90s in America? 3:00:30 Was it just prestige of HK or was the US audience particularly ready? 3:04:22 Did Korean and Thai films apply pressure on American film producers? 3:09:39 When did you feel the Second Wave take off? 3:11:37 How did you mix in the indie stunt guys like Joseph Le and Martial Club? 3:13:52 Actors and Stuntmen in USA vs. Stunt-Actors in HK? 3:22:18 Current situation in HK or China for creating action stars? 3:28:26 Andy's thoughts about Mackenyu Arata 3:31:30 What personality do you need to be an action star? 3:35:36 What are you watching lately for action? 3:38:42 Aside from production value, what do you look for when you watch action? 3:47:07 Takeaways from Michael Bay 3:53:10 Jackie's determination 3:55:32 Where do you want to go as a director?
Andy Cheng (鄭繼宗) is a stuntman, stunt coordinator, and 2nd unit director known for his work with the Jackie Chan Stunt Team on Who Am I?, the Rush Hour series, and many more, as well as films like The Rundown and Shang-Chi. We talk all about the Jackie Chan brand of action and how he transitioned to being one of the biggest action directors in the world. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0155536/ and his HKMDB here: https://www.hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=50320&display_set=eng Edited by Patrick Nan Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Pee Lee is a writer, producer, and director known for his Sundance short film Don't Be a Hero as well as Death Grip and the Rope A Dope series. We talk all about martial arts, action cinema, and trends. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3642838/ Edited by Joey Min Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps 0:02:07 Love of HK films 0:02:53 Watching Jackie Chan movies 0:04:20 College Life 0:05:15 Censorship in Taiwan 0:06:37 Biolence in Japanese Anime 0:07:29 The Fantasy of Jackie Chan 0:09:25 Jackie's shooting style vs others 0:10:10 Jackie's use of zooms 0:10:31 Cost of Jackie's shooting style 0:11:14 History of cameras 0:12:22 Woo Ping's style of shooting 0:12:46 Tsui Hark and Ching Siu-tung's style of shooting 0:13:25 Difficulty in shooting wides 0:14:56 Shooting military thrillers 0:15:49 Jackie's use of location 0:17:48 Shapes and spaces 0:21:12 Sammo Hung's sense of space 0:23:34 Martial art trickers and choreography 0:26:54 Healthy Jealousy 0:30:28 Dick Wei story 0:31:38 Heart of a Dragon dolly shots 0:34:52 Police Story finale 0:36:07 Barry and deadpan shots 0:40:40 Police Story escalator stunt 0:42:51 Project A vase stunt 0:44:03 How Jackie's shooting style changed 0:47:55 Intellectual climate of HK cinema in the late 90s 0:48:48 Project J 0:50:35 KWOON forum 0:52:57 Stunt People forum 1:00:00 From forum to pro filmmaker 1:01:52 Vlad Rimburg's short films 1:03:45 Manny Manzanares' short films 1:05:22 Insincerity in modern choreography 1:07:08 Chinese sticky hands 1:09:09 The New Matrix fights 1:11:23 Matrix long fist choreo 1:12:09 Woo Ping's diverse choreography 1:13:32 Eric wanting to train in martial arts / TKD 1:15:49 Hans Zimmerfication of action 1:18:15 Action in 2004 - 2006 1:22:20 Kicking off a new era 1:25:41 Chemistry with choreography 1:28:22 NPC-ness of stunt people 1:58:40 Parting advice
Talking all about the status of Action Talks, major stuff I've learned from the first 30 episodes, how I'll approach season 2, my latest research on ROBA (read more here: https://ericjacobus.com/the-art-of-violence/the-roba-hypothesis-of-human-violence/) and a lot of Q&A from the audience.
Pee Lee is a writer, producer, and director known for his Sundance short film Don't Be a Hero as well as Death Grip and the Rope A Dope series. We talk all about martial arts, action cinema, and trends. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3642838/ Edited by Joey Min Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Ken Ohara is a stuntman, filmmaker, and cinematic director known for his work on Final Fantasy 16, Resident Evil 2, and Shin Kamen Rider. We talk about his early days with the Zero Gravity action team, his work with Just Cause, and how he brought previz to motion capture. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1736014/ Edited by Ian Vollner Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com 0:01:47 Intro 0:02:31 Mocap vs Film Directing 0:04:10 Ken's Role As A Director 0:05:50 Post-Production 0:07:29 Getting Involved Past The Mocap Phase 0:11:31 Virtual Cameras 0:14:37 Learning to become a filmmaker 0:16:36 Training for the Japanese Action Film Stunt Industry 0:18:33 Ken's Move to Hollywood 0:20:51 Joining Zero Gravity 0:24:09 Mixing Hong Kong, Japanese and Hollywood styles 0:27:37 Bringing Ken's Karame background to the ACT Training Academy 0:31:54 Going behind the camera 0:35:13 American Actors in Japanese Productions 0:41:59 Resident Evil 5 0:43:56 1 v 1 or 1 v 100: The Perception of Warfare In Film 0:45:37 Adapting to Japanese action standards 0:49:59 The Pre-Vis Process 0:55:16 Planning Shin Godzilla's Camera Angles 0:55:34 Shin Godzilla PreVis B-Roll 0:57:25 Where Does the Kinematic Style Come Frorom? 0:59:32 Differences in Approaching Live-Action vs Video Game Cinematics 1:04:29 Do You Think Anime Directors Consult Their Live-Action Peers? 1:06:17 Are Anime Directors Better Equipped To Handle Live-Action? 1:08:06 Working in the Japanese Action Cinema Scene 1:13:55 What's the Action Cinema Scene In Japan Like Now? 1:16:12 Where is Talent Coming From in Japan These Days? 1:19:07 Turning Actors Into Stunt Performers 1:20:12 Creating The Next Great Japanese Action Star 1:24:04 Do You Think Japan Even Wants An Action Star? 1:24:53 Is The Action Hero A Dying Breed Or Is It Changing With The Times? 1:33:08 What Are The Qualities That Make A Great Action Star? 1:33:49 Action in a Flash: Designing Action Films In Two Weeks 1:35:38 The Raid Effect: Could Japanese Action Cinema Benefit From Its own "The Raid" Style Film? 1:39:33 How Much Time Do You Get to Pre-Vis For Video Games? 1:46:59 AI and Machine Learning 1:49:05 Could AI Learn and then Innovate its Own Action Sequences? 1:53:10 How did Fatherhood Change Your Perception On Action and Violence?
Ken Ohara is a stuntman, filmmaker, and cinematic director known for his work on Final Fantasy 16, Resident Evil 2, and Shin Kamen Rider. We talk about his early days with the Zero Gravity action team, his work with Just Cause, and how he brought previz to motion capture. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1736014/ Edited by Ian Vollner Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Sam Hargrave is a stuntman, stunt coordinator, and director known for his work on the Avengers series and Extraction. We talk about his indie roots, how he performed stunts, and ultimately how he became a director for one of the biggest film franchises in the world. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1092087/ Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:01:19 Introduction0:03:14 International responses to Extraction0:06:48 Origins of Directing0:11:48 Getting into martial arts0:13:24 Growing up on a farm0:18:10 Making his first film0:22:23 Discovering stunts0:29:02 Breaking into stunts0:32:36 East vs. West0:40:36 Stunt performers who understand filmmaking0:44:18 Different action filmmaking styles0:57:16 Autistic action in The Accountant (2016)1:05:35 Preparing action sequences for succes1:12:02 Getting 2nd Unit Director on the Accountant (2016)1:14:30 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)1:19:35 Moving from indie filmmaking to Hollywood1:27:30 Extraction (2020)1:34:10 Actors doing their own action1:40:58 How Sam sees it: Police Story (1985) Mall Fight1:44:54 How Sam sees it: The Raid (2011)1:51:00 How Sam sees it: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)1:55:25 Fatherhood2:03:01 Closing
Sam Hargrave is a stuntman, stunt coordinator, and director known for his work on the Avengers series and Extraction. We talk about his indie roots, how he performed stunts, and ultimately how he became a director for one of the biggest film franchises in the world. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1092087/ Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Sam Hargrave is a stuntman, stunt coordinator, and director known for his work on the Avengers series and Extraction. We talk about his indie roots, how he performed stunts, and ultimately how he became a director for one of the biggest film franchises in the world. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1092087/ Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Ken Quitugua is a martial artist, stuntman, and action designer known for films like The Paper Tigers, The Challenger, and Unlucky Stars. He also has deep roots in the indie action movement, having worked on Zero Gravity projects like Title Pending 2 and Damn 3. You can also see him in Rope A Dope 2. We talk in depth about movement and action design. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2065605/ Edited by Noel Ross Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps 0:02:45 How Ken got started 0:07:30 Discovering filmmaking styles and techniques 0:09:31 Learning martial arts/movement and adapting it for film 0:13:59 Chinese Lion Dance 0:16:44 Digital filmmaking in early 2000s 0:18:45 Shooting with Zero Gravity 0:25:05 Damn 3 0:26:33 Other sources of inspiration 0:27:37 His film Act of Revenge 0:34:31 Bookie, story telling, and collaboration 0:38:09 The Challenger 0:43:49 Choreographing "slop" 0:46:47 The Paper Tigers 0:54:37 Unlucky Stars 1:01:14 How does the audience see actopm 1:10:24 Why Ken's not in Hollywood 1:14:10 What Ken looks for in action films 1:17:38 Advice for up and coming indie designers
Ken Quitugua is a martial artist, stuntman, and action designer known for films like The Paper Tigers, The Challenger, and Unlucky Stars. He also has deep roots in the indie action movement, having worked on Zero Gravity projects like Title Pending 2 and Damn 3. You can also see him in Rope A Dope 2. We talk in depth about movement and action design. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2065605/ Edited by Noel Ross Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Amy Johnston is a stuntwoman, actress and director known for films like Lady Bloodfight and Accident Man, and games like the Uncharted and Spiderman series, Last of Us 2, and God of War Ragnarök. We talk about her beginnings as a martial artist, her work with Thousand Pounds, and how she made the leap to being a leading actress. You can see her IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1829217/ Edited by Julia Bresnan Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:01:22 Childhood, Family, Los Angeles 0:02:13 Early influeces 0:04:44 Moving to LA, and its challenges 0:05:37 Finding community in LA and filming indie action 0:12:40 First official stunt job 0:16:50 Stunt teams and productions are like Dojos 0:18:04 Working with different action teams 0:20:18 What Amy looks at when doubling actors 0:24:59 Advice for new stunt performers 0:29:25 Social media 0:31:56 Differences between mainstream and Indie action, and the competative mind set 0:37:41 Acting habits of stunt performers 0:41:11 Amy's process when approaching fights 0:44:23 Hung Yan Yan's action design in Lady Bloodfight 0:47:08 How to match choreography to filmmaking 0:50:12 How the audience perceives action 0:53:34 Are producers discerning when it comes to action? 0:56:01 Eyes are on the screen when there's a face 0:57:56 What kind of fights engage Amy 0:59:52 Amy's short film "The Gate" 1:03:45 Showing vulnerability makes action relatable and human 1:05:07 Marvel style of action 1:09:43 Accident Man 1:10:36 Motion Capture 1:15:44 Differences between motion capturing cinematics vs. gameplay 1:20:10 Starring in films 1:23:20 Action Comedy 1:26:18 Romantic action comedy
Amy Johnston is a stuntwoman, actress and director known for films like Lady Bloodfight and Accident Man, and games like the Uncharted and Spiderman series, Last of Us 2, and God of War Ragnarök. We talk about her beginnings as a martial artist, her work with Thousand Pounds, and how she made the leap to being a leading actress. You can see her IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1829217/ Edited by Julia Bresnan Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Gedaly Guberek is a writer, director, and actor specializing in action comedy. He's known for his indie shorts like Burgled and his latest and greatest, The Flower of Battle. We talk all about action comedy and what's needed to keep the genre alive. His IMDB can be seen here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4155966/ Edited by Jason Janes Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com 0:01:42 Introduction 0:04:43 Comedic influences 0:12:28 On Collaboration 0:15:12 On Collaborating with his brother 0:19:33 Imagining the audience 0:22:48 Approching the comedy in Flower of Battle 0:28:44 Finding jokes 0:30:35 Inpsiration for the Flower of Battle protagonist 0:34:04 Action design in the swashbuckling genre 0:36:18 Historical influences 0:42:02 Does comedy give you more freedom? 0:46:26 The genius of Idiots 0:51:07 Drawing inspiration for characters 1:06:47 How the filming style changes performance 1:11:34 Will physical performances become popular again? 1:15:42 How to get an action team going 1:19:25 Changes in distribution, perception of physical comedy performers 1:25:47 Adapting to the market 1:33:52 The grand plan for making action comedies 1:37:43 What Gedaly's watching 1:39:25 Prioritizing one's time as an artist
Gedaly Guberek is a writer, director, and actor specializing in action comedy. He's known for his indie shorts like Burgled and his latest and greatest, The Flower of Battle. We talk all about action comedy and what's needed to keep the genre alive. His IMDB can be seen here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4155966/ Edited by Jason Janes Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Vlad Rimburg is a second unit director, action designer, filmmaker, and stuntman known for his work on Lucifer, Minnal Murali, and Sultan. We talk about his roots in indie filmmaking, his Hong Kong and Korean inspirations, and how be brings his fresh action take to Hollywood. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2016965/ Edited by Joey Min Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com 0:00:27 Martial Arts Background 0:02:21 Rumble in the Bronx 0:04:45 The Dance of Fight Choreography 0:06:50 Donnie Yen in Tiger Cage 0:07:14 How Vlad sees Flashpoint 0:07:38 Vlad's take on the Thai Style 0:07:51 Vlad's take on the Korean styel 0:09:15 Daredevil 0:12:10 Gangs of London 0:14:05 Vlad's take on Donnie's kicks 0:19:14 Jackie vs Benny in Wheels on Meals 0:22:52 Shooting Minnal Murali in Mollywood 0:33:29 Vlad on Sammo 0:37:07 Korean Action 0:50:18 John Wick 1:05:34 Modern American action editing 1:09:08 Vlad's work on Lucifer 1:21:58 Rush Hour Behind the Scenes 1:30:32 Wolf Warrior 2
Reuben Langdon takes questions during a live Q&A session with the audience
Vlad Rimburg is a second unit director, action designer, filmmaker, and stuntman known for his work on Lucifer, Minnal Murali, and Sultan. We talk about his roots in indie filmmaking, his Hong Kong and Korean inspirations, and how be brings his fresh action take to Hollywood. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2016965/ Edited by Joey Min Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com
Reuben Langdon is an actor, stuntman, and motion capture performer known for his work on Devil May Cry and Avatar. We talk about his unique stunt training in Japan, founding Just Cause, and how thinking in different languages might change how we move. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0486047/ Edited by Jay Huerto Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:00:48 Intro 0:01:09 What Reuben watched and played growing up 0:05:37 Moving to Japan 0:08:20 Martial arts training 0:10:21 Finding an action school in Japan 0:14:25 Learning stunts at the Toei Action Club 0:19:31 Training to help the Sentouin (stuntmen) 0:21:04 Repercussions for messing up as a sentouin 0:22:20 Working with Japan Action Club (JAC) 0:24:00 JAC Training Sessions 0:30:13 Relationship between action schools 0:31:14 Yasuaki Kurata's Action School 0:33:22 Going to Hong Kong 0:38:54 Moving back to America 0:41:25 Koichi Sakamoto's Movement and Filmmaking 0:42:57 Super Sentai Stunt Team and Power Rangers Stunt Team 0:44:04 Martial Law 0:46:41 How training in Japan helped 0:48:47 Western Style Fight Scenes 0:49:25 Sammo pushing him 0:50:27 A Stuntman's job in Hong Kong 0:53:59 Working with Jackie Chan 0:58:46 Jackie and Sammo 1:00:25 Reuben joining Jackie's Stunt Team 1:03:16 Working with Zero Gravity Stunt Team 1:04:33 Just Cause Productions 1:05:53 Getting in to motion capture 1:06:22 On authentic performances 1:07:58 Working with Japanese directors while performing in America 1:09:24 Trying to find what works for both JP and US culture 1:12:03 Midihari (contrast in movement) 1:13:58 Eric's experince with Midihari in mocap 1:15:15 Midihari in Chambara cinema 1:16:41 Triads 1:17:13 The swashbuckling genre 1:17:37 Japanese wrestling and Kaiju 1:18:21 The different camps in Hong Kong cinema 1:19:18 Avatar 1:22:56 Stunt teams in America 1:23:25 Six figures? or do what you want? 1:24:42 Virtual production 1:27:17 Thinking in Japanese 1:29:25 Eric learning Cantonese 1:31:39 Going into a different mode when working with Japanese performers 1:33:56 The awareness of fight scenes to an audience 1:36:00 Hong Kong style boom in America in the late 90s 1:38:04 Korean action cinema 1:43:07 A new fight choreo style from Japan 1:45:50 Koichi Sakamoto's influence on his life
Cynthia Rothrock takes questions during a live Q&A session with the audience