[ad_1]
Bullet Train is a fast-paced action movie that has made its final stop at a Blu-ray and DVD release today. It follows an assassin named Ladybug, played by Brad Pitt, who is determined to do his job after many of his past gigs have gone off the rails. 87North is the production and action design team company, founded by filmmakers David Leitch and Kelly McCormick, whose high-octane, bold and distinctively character-driven action helps to make this movie what it is. They have also worked their magic on Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, Atomic Blonde, Nobody, and John Wick.
Earlier this year, 87North launched its action design and stunt facility, co-owned by Leitch and McCormick. Located in the heart of Hollywood, the new state-of-the-art studio provides a safe and skilled environment where world-class stunt designers create action stunts and train actors for 87North’s productions and outside filmmakers and projects. David Harbour was the first actor to train here for his upcoming film Violent Night, and he affectionately dubbed it “The Church of Pain.”
Bullet Train boasts massive action sequences, one of the most well-known involves Brad Pitt’s character going up against Bad Bunny’s character – on a moving train, with a briefcase. In honor of the home release of Bullet Train, which is now available on Blu-ray and DVD, 87North invited Screen Rant to their building to learn the stunt choreography associated with this scene, briefcase and all. In this video, you will see the finished product of working with the stunt team to learn a few key moves. It also takes the proper placement of the cameras to help create the illusion of a real fight.
How Difficult Is Stunt Choreography?
Not everyone has what it takes to be a stunt person. It takes a lot of training, practice, and the willingness to push the boundaries with your body. This is something we learned after just a couple of hours with the 87North team in order to pull off the Bullet Train briefcase scene.
Before we even started with the training, we were treated to an incredible performance by the 87North Action stunt team. Flips, simulated fights, and even weapon use took place right before our eyes and it was astounding. One thing was very clear, these people put their heart and soul into their profession, and they know what they are doing.
After the show, Stunt Coordinator Mike Chat gave us the safety run down to ensure that no one would be injured during the event, and then it was down to business. First, we all watched Chat and one of the stunt team members slowly go through the steps that we would be learning. Just nine actions, but it certainly seemed overwhelming at first. Chat explained that breaking them up into three different sections would help our minds and bodies learn them better, and he was exactly right.
Next, it was time to practice the moves with empty hands, so that we could memorize the movies. Then we were handed training pads. This helped us feel the weight of having something in our hands while performing the actions. Finally, we were handed real aluminum briefcases and paired up with different members of the stunt team.
Although intimidating, Mike Chat and the rest of the stunt team made sure we were all comfortable performing the moves in a safe and fun way. There was never any risk of injury and they were always sure to cheer us on and encourage us to do our best and enjoy our time there. The action sequence that we were given is just a few steps, and we learned it in about two hours. Chat explained that this is sometimes the norm, even for professionals, when working on a film.
The interesting thing about the actions that we performed is that not all of them make contact with the stunt person. Most of them do, don’t get us wrong here, but the final blow does not even come close to the face of the person the briefcase is being swung at, it is all an illusion thanks to the placement of the camera.
While it was a lot of fun to learn the basics of a simple stunt, we decided to leave it up to the professionals. See them in action in Bullet Train, now available on digital, Blu-ray, and DVD.
[ad_2]
Source link
