David Dobkin Answers "THE" Jackie Chan Question

David Dobkin directed 'Shanghai Knights' and recently did an interview with the Huffington Post in which he was asked 'THE' Jackie Chan question:

Does Jackie Chan really do all of his own stunts?

Yes. It's an incredible thing to watch. He popped his ankle out one day while jumping onto a boat in a scene for Shanghai Knights. He designs and choreographs his action scenes the way Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire would choreograph a dance sequence. The Ideas flow out of him in real time, and we actually had to chase him around with a film crew to adapt to what he was thinking up.

One of the things that was really amazing was watching him use sleight of hand. He understands what the camera sees, what the camera doesn't see, and understands how it's going to be entertaining for an audience to watch him do what he does. He's a bit of a magician...as well as a stuntman.

SOURCE: THE HUFFINGTON POST

Jackie Talks About Stunts

Stunts still a ‘piece of cake’ for Jackie Chan, almost 60

Maybe it was worth it, because the actor has broken two Guinness World Records for Most Stunts Performed by a Living Actor.

Focus on the word “living.”

“I almost died so many times,” Chan says. “Each day, my body tells me I’m very, very lucky.

“I have scars on my legs and arms. So many broken bones. I fractured my scalp making a movie.”

Does he ever think he should stop doing his own stunts? The actor who turns 60 next April says, “All the time, I say to myself, ‘Jackie, you should stop.’ Then my body heals. I recover and want to do it again.’”

“On my last movie, I almost cracked my back,” he winces. “After I recovered, I actually did say, ‘No more big action movies.’ It broke in the press that I said no more action movies. That was untrue. I said big action movies. And what is the definition of big?”

“I can still kick and punch and roll over a table,” he says. “Piece of cake.”

Chan stars in the family action movie “CZ12: Chinese Zodiac,” opening Friday in Chicago. He filmed across five continents and seven countries as a man who leads a team of treasure hunters across the world to find ancient relics. He must find 12 mystical artifacts that comprise the animals of the Chinese Zodiac.


Q: In “CZ12,” you’re standing on an active volcano. Are you nuts?

A: I do land on top of an active volcano. It’s exciting. How many people come close to a volcano? There were little explosions and everyone was yelling, “Jackie, go away. Run!” Rocks were falling on me. I wanted to look like a hero. Rocks were landing on my head. People were going, “Wow, Jackie is tough.”


Q: And how old are you now … 35?

A: (He blows kisses). I’m going to be 60. I’m very lucky I’m still alive and can still make movies. I want to make the world audience laugh. It’s great to have fans come up and say, “Thank you for all of the movies.” I thank everyone around the world who has supported my movies and makes me want to risk it all.


Q: Was it important to you to do a family movie like “CZ12” with a good message?

A: I love family movies with no real violence, but the bad guy goes down. There is a nice message of not being a coward. I want to also teach young people that one person can make a difference. I read a story of 10 girls beating up on one girl. Those 10 girls are cowards.


Q: Were you ever bullied as kid?

A: Yes and no. The big guy always bullies you. That’s why when young students come to train with me, I always protect them. Why can’t we all just respect each other?


Q: What’s going on with another “Rush Hour?”

A: Chris [Tucker, his ‘Rush Hour’ co-star,] is my buddy. In fact, we have a meeting in two days. We’re thinking about doing something new together and not necessarily always a “Rush Hour.” We have two ideas right now that we’re going to start talking about to start next year.

Big Picture News Inc.

SOURCE: SUNTIMES.COM

VIDEO - FILMING A STUNT ON CHINESE ZODIAC

A news team got to shoot this short behind the scenes look at Chinese Zodiac.

So You Want To Be A Stuntman?

"When you stage a fight for a film, it's not the same thing as a real fight."

Stunt Coordinator Peng Zhang's tips for breaking into the business as a stunt and fight coordinator for film!

So You Want Be A Stuntman?

Top Hollywood Stunt Coordinator Peng Zhang Tells Us About His Cool Job And How To Break Into The Business

Peng Zhang is one of Hollywood's most sought-after stunt and fight coordinators. He got his start as a stunt double for Jackie Chan and since then has worked on such films as "The Last Samurai," "X-Men: The Last Stand," "Rush Hour 3," "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," and the forthcoming "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn." Meanwhile you can catch some of his best work in the amazing action sequences in "I Am Number Four." Zhang not only choreographed many of the fights in "I Am Number Four," he also trained actress Teresa Palmer for her role as a deadly martial arts expert. We'd say he's got one on the most exciting jobs in the world, but if you think that being a stuntman is all about jumping off moving trains and punching the bad guys, think again. There's a lot more to being a stuntman or stuntwoman than that and we asked Zhang to give us the lowdown on his profession and some advice for anyone out there who wants to break into the business.

Multitask!

Zhang says that the number one mistake made by people who want to be Hollywood stunt performers is thinking that martial arts are the easy way in. Zhang is an expert at numerous martial arts himself, but he says you have to master all sorts of other skills too: from driving a motorcycle to scuba diving, horseback riding and rock climbing. "The more skills you have, the more useful you are on a film," Zhang says, "and there simply isn't enough work to go around if all you're good at is one thing."

Acting Out

The other essential skill for a stuntman? Acting! "A stunt man or woman is actually an actor," Zhang says, "because you're making something look real and convincing when it's not real at all. You are also there to help the director tell a story through action, so knowing something about acting really helps." In Hollywood at least, stunt performers also need to be members of the actors' union, the Screen Actors Guild, and the best way of qualifying for membership is to work as an extra on as many films as possible. Working as an extra not only gives you a foot in the door, it's a great way of watching stunt coordinators and performers at work.


Did You Know?

Silent movie superstar Buster Keaton performed one of the first film stunts. It involved the front of a house falling on top of him while the window fell around him to leave him unharmed and still standing. The secret of this early bit of movie magic? Very careful measurements!


Be Safe!

The popular image of stunt performers is of people who love danger and all kinds of risks and it's true that if you hate heights, this probably isn't the job for you. But, as Zhang points out, safety should be the number one concern of stuntmen. "Of course we have to come up with exciting stuff to put up there on screen," he says, "but the skill is in doing it in ways that avoid danger and risks to ourselves or the actors we are working with." Zhang says shooting a scene involving lots of horses and lots of explosions is probably the most dangerous stunt work he has ever done, but he has never suffered any serious injuries.

FAKING IT

"What people don't always think about is that when you stage a fight for a film, it isn't the same thing as a real fight," Zhang says. For one thing, a real fight would involve people getting hurt. Secondly, Zhang says, a real blow to the stomach doesn't even look convincing. "Our job is to choreograph action almost like someone might choreograph a dance sequence in a film. You have to think about where the camera will be, how the sequence is going to be edited, what the story is and who the characters are."


Did You Know?

The cars used in onscreen car chases and crashes aren't the same ones you can buy at your local car dealers. They are fitted with all sorts of special equipment, whether it's a roll cage or pneumatic arm to help them flip over safely, special mounts for cameras, or simple fire extinguishers.


The Next Step

Many stunt performers are happy simply to be the people who stand in for the stars and do the jumping out of planes, throwing punches, firing guns or driving getaway cars. As a stunt and fight coordinator, however, Peng Zhang's work has taken him to the next level. He not only trains actors to do some of their own stunts, but he also works closely with the director of a film and the visual effects department to plan action sequences and find ways to make them as exciting as possible. "It's a really varied job," he says, "and it can be very creative."

TELLING A STORY

What makes a really great action sequence? It's never just the number of explosions or crashed cars, Zhang says. "The action should always be there for a reason," he explains. "It's about using our art and our skill to help the director and the actors tell the story through action. You should never do a stunt just because you think it would look cool."


Did You Know?

In "I Am Number Four" actress Teresa Palmer did many of her own stunts. In preparation for her role in the film she worked with Peng Zhang for two months before shooting began, practicing martial arts kicks, sword fighting and acrobatics.


Not All Glamour

Stunt work is definitely exciting but it often involves very long hours and difficult conditions and only the top performers make a lot of money. Stuntmen sometimes work 14-hour days and may be up to their necks in icy cold water or dangling from a helicopter for hours on end. Would-be stunt performers should also realise that if you do your job well it's likely to be the star you are standing in for or the director of the film who will get most of the credit for your work. "Fortunately I don't want to be a star myself," Zhang says. "My reward is seeing great action sequences on screen."

Still Interested?

If you still think being a stuntman could be the job for you, Zhang's advice is to get to the peak of fitness, practice lots of different sports, including martial arts, and watch as many film as possible to try to understand what makes a great action sequence. In some countries you can find stunt schools that will teach you some of the tricks of the trade. Just make sure the schools are properly accredited and that everything you are doing will be safe.

SOURCE: JIMHILLMEDIA.COM

Taipei 101 and Chinese Zodiac

During a press conference last night after receiving the 'Outstanding Achievement in Film' Award Jackie revealed that he would be doing a stunt similar to the one in 'Who Am I' on the outside of the Taipei 101 building.

The Taipei 101 building was the world's tallest building from 2004 - 2010.

Inspired by Jackie

I don't usually watch these Jackie inspired videos of guys trying to be like Jackie because they usually are kind of silly, not to mention dangerous - those 'DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME' warnings are there for a reason guys - anyhow came across this link on twitter today and decided to take a look and was totally blown away.

Vivek you are amazing and I hope everyone can also appreciate the skill in these clips:

and DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!