Reposted from a Facebook thread on the subject of runaway production:
Yup,
financially it doesn't make sense to shoot in LA, and I've seen the whole crazy game
of tax incentives bouncing from one state to another, one country to
another. And I'm sure it won't stop
until we're shooting in some place too remote or dangerous for
Hollywood to consider (I've heard too many stories about Bulgaria). And
Hollywood should definitely step up and find some way to compete with
all of this. I think talent would definitely prefer to shoot in their
own backyard than leaving their friends and family for months to live in
some crappy apartment in a third world country where the entire crew
gets dysentery on day 3.
But I don't blame the government for runaway production as much as I blame the hypocrisy of the folks who live in LA.
Everyone
in LA is up in arms about runaway production, but those are the same
people who don't want film production blocking their driveways, tearing
up their lawns, or making them late for work. Not only do you have to
shell out serious money for a permit to shoot in LA, you also have to go
house to house with a wad of cash to make sure everyone is happy. I've
heard stories where a neighbor stood in the middle of his yard with a
leaf blower running and his hand outstretched waiting for a payoff.
Remember
when you first came to LA and how excited you were to see a film crew?
How long did that last? You can shoot anywhere in the country and
still get that kind of excitement. "Oh you're making a movie? Cool!"
Meanwhile in LA, I was shut down in my own apartment building with a
little home video camera filming my buddy doing a monologue.
Ridiculous.
During
this last shoot, we had only a few shots where we couldn't afford
permits and we had to skulk around like criminals. And it wasn't just
us, I saw big budget productions doing the same - hiding a camera and DP
in the back of a pickup truck inside a box, or stashing a camera in a
baby stroller for a shot on Venice beach.
And
dealing with SAG was a nightmare! They figured we were some sleazy big
budget production company trying to get away with something. When they
called our cast to tell them to not work on our production, our friends
blasted them back saying they would go "fi-core" if necessary to shoot
this film. SAG freaked.
To
say that our budget was done on a shoestring was being kind. Our
entire budget for the film was 20K, which is ridiculous for an action
film with close to 20 locations and a cast of 50. Thankfully, I had the
support of friends who knew us and what we were trying to do, and they
contributed everything from locations, to equipment, to their time and
talent.
And
something that was really hopeful, folks were willing to help us who
didn't know who we were. Folks who knew about runaway production and
were willing to do something about it. We had an entire cafe donated to
us for free. This wasn't government, these were people willing to make
a change. And that's how it starts.
And
just because a studio wants to save a few bucks by shooting in
Bangladesh, doesn't mean that the director doesn't have a say. I
could've shot my little no-budget film back in Florida and saved half my
budget, but I wanted to stay here. Same goes for major film directors
who insist on shooting in LA, and guys like Robert Rodriguez or Jon
Favreau who push government to make a change: http://www.deadline.com/2008/07/iron-man-director-lobbies-guvernator-to-try-again-for-hollywood-tax-breaks/
Unfortunately,
you're probably right, it's going to get worse before it gets better.
But SoCal still remains one of the most versatile places in the country
for film production with some of the best talent around. And that isn't
going anywhere anytime soon.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
So you want to become a stuntman?
Tips
for Aspiring Stunt Professionals
After teaching stage combat classes in LA for the past 20 years and working stunts on several major Hollywood feature films, I'm frequently asked how to get started in the business as a stuntman. The following is a list of tips and links to get you started, as well as a few words of advice to keep the gig once you get it.
After teaching stage combat classes in LA for the past 20 years and working stunts on several major Hollywood feature films, I'm frequently asked how to get started in the business as a stuntman. The following is a list of tips and links to get you started, as well as a few words of advice to keep the gig once you get it.
Lets hope
the answer isn't money, because there are a lot of stunt people out
there with tons of credits who still have a tough time making a
living doing stunts. You've got to love it.
Don't get
me wrong, there are plenty of stuntmen and women who make a good
living doing what they do, but they are definitely few and far between.
When I first came to LA in 1987, I heard about a survey that was
done that said the average actor makes $800 a year.
True, you
can make that in one day as a working stuntman, but getting the
gig is the tricky part. To get a better idea what a working stuntman
makes, check out my section on rates.
I don't
try and discourage people from getting into stunts, but I do try
and give them a realistic idea of what to expect. I also try to
convince them to have another source of income to fall back on.
Many professional stuntmen I know also work in construction, security,
web design, etc. I'm thankful that I also have a career
as a VFX artist.
All that
aside, doing stunts has been quite rewarding for me. In addition
to the occasional gig where you make rent in a day for falling down,
I've been extremely lucky to work on some major feature films, fly
around the world to work in exotic locations, hang out with celebrities,
and my background as a swordsman and martial artist has helped me
land several starring roles.
Stunt work
has become highly specialized over the years. There's high falls,
fire burns, fight scenes, swordplay, air ram, ratchets, horse stunts,
car gags, motorcycles, weapons, and the list goes on. I would advise
to learn as much as possible from as many people as you can. You
never know what might get you the job.
However,
don't choose a skill that you're obviously not comfortable with.
Also be aware of the danger involved. Most aspiring stuntmen are
initially drawn to doing high falls, yet high falls don't constitute the majority of stuntwork and they are typically
responsible for the most severe and fatal injuries.
The majority of stuntwork is fights and "ground pounding" (basic falls), For basic
movement, tumbling, conditioning, stretching, and air awareness,
it would be advisable to take an adult gymnastics class.
For fights, you can benefit from practically any style of martial arts:
Wushu (featured in Matrix and Crouching Tiger), Tae Kwon Do (a good
foundation), Judo, Karate, Aikido, Kali, Savate, Capoeira, etc.
However,
I'd strongly recommend you also take a stage combat class to learn
about things like safety, distance, reactions, choreography, and
staging for the camera. I'd say that 80% of all stunt-related injuries
that I've seen are from fight scenes, and most of those are from kicks or punches
that were just too close.
I've
run into plenty of martial artists that are confident in their abilities
to pull a punch or kick, but when you're on set, the adrenaline
gets going, the lights are in your eyes, you're wearing a costume
or shoes that don't fit, the floor is slippery, and the director
wants you to get closer. Someone is going to get hit. If you know
some on-camera basics, not only is the shot safer, it can also look
better.
However,
don't have any illusions that being a martial artist or taking a
stage combat class will get you a role in a film. Take an acting
class. They will typically cast an actor in a starring role before
they consider a martial artist or stuntman. However, they will occasionally
cast stuntmen if they know they might have to take a hit. Either
way, an acting class will help your marketability.
If
you want to learn more about how things work on set, a good introduction
is work a few days as an extra or a production assistant. There are several casting agencies
around such as Central Casting that can find you work as an extra.
Lastly,
keep an eye on what's in production. If there's a pirate film getting
ready to shoot, it's probably time to learn how to swordfight or
brush up on your skills. The Hollywood Reporter has a weekly listing
of films that are in production and preproduction.
If you want to work in the film industry, LA is the place to be. Unfortunately,
there are very few actual stunt classes in the LA area, which I think is surprising. There is some
speculation that professional stuntmen have enough competition as
it is, and aren't interested in training others to do their job.
Over
the years, I've seen several stunt schools come and go in the LA
area. They typically disappear because of insurance issues, they
can't maintain enough students, or the instructors get a gig and
they don't have time to teach anymore. I've even been witness to
a few classes closing down due to pressure from the local stunt
associations - claiming that the instructors don't have the training
it takes to safely teach a class. And whether someone is safe can an be extremely subjective issue.
If
you're not in LA, you can benefit from almost any gymnastic or martial
arts class. There are also stunt schools scattered throughout the
country such as Kim
Kahana's Stunt School in Orlando, FL and David
Boushey's Stunt School in Seattle, Washington which offers training in almost every aspect of stunts. There's also
the SAFD (Society of American
Fight Directors), which has stage combat instructors across the
country.
In LA, there's Rick
Seaman's School for stunt driving, and various stage combat classes such as Swordfights Inc (check my links). There are also dozens of martial arts
and gymnastics studios with adult classes. However, only a few of
these are stunt-friendly such as LA Wushu which also teaches wirework and gymnastics, National Wushu Training Center which hosts Impact Stunts, and the Samurai Stage Combat Academy. Gymnastica Olympica hosts an open workout in Van Nuys, and LA Valley College gym (5800 Fulton Ave) has an open workout on Tuesday and
Friday: 7pm - 10pm ($6) Advanced Class - Monday and Thursday: 7pm
- 10pm ($12). You
might want to call to confirm the schedule (818)
947-2600. The hottest new thing in LA is Parkour, which you can find at places like White Lotus, PK Cali at LASG in Culver City, and the Tempest Freerunning Academy. These places can also be an excellent place to network.
My
best advice to someone trying to break into the biz is to work with
the professionals who are working in the industry. Every stunt
professional
I know in LA has their own private workout such as Bob Yerke's place
in Northridge which is run by stunt coordinator John Moio. However,
these workouts
are typically by invitation only. DO NOT just show up at one of
these workouts without an invite. The hardest thing to overcome in the
industry is a bad reputation and news like that can spread like
wildfire..
Find
out who the coordinators are, who they work with and where they
train. When they're looking for people for a gig, they will always
go with the people they've been training with. Be
advised that just because you train with a coordinator or stunt
team doesn't mean they will hire you. There are several classes
in LA that promise work to their students, which is not only misleading,
it's actually illegal (charging money in exchange for work).
There is
also the problem of being associated with a particular stunt team.
If anyone on the team should develop a bad reputation, that will
undoubtedly reflect on the rest of the team. What's more, particular
coordinators do not get along with everyone and will not hire you
if there's someone on your team they simply do not like. My advice
is - don't lock yourself down to any single place for more than a
couple months. Spread yourself out and try to work with everyone.
Hustling
is how most indie stuntmen try to find work. You find out where
a particular film is shooting and show up with a copy of your headshot
and resume to hand to the stunt coordinator.
This
can be tricky nowadays for a few reasons. It used to be possible
to pull up a list of filming locations (called the "Shoot Sheet")
online at www.eidc.com. After 9/11, however, this information became
unavailable to the general public.
Even
trickier is how to approach the stunt coordinator. It is recommended
that you go with another stuntman (preferably someone who can introduce
you) and wait for just the right moment to introduce yourself. Typically,
this is around lunchtime (1pm for most shoots). And you don't want
to approach the same coordinator too often. The rule of thumb is
about 1-2 times a month.
Timing
is everything, and you'll occasionally hear stories about stuntmen
getting hired on the spot, which I've seen. Beyond who you know in LA, it's being
in the right place at the right time.
Other
than hustling, there are a few other ways to help you get work.
Be sure to check out the following sections on "Agencies"
and "Marketing". But once
again, my best advice for getting a job is to train with the folks
who are already working in the industry.
Whether
you're visiting or working on set, there are a few rules to follow
if you want to get the job or just keep it.
Do not follow
the stunt coordinator, director, or stars around the set asking
them a lot of questions. They've got a job to do. Do not get in
the way, make noise, or jump around in an attempt to show the stunt
coordinator what you can do. Do not attempt to go over the stunt
coordinator's head by asking the producers or director for a job.
If you're
working on the set, make yourself available at all times to help
out with anything the coordinator asks of you. This can include
everything from helping to move pads, working as safety on a stunt,
set up equipment, or even sweep the area. Don't disappear without
telling someone where you're going. Be on time to set or call if
you're going to be late. Be prepared with the right gear, pads and
wardrobe. Don't make things difficult for anyone else on the production.
Essentially,
don't piss off the stunt coordinator. He can make your job extremely
difficult (if not downright dangerous) on set. He may never hire
you again, and what's worse, he will tell all of his buddies (it
does happen).
Word does
spread quickly in the stunt community, and if you develop a reputation
for talking trash about other stuntmen, coordinators or directors,
everyone will know. Go with the flow and do your best to keep your
opinions to yourself. If you can't say something nice...
If
you're thinking about making your living as a stuntman, it's a tough
road. If you get hurt, you're done. I typically recommend that people
have something to fall back on (and not acting). You never want
to be standing at the edge of a building getting ready for a questionable
jump thinking that you need to make rent or put food on the table.
Even stuntmen can't remain stuntmen forever. Their only hope at
longevity is to become a coordinator or second unit director.
Be
honest. If you have never done a gag before, don't lie. At the very
least, you may piss off the coordinator that hired you. At the very
worst... Well, it can get pretty ugly. The general public rarely
hears about serious injuries or fatalities on set, and they happen
more often than you may think.
Always check
your own equipment - never rely on someone else to check your rigging.
This is especially true with live stunt shows. A good coordinator
will respect you for double checking everything for safety. Also,
keep an eye out for everyone else's safety. You'd want them looking
out for you. Besides, if someone gets hurt on set - even if it wasn't
you, it will ultimately reflect badly on you. Word gets around.
Do not allow
peer pressure or egos pressure you into doing a stunt. There's a
lot of pressure on set to get the shot, and accidents typically
happen when people are rushing. Slow down, take your time to rehearse
the fight and/or make sure the gag is safe.
All this
aside, there's a term you should know - cowboy up. This is when
you've agreed to do a stunt that might get you hurt. Every stuntman
has been in this position at one time or another. It's an inherent
part of the job. The best you can hope for is to minimize this as
much as possible, and the best way to do that is to train, be honest
about your abilities, and always look for a safer way to pull off
the gag. Ultimately, it's an illusion. Your job is to make something
look as dangerous as possible while keeping it as safe as possible.
Many
professional stuntmen make a decent living during their downtime
working stunt shows at local theme parks such as Universal Studios
and Magic Mountain. It's not a bad gig, but the pay isn't as great
as most people would think - about $50 a show. But if you work five
shows a day, that comes to $250.
Most
stunt shows have regular castings that advertise in trade magazines
such as Backstage West or online at LA Casting or Actors Access. They constantly need people because they
typically have several teams working the same show and there's big
turnaround due to people taking other jobs or getting injured.
A
word of warning, stunt shows are even more prone to accidents due
to the constant repetition of shows. Cables fray, pyro goes off
at the wrong time, tech crew forgets to set a pad or load a gun
correctly. And once again, the general public rarely hears about
serious injuries or fatalities, which do occur.
Most
stuntmen begin their careers and start filling out their resumes
by doing non-union work. You can find non-union casting notices
in publications such as Backstage West (which you pick up from most
newsstands in Hollywood). There are also online casting notices
on sites such as LA Casting and Actors Access.
To
work on union shows, you need a SAG card, which is obtainable by
getting a certain amount of SAG vouchers (typically by doing extra
work). If, however, you are fortunate enough to have a skill that
is sought after by a union shoot, they can "Taft-Hartley"
you, which essentially means that they pay a fee to SAG to make
you eligible. You still have to pay for your membership to SAG (currently
over $1000), but your first gig will probably cover that (approx.
$650/day).
The
latest way to get your SAG card (though it may not be around for long)
is to work on a webseries which is SAG signatory. This is part of SAG's
New Media Contract and you can find info about it here: http://www.actinganswers.com/sag/ I've had several folks achieve this through shooting an episode of my webseries, which you can find at www.thehunted.tv
Be
warned though, once you go union, you can no longer take non-union
work (unless you register as "Financial Core"). Many actors
and stuntmen who get their SAG card too soon find that they don't
have the experience or resume they need to get them a union gig.
For non-union
work, rates can vary all over the place. As a beginning stuntman,
you may do a gig just for tape, or the experience,
or the possibility of working with someone who may give you a paying
gig somewhere else down the line. You never know.
I
coordinated a non-union show once for $100 a day, but it really
paid off years later when the prop master became the producer of
a SAG feature and hired me on.
The
only standardized rates you will find come from the Screen Actors
Guild, and there's plenty of different contracts for film, tv, low
budget, experimental, etc. For a complete listing check out SAG's
website or this guide to SAG indie rates.
The main rates for film work (as of 2010) are:
Daily Contact: $809
Weekly Contract: $3015
(same for a stunt performer or coordinator)
Daily Contact: $809
Weekly Contract: $3015
(same for a stunt performer or coordinator)
This does
not include any additional "adjustments" or "bumps"
which are given by the coordinator at their own discretion and usually
run a couple hundred every time a stunt is performed.
A
SAG contract
also means residuals - a portion of your paycheck is sent to you
every time the film is shown on TV or cable. I'm still getting
residual checks from shows I did 20 years ago. But every time you
receive a residual check, your pay is typically half or the previous
check, so it's not unusual to eventually get checks for 11 cents.
There
are a handful of stunt associations in LA such as Stuntmen's Association
and Stunts Unlimited which are typically by invitation only (it's
who you know). That doesn't mean, however, that they will not hire
freelance stuntmen if the need arises. I've had some success dropping
by their offices, saying hi and leaving a resume.
There
are several talent agencies that also handle stuntmen such as KSA
and Bobby Ball, although they prefer if you already have a SAG card.
For a complete listing of these agencies, you can pick up a guide
at the Samuel French bookshop on Sunset in Hollywood.
There
are also "call services" such as Joni's or Teddy's (approx.
$50/month), which take calls from coordinators and occasionally
farm out work to their clients.
There
are many schools out there that offer certification in various skills.
This applies mostly to stage combat, but I've also heard about stunt
schools offering certification for driving, high falls, etc. I believe
that any student who completes a course like this deserves some
form of certificate (I'm certified with the SAFD), but chances are
this may not help you at all when it comes to finding work in Hollywood.
In reality, it can even work against you.
If
this was Europe, you would be required to pass a certain number
of skills before being able to work in the industry. In Hollywood,
however, it seems that no one checks references or is interested
in certification of any kind.
All
of this depends on who the coordinator is. I have coordinated a
few films and sat behind the camera for several auditions where
I could lean over to the director and tell them to consider someone
who has certification listed on their resume.
However,
there are some coordinators that hold such contempt for certification
or certain instructors that they will go out of their way to make
sure you don't get the job. My advice is that training is training,
and if someone doesn't want to give you a job because you have certification
or someone else's name on your resume, then they aren't worth working
for anyway.
Your
best marketing tool as a stuntman in LA is your resume and headshot
(which can also be a composite of action shots).
Your standard
headshot is an 8x10 black and white photo which you can pay several
hundred dollars for, but I've know plenty of people (especially
beginning stunt people) who just find someone with a good 35mm or
digital camera. You can get reprints of these at several locations
throughout LA. You're gonna need a lot of them.
Your
resume lists your experience, skills, and basic stats (height, weight,
hair and eye color). You can find plenty of examples online. Again,
don't lie. Most folks in this town know who worked on what, and
lying can get you into more trouble than you think.
Have a business card with you at all times!
A
demo reel is also nice to have, but not as important as you may
think. Again, it's mostly who you know and being in the right place
at the right time. It's easy to hand off a picture and resume, but
most stunt coordinators are not going to watch your tape or DVD
while they're on set.
And
in keeping with the times, you might want to consider having
an online presence - such as your own website with photos, your
resume, and perhaps even your demo reel. Many sites (such as yahoo)
offer free webhosting and tools to put together your own
website. Also check out Godaddy for great deals on a custom URL and
hosting site.
There
are also several online stunt listings such as Stunt
Player's Directory, Stunt Phone, and iStunt, which will add you to a searchable database
for a nominal fee (if you are SAG), and online casting agencies
such as Actors Access and LA Casting.
When I
first came to LA, I realized that the chances of getting cast as
a star in an action film were pretty slim. Instead of waiting around
for this blessed event to happen, I wrote a script and got extremely
lucky. We shot a trailer, put together a cast and crew and pitched
the film to every indie production house out there. Ring of Steel
was was eventually picked up by Shapiro / Glickenhouse and produced
by MCA / Universal for 1.5 million dollars and I got to star in
my first feature film. What's more, I got to hire a bunch of my
friends and bring them along for the ride. So instead of waiting around for a job and slowly getting bitter while
sucking up to casting directors and coordinators, suddenly they
were all working for me - it's a much better position to be in.
To this day, I'm still creating projects. My latest venture, "The Hunted" (www.thehunted.tv),
is an action / comedy web series that features user content, which
means virtually anyone anywhere can create an episode. After I had
convinced one stuntman in LA to shoot an episode, he was suddenly
overwhelmed by other stuntmen who wanted to be part of his project.
Within weeks he had 30 stuntmen working for him for free, 3 of which
were stunt coordinators. During that shoot, he proved himself to be an
excellent director and stunt coordinator, and he has now transitioned to
coordinating feature films.
I've
noticed that the folks who work consistently in LA, whether you're an
actor or stuntman, are constantly hustling - either to visit every set
and get to know every stunt coordinator in town, or to create your own
projects. Don't just wait for the work to come to you.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
New website - new blog!
The website was in dire need of an update (about 12 years old) and I didn't want to completely say goodbye to the old "news" page with all the updates, so here they are in a kind of archive-y format. Unfortunately, there aren't any dates and you may find a few broken links - a few of the many problems with the old blog. Note that most of my posts these days are in reference to The Hunted, which you can find here.
The Hunted is still growing strong with all-new episodes, affiliates, and contests. For more info, check out www.thehunted.tv
Two huge personal projects this year for Bob and the gang, first was creating and installing a traveling ring structure at the 2010 Burning Man. Next up was an event called GLOW for the city of Santa Monica. Check 'em out. The pics are epic!
The Hunted recently filmed their latest episode at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con. For more info, check out the Hunted blog here: http://thehuntedtv.blogspot.com
The Hunted is sponsoring a video contest on Youtube with $1000 cash prize for the winning episode. You can find all the details here.
The Hunted has finally been officially released here on Youtube. Please help us get the word out, subscribe, favorite, watch and comment on as many episodes as humanly possible! Thanks!
Bob will be appearing in Strike TV's online comedy series "Faux Baby" premiering Nov 3rd.
Stunt Coordinator Tim Storms recently invited Bob to India for three weeks to help him coordinate stunts and second unit direction on a film for Manoj Manchu (son of Bollywood star Mohan Babu) called "Nenu Meeku Telusa". You can find photos of the adventure here.
Bob's latest VFX work can be seen on Fantastic Four and the trailer to Cloverfield seen on the release of Transformers.
The Duel will be featured in a silent film festival in Chcago on March 14 & 21.
Bob is once again training wushu and shaolin weapons at the new LA Wushu Academy.
You might just catch a glimpse of Bob and his Santa Monica beach buddies working out in the background of Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny.
Matrix Revelations is a stunt demo Bob recently shot with TJ Storm and PeiPei Yuan.
Check out Bob's latest online interview with Rogue Cinema.
Bob is currently working on VFX for Fantastic Four 2 at Hydraulx Studios.
Bob is recently featured along with TJ Rotolo and Dan Forcee in the Orange County Register commercial "Reduced Romeo and Juliet." You can check out the commercial here (don't blink).
Bob recently completed work on visual effects for X-Men 3 and Fast and Furious 3.
Check out Bob's Article on CG Stunts in November's Issue of Inside Stunts Magazine:
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
An 8 foot Bob on Powerisers (spring stilts) on the streets of Santa Monica blvd on Halloween night with Jessica Cail:
The Muscle Beach Traveling Rings Music Video is now online featuring Bob and other Santa Monica locals doing their thing.
Invasion, the latest sci-fi series from ABC, features visual effects by Bob working at Zoic Studios.
Bob is currently the VFX supervisor for the feature film LIGHT YEARS AWAY and a reality series for MTV ASHLEY PARKER ANGEL.
"Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny" brought in Bob and a few other Santa Monica locals to show their stuff on the rings at Muscle Beach.
New FAQ online: Tips for Aspiring Stunt Professionals.
New production page has been added with links to completed projects such as Ultimate Deathmatch Workout
"Rules of Engagement" was recently shot with TJ Rotolo and Tim Storms as an audition piece for an upcoming Jet Li film.
The "Fantastic Four" is Bob's latest VFX gig at Cobalt VFX.
Bob recently performed in LA Opera's production of Romeo et Juliette. You can find the LA Times review of the audition here.
Bob has been invited to appear again in this year's Dragonfest Martial Arts Convention in November. Pictured here is Bob with friends Gerald Okamura, Gary Kasper, Deron McBee, and Ric Drasin.
The Duel - a independent short film directed by Sean Coughlin featuring Bob is currently online at ifilm.com
Bob recently finished visual effects on Fantastic Four with his friends Matt Gratzner, Ian Hunter and Shannon Gans at New Deal Studios.
LA Opera's latest production of Trovatore featured a few swordfights with Bob under the direction of Anthony DeLongis and Ed Douglas.
Bob's latest article in Impact Magazine in now online (Part 1 Part 2 Part 3).
Bob is currently appearing with Bruce Young (Sentinel, Highlander) and Billy Campbell (Once and Again, The Rocketeer) in the live action role playing show Dungeonmaster.
So what else is Bob up to these days? Check out his internet series www.thehunted.tv and find out.
So who is this Bob guy, where'd he come from, and what's with the chicken story? These and other questions are answered in this SAPS Interview.
The Hunted is still growing strong with all-new episodes, affiliates, and contests. For more info, check out www.thehunted.tv
Two huge personal projects this year for Bob and the gang, first was creating and installing a traveling ring structure at the 2010 Burning Man. Next up was an event called GLOW for the city of Santa Monica. Check 'em out. The pics are epic!
The Hunted recently filmed their latest episode at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con. For more info, check out the Hunted blog here: http://thehuntedtv.blogspot.com
The Hunted is sponsoring a video contest on Youtube with $1000 cash prize for the winning episode. You can find all the details here.
The Hunted has finally been officially released here on Youtube. Please help us get the word out, subscribe, favorite, watch and comment on as many episodes as humanly possible! Thanks!
Bob will be appearing in Strike TV's online comedy series "Faux Baby" premiering Nov 3rd.
Stunt Coordinator Tim Storms recently invited Bob to India for three weeks to help him coordinate stunts and second unit direction on a film for Manoj Manchu (son of Bollywood star Mohan Babu) called "Nenu Meeku Telusa". You can find photos of the adventure here.
Bob's latest VFX work can be seen on Fantastic Four and the trailer to Cloverfield seen on the release of Transformers.
The Duel will be featured in a silent film festival in Chcago on March 14 & 21.
Bob is once again training wushu and shaolin weapons at the new LA Wushu Academy.
You might just catch a glimpse of Bob and his Santa Monica beach buddies working out in the background of Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny.
Matrix Revelations is a stunt demo Bob recently shot with TJ Storm and PeiPei Yuan.
Check out Bob's latest online interview with Rogue Cinema.
Bob is currently working on VFX for Fantastic Four 2 at Hydraulx Studios.
Bob is recently featured along with TJ Rotolo and Dan Forcee in the Orange County Register commercial "Reduced Romeo and Juliet." You can check out the commercial here (don't blink).
Bob recently completed work on visual effects for X-Men 3 and Fast and Furious 3.
Check out Bob's Article on CG Stunts in November's Issue of Inside Stunts Magazine:
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
An 8 foot Bob on Powerisers (spring stilts) on the streets of Santa Monica blvd on Halloween night with Jessica Cail:
The Muscle Beach Traveling Rings Music Video is now online featuring Bob and other Santa Monica locals doing their thing.
Invasion, the latest sci-fi series from ABC, features visual effects by Bob working at Zoic Studios.
See Bob do his thing in this latest commercial for the Knights Tournament at Legoland.
Bob is currently the VFX supervisor for the feature film LIGHT YEARS AWAY and a reality series for MTV ASHLEY PARKER ANGEL.
"Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny" brought in Bob and a few other Santa Monica locals to show their stuff on the rings at Muscle Beach.
New FAQ online: Tips for Aspiring Stunt Professionals.
New production page has been added with links to completed projects such as Ultimate Deathmatch Workout
"Rules of Engagement" was recently shot with TJ Rotolo and Tim Storms as an audition piece for an upcoming Jet Li film.
The "Fantastic Four" is Bob's latest VFX gig at Cobalt VFX.
Bob recently performed in LA Opera's production of Romeo et Juliette. You can find the LA Times review of the audition here.
Bob has been invited to appear again in this year's Dragonfest Martial Arts Convention in November. Pictured here is Bob with friends Gerald Okamura, Gary Kasper, Deron McBee, and Ric Drasin.
The Duel - a independent short film directed by Sean Coughlin featuring Bob is currently online at ifilm.com
Bob recently finished visual effects on Fantastic Four with his friends Matt Gratzner, Ian Hunter and Shannon Gans at New Deal Studios.
LA Opera's latest production of Trovatore featured a few swordfights with Bob under the direction of Anthony DeLongis and Ed Douglas.
Bob recently taught a one weekend film and stage combat workshop in St. Louis where he also shot his latest episode of "The Hunted".
The feature film "Soldier of God" came to Bob to coordinate their opening battle sequence. Find out more about the award-winning film here.
Check out Bob's feaured article on The Hunted in the latest edition of Martial Arts Insider Magazine (Page 1,2,3,4,5,6).
Bob can currently be seen in the action feature "Circuit II" in a brief featured fight with Olivier Grunner.
Bob was recently inducted into the Hawaiian Martial Arts Hall of Fame on July 12th, 2003 at an awards banquet in Las Vegas.
You might catch a glimpse of Bob working on the upcoming reality show "Next Action Star" where he worked with Eric Chen and Tim Storms to put the final contestants through their paces.
Bob recently appeared with Placido Domingo and stunt buddies Anthony DeLongis, Miguel Marcott, Ed Douglas, Deron McBee, Gary Kasper, Charles Currier, and others in the LA Opera production of "Girl of the Golden West."
Bob's latest article in Impact Magazine in now online (Part 1 Part 2 Part 3).
Bob is currently appearing with Bruce Young (Sentinel, Highlander) and Billy Campbell (Once and Again, The Rocketeer) in the live action role playing show Dungeonmaster.
So what else is Bob up to these days? Check out his internet series www.thehunted.tv and find out.
So who is this Bob guy, where'd he come from, and what's with the chicken story? These and other questions are answered in this SAPS Interview.
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