The Pain of Pretend Fighting

I got hit by a truck.

At least that’s how I feel. My neck is stiff as a rod. My back is sore. My triceps burn like fire. My hamstrings have pulled taunt, like paino wire. And I have welts everywhere — two on my left arm, one on my right, and another on my right pec.

I’ve just finished shooting The Price of Fighting, a five-minute action comedy in which I star, co-write, co-produce, and (of course) action direct/stunt coordinate.

Perhaps even harder than suffering all the bumps and bruises is wearing so many hats. It is extremely difficult to do all the behind-the-scenes stuff (be the action director, stunt coordinator, and co-producer) while at the same time being the main actor and fighting off five screen-fighters at once. Usually either I’m behind the camera or in front of it. Stepping into the spotlight while still filling my other shoes was a tough challenge, but it was definitely a fun challenge!

I have a good feeling about the footage. We got some great moves and pulled off the comedy. I hope my director (Leo Henriquez) can put it all together in the editing bay.

Tags: action direction, back pain, fight choreography, pain, short movies, stiff neck, stunt coordination