Stunts: they've been a staple of cinema since the beginning to the present day, from Buster Keaton narrowly avoiding being crushed by a falling house to Tom Cruise being the absolute most in Mission Impossible. Stunts ramp up the excitement up on the big screen (or small screen...whatever you're watching on), but if you're wanting to implement a few of them into your indie project, it might be a good idea to learn a few tricks of the trade.

Corridor Crew sat down with professional stuntman Eric Linden to break down some of Hollywood's best stunts, as well as the ones that miss the mark. Check out the video below:


If you're under the impression that stunts are reserved for productions that have the money to pay for helicopters and tanks and huge pyrotechnic displays, then you might be pleasantly surprised to learn that stunts are just as much a part of low-budget filmmaking as it is for huge Hollywood blockbusters...okay, that's not quite accurate...as I was typing I was like, "How many sub-$1M movies have terrorists balancing on fighter jets as government agents try to save their daughters that are clinging to the nose?" Not many.

However, that doesn't mean there aren't budget-friendly stunts you can pull off. Hand-to-hand combat scenes are a great go-to because they're relatively cheap and safe compared to stunts that incorporate explosives, fire, stunt falls, breakaway glass, squibs, etc..

In the video, Linden talks about a few techniques you can employ to make these kinds of scenes better, as well as what to look out for when you're monitoring the scene unfold, like using the illusion of depth (or lack thereof) to fake a punch (you can do this with a telephoto lens), cutting to a different angle to hide the punch, and tightening your choreography so you don't have bad guys waiting to get pummeled by your hero.

What are your favorite (and least favorite) stunts? Let us know down in the comments.

Source: Corridor Crew