Colin Handley, the Australian fight choreographer and stunt performer who has worked in over a 100 Hollywood movies and television shows, recently gave a lesson or two about fight sequences to the students of acting at the Asian Academy of Film & Television (AAFT) in Noida. Handley, who has worked with actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Van Damme, says, “Stunt is a very important aspect of filmmaking. It is important for an actor to know how to express actions like slap, jump and tumble. I am teaching the technique behind an action and stunt to the students through this workshop. Stunt is a specialised technique, and training, amust to learn these techniques.”
About the response to the workshop, he says, “Some are quick learners.”
Handley, trained in martial arts and taekwondo, has been in the profession for 30 years. “Fitness, attitude and courage play a very important role in performing stunts. We keep training all the time.” Stunts have taken huge leaps forward, especially in Hollywood. New technology, special effects and CGI (computer generated image) help stunts appear real. Handley says, “These new technologies help make stunts look real and bigger. A stunt is team work and good preparation gives the desired execution.”
In his third visit to the AAFT in the past five years, Handley says, he is also trying to understand the stunt culture in the Indian film industry. He says, “I have not seen many Indian films, but now I am beginning to do so. I love to watch actors like Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan. And I want to work in India. I have met some people. But, I am still waiting for an offer.”
Asked about the Indian filmmakers' fascination with Hollywood action directors, Handley says, “There are some good action directors here but there is paucity of experience. Further, filmmakers don't give them much opportunity to show their talent. I think, in the coming years, Indian action directors and stuntmen will do a good job. Akshay Kumar performs his stunts himself and if I am not wrong he also knows martial art.”
About the lingering sense of risk in action Handley says,“There is always a sense of fear. But, we enjoy it when action is completed according to the demand of the film and script. Good planning and a dedicated team are important to perform action.”
