Recently I spoke of how Horror films were upping the ante of gore and shock value, and its not a big surprise that in an industry that produces thousands of movies a year (of which we see a couple hundred of) that everything about the movies will be stepping it up.
Special effects improve, more impressive action scenes, bigger explosions, more contraversy, and of course, bigger bucks. The might dollar reigns supreme in Hollywood. Celebrities pay their way out of trouble, and they can afford to because of the last movie they were in. But as the cost of movies increases, we dont always see just how hard it is to get certain things done, or how much they cost.
M&C posted this interesting article:
With an over 80-year history of insuring many of the major Hollywood studio films, Fireman’s Fund entertainment division underwriters and loss control experts believe that each movie presents new challenges.
The company is dedicated to helping producers and studios achieve the artistic results they are seeking, yet also ensuring they are filmed safely, finished on time and on budget. This is done by analyzing risks and finding solutions to cover specific exposures.
‘Casino Royale’ was filmed in several locations outside of Hollywood and included significant stunt work and special events, which always present potential for accidents and injuries.
Mel Gibson’s ‘Apocalypto’ presented underwriting challenges because it was filmed in a remote and primitive location – the lower southern region of the Gulf Coast of Mexico.
“In a remote location in Mexico, there are always concerns that, should cast or crew become injured or ill, quality health care is not immediately available,” said Finnegan. “As a result, special measures for transporting ill or injured persons have to be considered. Transit and care of equipment to remote sites is another key issue.”
While there are enough concerns for the safety of the actors on a closed set in a backlot in California, consider just how careful they have to be when filming in the middle of a South American jungle. Forget how they haul an entire film crew through a jungle, but they need to have a full medical team on hand just in case someone gets hurt.
Aside from Jackie Chan who repeatedly shot scenes with broken bones and makeup to cover bruises, these actors are a hot commodity that cannot be injured. They pay good money to get them in their movies, and then spend MORE money to keep them safe. Stuntmen are just the first line in defense against hospitalizing an actor.
The cost of delaying a film due to injury is a serious concern. Production of Aeon Flux was delayed for over a month while Charlize Theron recuperated from a neck injury she sustained while slipping during stunt training. Despite this she insisted on doing her own stunts, and though this adds a certain amount of appeal to an actor’s reputation, it increases the risk of damaging your movie’s biggest asset.
Add all those concerns to a movie filmed in a remote location and a movie gets even harder to make. A great deal of logistics goes into even getting a movie into preproduction just on safety alone.
i actually respect Cruise for doing 85-90% of his own stuntwork. he wants the audience to get bang for their buck & believes it amps up the excitement when the viewers can see that it is actually the star doing it. i’m all for it if the actor in question is.
It always shocks me when an actor wants to do there own stunts. Thats what a stunt person is there for. I remember when Cruise was filming The Last Samurai, he wanted to do some of his own stunts and because of that he almost got his neck sliced open. Lets not forget about the death of Kevin Smith who climbed a prop tower on the set of another film and slipped. And the death of Brandon Lee. Directors need to tell actors when to back off from a stunt more often.