Action Talks with Eric Jacobus

Jordan Layani and Kévin Roger of Sloclap are the minds behind games like Absolver, Sifu, and Rematch. They talk about the Hong Kong inspirations for Sifu and what continues pushing their creativity. You can see his IMDB here https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0550301/ and his HKMDB here https://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=4788&display_set=engEdited by Wesley MountfordAction Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.comBlog: www.ericjacobus.comTimestamps:0:00:46 Introductions0:01:53 Inspirations, Martial arts (Pak Mei) and Tekken0:13:48 Ubisoft, studies, Sloclap and Ninjitsu0:20:14 Prodigal Son, Sifu staff, and Godhand0:24:19 Sloclap behind the scenes, Fighter Maker and Absolver 0:30:43 Sifu gameplay, Kill Bill, The Raid: Redemption0:36:56 Making efficient fighting styles look good0:38:27 Sifu boss fights, Benjamin Colucci0:42:49 The benefits of motion capture0:43:55 Sifu bosses, Virtua Fighter, Mortal Kombat 0:49:37 John Wick, Oldboy, SPL 20:51:16 Cinematography0:56:41 Sifu's cinematics, Absolver combat, Tekken 3 0:59:22 How to make game combat work1:01:57 Classical Pak Mei, guns, knives, death1:09:47 Sifu's aging system1:09:59 The Matrix, Sifu live-action short 1:11:11 Shooting mocap for Sifu1:16:20 Sifu practice mode, Jackie Chan, Overwatch, Scavengers Reign1:18:44 Breaking the cycle of vengence1:25:57 Outro

Mathis Landwehr an actor, stuntman, producer, and indie action filmmaker. He's known for his show Lasko, The Foreigner, and Kamfansage II (my personal favorite). You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1716923/Edited by Tristan GloverAction Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.comBlog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:05:26 Time constraints shooting "the Last Kumite"0:06:45 Shooting until it's perfect0:07:55 How Mathis built his skill set0:09:31 Inspirations0:10:40 The film scene in Germany0:12:11 Why Germany didn't make action films0:14:44 No German action heros allowed0:18:21 Mathis's first short film0:22:34 Did Mathis make the first German martial arts movie?0:24:24 German people's and regulators perceptions of action movies and violence0:30:14 Martial arts vs acting0:32:02 Martial arts culture in Germany0:33:59 V for Vendetta0:38:42 Advancing one's choreography skills0:40:20 How previz changed over time0:42:16 Lasko Previz0:46:43 Martial art monk0:50:44 Different approaches to Kampfensage and Lasko0:58:30 Action design in Lasko1:01:45 The feedback about Lasko, the super fans and haters1:05:04 It's different when Germans watch Germans1:08:39 Mathis's career after Lasko1:10:43 Changing his approach and attitude toward action1:13:44 Stroytelling vs unnecessary fighting / shoe leather1:17:13 The Foreigner1:25:16 The Last Kumite and emulating the 80s action film1:36:53 Finding his own way1:39:00 Perceptions on violence

Sam Kefi Abrikh is a stuntman, fight coordinator, and second unit director based out of France, who got started Japan. He's known for Princess, Fury, and Furies, but has done a load of quality indie action material. You can see his imdb here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3768608/ Edited by Joey Min Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps 0:02:04 Where it all began 0:04:37 Japanese influences 0:07:45 French action films 0:11:38 Indie filmmaking 0:13:09 Learning to move HK style 0:14:35 Making his team for indie films 0:18:04 What techniques did you use to make shorts? 0:21:22 Rhythm diff between HK and Japanese action? French action? US action? 0:25:03 What was it like going to Japan? 0:30:39 What did you take from Shibahara's method? 0:32:23 What was the rhythmic difference? 0:37:08 Was there any overlap between JP language and the JP movement style? 0:38:18 JP movement might come from animation and theater 0:40:20 huge contrast between acting and normal talking 0:41:18 "Developing his skills in JP " 0:43:35 After Japan, what came next? 0:48:06 Was it hard going back to stunts after being in Japan? 0:51:38 Could you apply your skills to Luc Besson films? 0:54:14 What do you look at as a stunt double? 0:55:10 Did you ever perform music? 0:56:17 How are you applying your skills to indie projects? 0:58:23 Bourne style might lose the audience... 1:01:13 Filming the action on District 9 and Bourne series 1:03:45 Working on the Princess 1:06:17 Training actress vs hiding the double 1:07:18 How did he get involved in Furie? 1:09:50 Approaching the action of Furie 1:11:15 Preproduction on Furie 1:15:37 Any stories about when you had to improvise? 1:17:56 Any inspirations for shooting style? 1:19:33 Do you think about camera and editing before shooting? 1:22:15 Do you try to break expectation in action? 1:23:59 What films have succeeded in looking un-choreographed? 1:25:32 Do you apply yourself most to your own projects? 1:26:25 What are you watching now? 1:31:48 What's your approach to female-led action film as opposed to male-led? 1:33:18 Do you have to pull back with Veronica if she was too good? 1:35:40 Toning down big guys against smaller performers

Christopher Troy is a stuntman, actor, and a filmmaker. Marvel and Star Wars shows as a fight coordinator, he's worked on Tenet and Shameless, he makes amazing short films on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/christophertroyofficial/?hl=en) and you can see his IMDB here: https://www.instagram.com/christophertroyofficial/?hl=en Edited by Ian Volner Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com 00:01:38 Chris Troy: Today 00:06:24 What are the actor guilds fighting for? 00:12:35 Do you see a parallel with the studios of yesterday and the streaming services of today? 00:15:07 Acting and Stunts: How do you manage the two? 00:20:21 What do you think editors are looking for when it comes to choreo? 00:23:27 What "skills" are needed for commercial acting? 00:26:56 Separating the actor from the human, how easy is it? 00:28:07 From Dancing to Stunts 00:33:18 Learning to fall "ugly" 00:37:23 How does your experience inform your performance? 00:39:00 What do you think makes a solid editor? 00:45:18 Pre-Visis to Production: challenges faced by choreographers 00:47:59 Previs work for auteurs: Is it an amicable process? 00:49:55 Working on Tenet: Nolan's witnessed process 00:54:17 Doubling Back: What do you look for in the actor you'll be doubling 00:59:44 Doubling: Getting into your actor's headspace 01:03:33 Why does comedy stunting hurt so much more than action stunting? 01:04:51 Working on Dayshift 01:08:54 Social Media as an engine for your career 01:11:25 Cultivating your mythos 01:21:00 Innovation in Movement: The Sell 01:24:36 Shorts on socials to short films: What do you set out to accomplish in short form storytelling? 01:27:10 Directing action and camera on "Suppression" 01:30:13 Action Designing with the Camera In-Mind: How much do you consider the camera and the edit in your choreo? 01:32:14 Have you always considered the camera in movement? When or where did it start? 01:33:57 How do you look at movement? With an intention to innovate or...? 01:37:36 From Short to Shoot: Have you travelled the distance from youtube short to feature film? 01:40:51 What was the reception to your feature? 01:43:22 The future of indie action comedy 01:50:21 What are you watching these days and what do you look for while you watch?

English voiceover version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se1TqcdmSV4 Kensuke Sonomura / 園村健介 a director and action designer known for films like Hydra, Baby Assassins, and Bad City. He talks about how he created his unique action style. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2338317/ Edited by Yutaka Nozawa English Voiceover by Phill Kismartoni Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:01:05 Intro 0:01:34 Childhood and cultural influences growing up 0:02:14 Inspiration from martial arts films 0:02:43 Inspirations from Jackie Chan 0:03:07 Karate 0:03:45 Getting into stunts 0:04:19 Trainig at Kurata Action Club 0:06:28 Relationship between the Kurata Action Club and Japan Action Club 0:07:18 Difference in visual styles of Kurata Action Club and JAC 0:08:50 Early career 0:10:01 Process of action design for Japanese video games 0:11:31 Working with different types of directors 0:12:10 Camera and editing for video games 0:12:51 Filmmaking at Kurata Action Club 0:13:22 Kurata Action Club's action style 0:14:36 Traditional shooting style and new style 0:16:14 Films with extreme violence 0:17:37 Working with a foreign crew 0:19:12 "Merihari" = contrast 0:21:11 Japanese language and "merihari" 0:23:18 Tekken Blood Vengeance 0:24:48 Goals with action design for independent films 0:25:40 Changes of action design 0:26:36 Action design for Hydra 0:28:17 Fast punches in Hydra and its trainng 0:30:52 Startig to use Pre-viz 0:31:11 His Involvement in Pre-viz 0:31:25 Filmmaking influences for Pre-viz 0:31:46 Shooting Pre-viz for other directors 0:33:12 Designing action for actors 0:34:01 Training actors 0:34:48 Working with skilled fighters 0:36:29 Baby Assassins 0:37:21 Pre-viz for animation 0:38:11 Pre-viz for anime vs. Pre-viz for live action 0:38:58 Resident Evil 3 0:39:28 Bad City 0:40:55 Shooting action in one day 0:42:21 What needs to change in the Japanese action business 0:44:16 The future of Japanese action 0:44:48 Side interests 0:45:18 Drawing 0:45:37 Time restrictions on Chambara films 0:46:23 Kurata memories 0:46:44 Advice for Japanese stunt performers

Kensuke Sonomura / 園村健介 a director and action designer known for films like Hydra, Baby Assassins, and Bad City. He talks about how he created his unique action style. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2338317/ Edited by Yutaka Nozawa English Voiceover by Phill Kismartoni Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com

Simon Rhee is an action star, martial artist, and pioneer in American martial arts cinema with the Best of the Best series under his belt. Lately he's been the stunt coordinator for Lucifer and American Horror Story. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722223/ Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:00:57 Introduction 0:02:21 Origins of films like Best of the Best 0:04:39 Making real contact in fights 0:07:21 His first movie "Bruce Lee Fights Back from the Grave" 0:08:54 Inspirations and Kicking 0:14:48 Designing action for Best of the Best 0:22:50 Stuntwork in the early 90's 0:29:06 Koreatown Riots in 1992 0:37:17 Best of the Best 2 (1992) 0:45:14 Best of the Best 4 (1998) 0:50:27 Simon's Father 0:53:06 Buddhism can be brutal, i.e. Steven Seagal 0:56:16 Working with Wesley Snipes 1:02:34 Working with Hong Kong 1:09:59 Tom Cruise & Madonna 1:15:11 Working with David Mamet & Christopher Nolan 1:23:04 Lee Byung-Hun 1:25:26 Helping out Korean Pastor with orphanage (The Drobox) 1:27:41 On the Korean Action industry 1:33:53 What makes a realistic fight? 1:38:23 Director Park Chan-wook 1:40:49 Tauris Award Winning Fight scenes 1:45:32 On Fatherhood 1:53:39 Signing off

Larry Leong was an early member of the Zero Gravity action team, known for films like the Title Pending and Damn series. He also directed the feature action comedy Yeah, Sure, Okay. You can see his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@UCJwF-hQCBZVJFIsRrSMHP4w Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:00:34 Introduction 0:03:12 Joining Zero Gravity 0:09:23 Title Pending 1 0:14:53 How did Capoeira help in action scenes? 0:18:08 Tricking in the late 90's 0:23:01 The Damn Series 0:29:05 Title Pending 2 (2002) 0:33:53 Previz? 0:36:03 Hong Kong action comes to the US 0:55:47 Gauging succes 0:59:46 Moving to LA 1:12:33 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) 1:19:11 Yeah, Sure, Okay (2008) 1:29:39 On depression and COVID 1:41:46 On reading books 1:44:02 Doing social work 1:52:37 Staying in touch with Zero Gravity members 1:55:20 Thoughts on mass media 2:09:15 What would you like to see in the action industry? 2:13:20 What would you tell your younger self?

Marko Zaror is a Chilean action star and producer known for films like Mirageman, Undisputed 3, John Wick 4, and Fist of the Condor. We talk about his body of work and how he approaches the characters he plays. His IMDB can be seen here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1047252/ Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:00:33 Introduction 0:01:36 Marko's first movie: Hard as Nails (2001) 0:03:11 Moving to the US 0:07:38 Marko's Background 0:14:19 Getting started in Hollywood 0:18:11 To be a stuntman or actor? 0:25:04 Mirageman (2007) 0:36:19 Chilean Action Style 0:38:10 The necessity of producing your own films 0:40:21 On Previz 0:43:59 Previz in Hollywood 0:48:46 Mandrill (2009) 0:55:33 Training for Combat 0:57:28 Machette Kills (2013) 1:01:21 Undisputed 3: Redemption (2010) 1:05:55 Learning acrobatics 1:07:21 Redeemer (2014) 1:10:09 Life outside the Silver Screen 1:16:20 Sultan (2016) 1:18:56 Working in American Television 1:25:15 On film distribution 1:31:40 John Wick 4 (2023) 1:37:45 Fist of the Condor (2023) 1:47:02 Marko's least favorite part of the filmmaking process 1:49:12 Marko's top 5 films 1:53:38 Why Eric loves Fist of the Condor so much 1:58:33 Closing

Mike Leeder is filmmaker and producer in Hong Kong whose work includes most Hong Kong films you've probably ever seen. We talk about his work as a journalist during the heyday of Hong Kong action, the insane drive of Hong Kong filmmakers and stars, and the differences between HK, Korean, and Japanese action. You can see his imdb here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0498566/ and his HKMDB here: https://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=26183&display_set=eng Edited by Milan Swagers Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com 0:00:58 Introductions 0:02:21 Moving to Hong Kong 0:05:33 Hong Kong in the 90's 0:13:27 Mike's easy access to Hong Kong stars 0:23:29 International appeal of Hong Kong action 0:30:31 Hong Kong breaking into other industries 0:44:25 Hong Kong Stars and the Japanese market 0:53:39 Hong Kong audiences 0:58:37 Censorship 1:13:34 The Hong Kong handover 1:15:23 Financial complications of the Handover 1:17:00 Hong Kong spontaneity 1:21:18 Japan 1:26:11 Korean stuntman in Hong Kong 1:42:28 Korean Films inspired by Hong Kong 1:47:28 Working with inexperienced stunt performers 1:55:12 Nicholas Tse's drive 2:02:29 Copying choreography 2:07:56 Authenticity in Action 2:33:34 Stunt doubles 2:42:18 Shooting Fight Scenes takes time 2:43:49 On Pre-Viz and casting problems 2:53:37 On new potential industries 3:04:04 Political correctness 3:15:57 Preservering original copies of films 3:25:48 Closing thoughts

Koichi Sakamoto / 坂本 浩一 is a director and action designer known for his work in the Power Rangers series, Drive (1997), the Kamen Rider and Ultraman series, and my personal favorite Extreme Heist aka Wicked Game (2002). You can see his imdb here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0757084/ and his JFDB here: https://jfdb.jp/person/13975 Edited by Jean Paul Franco Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:02:12 Young Koichi's influences 0:04:44 What attracted Koichi to sentai action 0:06:17 Yasuaki Kurata's teaching style compared to standard style in Japan 0:11:04 The reaction of Kurata bringing a new style to Japan 0:12:31 How the TOEI action club changed 0:14:28 The teammates 0:15:28 Coming to America 0:18:02 The Crazy Japanese kid doing stunts on American films 0:19:30 Koichi's description of Sentai 0:24:25 Working on Power rangers 0:27:36 Shooting style of Power Rangers in New Zealand 0:31:04 Designing action for Power rangers 0:34:34 Koichi's work ethic 0:35:29 Guyver, the first Alpha Stunts film 0:37:36 The Guyver kick. "we felt bad because we took the credit" 0:39:31 Drive (1997) 0:48:10 Working with Takeshi Kitano 0:50:21 Wicked Game (2002) 1:00:10 Broken Path 1:05:14 Directing his wife with their 1yr old baby on set 1:07:03 What happened with the Broken Path release 1:08:06 Working with power players on Power Rangers, Sentai etc. 1:14:27 How Koichi's inspirations changed 1:17:22 Action designing for kaiju monsters and more 1:21:27 Koichi's explanation of Kaiju 1:25:23 All about suits 1:28:34 How stunt actors perform in masks 1:31:21 Noh and Kabuki Japanese theater influences in Japanese action 1:38:28 Black Fox 1:40:03 Family trees, and the evolving action movie world 1:48:50 Japanese Wrestling 1:49:29 Advice for people wanting to get into action business in Japan 1:51:49 Being a father in the action film industry

Rocco Botte is a filmmaker and creator of the comedy YouTube channel Mega64. We talk about indie film, the YouTube algorithm, and comedy. You can see his IMDB here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1822049/ and his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@UCgc4xqIMDoiP4KOTFS21TJA Edited by William Asbury Action Talks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKvT1cdaRn78tV4vF78InER7GhxCKaxU5 Action Talks on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7D289YtkiQIkSVhNLDX8O2 Action Talks on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/action-talks-with-eric-jacobus/id1686666319 Telegram: t.me/ericjacobus My studio SuperAlloy: www.superalloyinteractive.com Blog: www.ericjacobus.com Timestamps: 0:01:43 INTRO 0:02:44 MEGA 64 SUMMARY 0:04:57 STARTING OUT AS A PUBLIC ACCESS SHOW 0:12:23 MOVING TO YOUTUBE 0:15:01 FIRST TIME AS A CHARACTER ACTOR 0:17:39 FEAR OF SECURITY GUARDS 0:19:09 BAD EXPERIENCES 0:22:04 SURPRISE AT PEOPLE'S REACTIONS 0:26:34 UNCOMFORTABLE PEOPLE 0:28:39 REFLECTIVE BEHAVIOR 0:32:15 HOW YOUTUBE AD REVENUE WORKS 0:34:11 SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 0:39:08 SELLING MERCH 0:40:55 FULLTIME FILMMAKERS 0:43:50 ON NEW MEDIA 0:48:02 ANALYTICS 0:53:05 ALGORITHM 0:56:54 SHELF LIFE 0:59:32 THE MEGA64 BRAND 1:02:47 MEGA64 PODCAST 1:05:43 PRODUCTION PROCESS 1:15:12 ROCCO'S WELL OF IDEAS 1:19:05 FEEDBACK 1:27:31 POWER OF CONVERSATION 1:29:37 STICK TO THE TOPIC 1:35:44 MAKE FUN OF THIS GAME 1:38:53 DISARMING COMEDY 1:42:20 LONGFORM COMEDY 1:48:07 FUTURE OF LONGFORM COMEDY 1:54:33 FINAL THANKS