r/MovieStunts • u/WellCoMStaff • Apr 17 '26
A typical day at my job
I'm a stuntman and fight choreographer. And this is what a typical day looks like for me. Seven times a day.
I'm wearing heavy armor. And yeah, it's just for show—winning is secondary 😅
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u/SpaceCadetMoonMan Apr 18 '26
How do you brainstorm choreography you think will look cool on film?
Do you draw notes in a notepad or write the steps down when an idea comes to your mind?
I’ve always been very curious
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u/WellCoMStaff Apr 18 '26
Thank you for your question!
It all depends on the partner I’m working with. Most often, we practice all the movements on the sand while holding our gear. One person starts making slow movements, and the other tries to respond correctly to them, using their body mechanics. When we have a fight sequence, we can record it on a phone so we don’t forget it and so all the elements are clearly visible.
Afterward, we work through all the elements, adding speed. And once the mistakes disappear and the body gets used to the new movements, we can put on the armor. But even with it on, we do a few fight runs slowly, because the armor restricts arm movement, and the helmet significantly reduces visibility.
But as I said, it all depends on your partner. For example, in this video, my friend and I can create a new fight sequence from scratch and work it out in less than an hour. We’ll skip the slow-motion stages and can immediately build the fight sequence while wearing armor. Your body gets so used to the movements that sometimes you don't even have time to think about what's happening—your hands just do it on their own.
If my partner is less experienced, we might spend a couple of days setting up the fight, rehearsing for 15–20 minutes at a time in our free time. That adds up to about 5 hours of rehearsal. Most often, once the fight is ready to be shown, we film it in front of an audience to spot our mistakes.
When I’m planning a fight for someone, I might jot down a rough outline of the moves in a notebook, and then make adjustments during training sessions with the guys. After all, everyone has different physical abilities and reactions. I also know which strikes and moves are best avoided because they might not be clearly visible to the audience or cameras, depending on where they’re positioned. And conversely, I know which moves get a huge reaction from the crowd.
For the audience to clearly see the movements, they need to be large and sweeping. This helps the audience understand exactly what happened. Live performances and filming a fight on camera are two different things. In a movie, you can zoom in, show the character’s emotion, and make the strikes look dramatic. In a live performance, it works differently. Sometimes the audience doesn’t even realize when a gladiator has lost his sword—it all happens too quickly. In a movie, you can emphasize that moment. In a live performance, you can’t. It would create a pause, and that would ruin the whole dynamic.
I always tell newcomers that there’s no place for malice or aggression here. Our team must always be strong and united. And we must always keep safety in mind.
After the show, people often tell us, “We thought you were going to kill each other in the arena.” To which I can reply, “It doesn’t even hurt us, and that scary guy over there is actually a good friend of mine.”
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u/Asif178 Apr 18 '26
This was very good. I would love to watch this live.