In the year 1857, a woman is peacefully discussing her intentions to establish herself in the Salt Lake Valley, when suddenly, her words are interrupted by a sharp projectile emerging from her forehead with a gruesome snap. Despite this, she manages to stand for a brief moment – silent, her eyes wide open and blood trickling from her injury – before collapsing, exposing the deep shaft of an arrow embedded in the back of her skull.
Over the next two minutes in “American Primeval” on Netflix, chaos reigns without pause. The sky becomes a storm of hurtling arrows, with fallen victims scattered left and right. Attackers on horseback and foot charge in and out of the frame, wreaking havoc through shooting, stabbing, scalping, and close-quarter fights. The camera darts through the turmoil, recording a series of gruesome deaths (even that of a minor character portrayed by director Peter Berg). Yet, amidst the carnage, the camera continually returns to Sara Rowell (Betty Gilpin) and her young son Devin’s (Preston Mota) frantic struggle for survival.
J.J. Dashnaw, who collaborated with his father Jeff Dashnaw on the show as second unit director and stunt coordinator, stated that there were 100 performers for each side. Moreover, we had 15 stunt people stationed on either side. The scene featured many actors seemingly perishing, but when the camera shifted angle, those same individuals would miraculously rise again to portray other characters.
On the stunt team, there were numerous others like the Dashnaws, one of whom was J.J.’s child, Jaxon. He portrays a character who is shot in the head with a bullet, leading to a scene where his on-screen killer feels overwhelmed by guilt and vomits.
J.J. stated that he left because he felt touched with pride as a father,” he said. “It was an exciting moment for him.
American Primeval” is just one of numerous TV shows that have significantly boosted television’s action scene, joining the likes of Amazon’s “The Boys” and “Reacher”, as well as HBO Max’s “House of the Dragon” and “The Penguin”. These series are now vying for recognition in the stunt coordination and stunt performance categories.
In the film “American Primeval,” they chose to portray the raid scene as if it were captured in one continuous take, which is referred to as a “oner.” This technique, where a single shot appears to last for an extended period, has grown popular and is often used to create impact in various genres.
The raid sequence was captured in New Mexico during twilight over the span of three consecutive days, later skillfully combined digitally during post-production. Apart from computer-generated flying arrows and a computer-generated charging bull, all other elements were executed physically, including the burning wagons, gunfire, bullet impacts, and artificial blood.
In the initial scene of “Daredevil: Born Again” on Disney+, the long, unbroken shot (referred to as the “oner”) commences with stunt performers representing Daredevil (Charlie Cox) and Bullseye (Wilson Bethel) shattering Josie’s Bar’s front window. Startled patrons flee as the two characters engage in a brutal exchange of blows and kicks, which continues off-screen. The camera moves outside, where we find Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), gravely injured, lying on the ground. The scene then shifts back into the bar, tracking Daredevil and Bullseye’s fight as it ascends the back staircase and ultimately reaches the rooftop.
According to second unit director and stunt coordinator Philip Silvera, “Showrunner” Dario Scardapane excels at crafting scenes that allow for imaginative exploration when developing characters, yet he’s meticulously detailed too. Directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead had a distinct visual style in mind for the sequence, so it falls upon Silvera to find a way to harmonize this unique camera language with the character designs.
The final scene was constructed using multiple takes spanning approximately two and a half days. The interior of the bar and staircase were captured on site at Capri Social Club, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, whereas the rooftop sequence was filmed in a studio setup at Silvercup Studios East, Long Island City, N.Y.
The shots at the start and end of this action sequence are equally impressive. To set up the lead-in, where Daredevil performs an exciting rope swing from a rooftop, Silvera and stunt double Jason Mello were raised on a platform three-and-a-half stories above a bar exterior. Mello was lowered down using a winch line and a device called a descender, while Silvera followed on a different line, carrying a camera to film the scene from Daredevil’s point of view. As the climax approaches, Bullseye’s stunt double, Brian Jansa, plummets off the rooftop on a descender, and this real-life fall is seamlessly combined with CGI to create the impression that the character lands hard on the ground below with a splat.
In the second episode of “The Last of Us” Season 2 on HBO, instead of using wires or airbags for safety during the scene where they simulated the attack by zombie-like humans infected with fungus in Jackson Hole, they actually landed from rooftops onto piles of cardboard boxes.
According to stunt coordinator Marny Eng, when two people enter an airbag simultaneously and one person collides with it first, there’s a chance that the second person won’t receive any cushioning effect.
Despite the humble setting of cardboard boxes, this sequence was nothing short of a daunting, cutting-edge production. Spanning four weeks, it was meticulously filmed on a set nestled within the gravel pit of Minaty Bay, British Columbia. It masterfully blends practical effects, such as fire and snow, with intricate makeup and stunt work (for both humans and dogs), all while seamlessly integrating an impressive variety of computer-generated elements. In contrast to “American Primeval,” this time around, the digital animation even brought characters to life.
According to visual effects supervisor Alex Wang, the arrangement he and Marny made was to position 50 stunt performers optimally on the days when we have that many, keeping in mind that there might be a need for more. For instance, if 200 were needed instead of 50 for certain scenes, how would we accommodate that increase?
As a cinephile on set, I found myself coordinating efforts between our two units during that nail-biting scene where hordes of infected were charging down Main Street towards our unsuspecting town. Under the skilled guidance of Mark Mylod, the first unit was stationed up high on rooftops, working alongside lead actors to capture every tense moment. Meanwhile, the second unit, under my supervision, was down on the ground, managing the “infected” stunt performers and ensuring their terrifying pursuit felt authentic and menacing.
According to cinematographer Catherine Goldschmidt, the event unfolded live for everyone’s viewing pleasure, showcasing Maria (Rutina Wesley) on the roof and Tommy (Gabriel Luna) below, with individuals wielding flamethrowers present.
In this unique scenario, camera operator Robin A. Smith took on an unusual role as a sort of stunt artist to film the subjective viewpoint of a seven-foot-tall “bloater” – a character with advanced fungal infection causing them to resemble a monstrous, mushroom-covered figure. In a face-off against Tommy, armed with a flamethrower, Smith donned his fire-resistant suit from his Formula Vee auto racing pastime and was enclosed within what was called a “fireproof rickshaw”. This rickshaw was then propelled into a real flame blast generated by Luna.
Oh, it was scorching hot, almost unbearable,” I chuckle. “Fortunately, the weather outside wasn’t as sizzling, so during breaks between setups, I could simply draw back the curtain [of the enclosure], remove my mask, and breathe in some refreshing, outdoor air.
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2025-06-10 20:51