One of the most common stunts that most filmmakers leverage is the ‘fall to the ground’ stunt. It’s everywhere in movies and TV. It spans genres as well. It’s easy to understand why so many directors use it. It’s a great way to tell a story and include some action in your scene.
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Yet falling to the ground on cue, dramatically and repeatedly for the camera is hazardous and can easily cause injuries. So how do you do it to get the best shots for your project and keep your actors safe from harm? Well there are a few ways…
1) Hire a stunt double – A professional stunt double looks like your actor and is already trained in how to fall perfectly on cue each and every time. They also cut down on production time, risk of injury and get you the best possible shots for your project. They are also capable of far more dramatic and exciting falls. The stunt coordinator for your project can help you find the perfect stunt double.
2) Invest in actor training – if your budget doesn’t allow for hiring a stunt double or it’s just not feasible for the shots, then your stunt coordinator can train your actor to do Pratt Falls. Pratt Falls are not as fancy as what most professional stunt doubles can do yet they will do the trick if needed.
[The BTS video below shows an example of a Pratt fall]
There are a variety of Pratt falls that can be used for actor training yet the most common are the forward, side and rear Pratt falls. The great thing about Pratt falls is that they can be combined together to produce pretty dramatic action sequences in a relatively short period of time (as seen in the video above). Yet this is all based on the QUALITY and CALIBER of the actor training.
Make no mistake Pratt falls are dangerous especially if they are not taught correctly. And no actor wants to fall a 2nd time if they are even slightly injured doing the first fall. Our stunt coordinators have been thoroughly trained in how to both perform the various types of Pratt falls and how to expertly teach them to untrained, inexperienced actors.
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The training includes physical technique, cues, beats, acting coaching and more to ensure that you get the exact shots that you want. We can usually train actors in about 20 – 30 minutes on shoot day to execute picture perfect Pratt falls.
When you’re ready, one of our experienced Professional Stunt Coordinators can advise you on how to best leverage actor training for your project.
Like to know more? Contact us today, we enjoy answering questions!