that action design can bring much more to a project than just a cool fight scene or a car rolling off the road.
Simply put, action in movies should always be informed by story, and action design can help tell stories by adding depth to the characters in them. There are many ways to throw a punch or crash a car—but what leads a character to do it this way? How will doing it affect them for the rest of the story?
My approach is not one-size-fits-all; I’m not interested in making actors look like generic badasses, or in providing choreography that goes no further than the scene it’s in. Instead, I collaborate with directors and talent to design each character’s unique physicality, incorporating physical training and choreography to leave them with something that will inform the whole performance throughout the film. I always aim to maximize the time the lead talent is on screen—but whether working with a lead actor or a stunt double, I look for the intersection of character and action to create a seamless storytelling experience.