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" I think, as a choreographer and an action designer, you're constantly giving your characters problems to overcome. That's what makes it fun for choreography. But it also makes it fun for the audience to see them solve those puzzles and how they are as a human being. "

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" There are a lot of big action movies that we've worked on where the attitude has been, 'Let's just get through this scene.' Then you get those jumpy, what-were-they-thinking action sequences. "

David Leitch

Through

Movies

Attitude

" There's an arc to an action sequence, and you need to come out the other end knowing your character better, and maybe the story has moved forward in a compelling way. "

" You can sometimes break rules in comics that you can't necessarily break in cinema. It's fun to find something cool in a comic and then try and find a way to break the same rule in another medium. "

" We don't want John Wick to retire again; we're glad he's back in the game. We want a sequel or a prequel. There's a lot of fertile ground to cover. "

" Part of the problem is that many directors treat female characters too often as precious. Or they want to live in a fantasy world where they just do spinning hook kicks and knock out guys who are six foot four, and that doesn't work either. "

" Spies go undercover. They take on different personas. "

David Leitch

Undercover

Take

" As a stunt guy, you become a mini-director. You're talking to actors about performance. "

" Choreographing a fight scene is telling a little story. You learn a lot about the characters involved. "

" Stunt coordinating is a good training ground for directing because you have exposure to all the departments in film. "

" While filming 'The Matrix,' we studied how a Chinese fight-choreography team trains actors before production starts so that they can participate in action sequences in a more dynamic way. "

" You learn tricks to make action look more dynamic - having the fight come toward you or shooting on a longer lens to compress the speed. "

" You always start a fight scene or an action scene with, 'What are we learning about this character at the moment, and how are we gonna arc him or her in the next three minutes,' and it's no different with 'Deadpool' or 'Atomic Blonde' or 'John Wick.' "

" As a second unit director, you're entrusted to shoot the action sequences. On every movie, it's slightly different. "

" As a filmmaker, I'm a collaborator first. "

" I look at the action scenes as placeholders when I arrive on a script, knowing that I'm going to expand on them when I understand the constraints of the movie, the locations of where we're shooting, the abilities of the actors, and where we want to go with the characters. "

" Some actors have an affinity for dance, and they should explore it, train in it, and get good. "

" The way you present a stunt is tied in to the way you photograph it, so you're hanging out with the cinematographer. "

" A lot of people don't give their audiences credit. You can leave it a little mysterious. They can think about it. "

" I find fight scenes actually more interesting, in a way, than chase scenes because you're watching your character go through this problem-solving process and fight the antagonist mano-a-mano. It's more powerful, more emotional. "

" The vehicle-stunt world is so specialized. But when you spend so long in it as a stunt coordinator, you're exposed to all the disciplines, so it's always fun to combine the two ideas - a car chase and a fight scene - and make something more dynamic. "

" I think the biggest thing you take from the stunt world is your understanding of the filmmaking process. For years, you've worked with every other department closely. You know hair, makeup, wardrobe, special effects, and you know what everybody's needs are and their expectations. You also know how to collaborate with them. "

" People want to be empowered to the point where they can thwart their enemies physically. "

" I think in the 'Deadpool' franchise, the writers are really good at distilling the good stuff and applying that to the material in this universe. "

" In the stunt world, fights and vehicles are often two different disciplines. "

" Fight choreography has far more in common with dance choreography than it does with actual martial arts. You learn martial arts techniques, but those are just the movements for the choreography. You're working with a partner in choreography. You're working on timing. "

" Music emotionally and psychologically transports you immediately. "

" There's a lot of directing within the stunt coordinator's job. "

" Even when you're being safe, eight hours of choreography makes you look like you've been through a war. It's hard. It's like playing hockey for eight hours. "

" The completely irreverent tone was the thing that won me over about the first 'Deadpool' movie. "

David Leitch

Over

Tone

" All film, at the end of the day, has wish-fulfillment. "