Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Chan cramped by Hollywood safety rules
denverpost.com: "'There are so many safety and insurance rules to follow,' Chan said in an interview on his Web site Sunday. 'I know that they want to make sure that I'm safe when I do my stunts, but sometimes they insist that I use protective gear for even simple things, and that is frustrating. It takes so much time.'"
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7 comments:
I worked with acrobats from China for two summers and they held similar feelings as Chan. Some refused to wear safety gear when doing ariel stunts, or other dangerous stunts. The acrobats had to sign waivers and other forms to be able to perform and their was a very distinct line between what they would set up vs. what the crew would set up. Best example would be that a rigger would set up some truss system for the acrobats to perform off of but the acrobats were responsible for attaching the silk they supported themself with and were responsible for mainting their own gear.
-Serrano
We all know the two main reasons why all the safety and insurance rules exist. First, it is to protect people from harm, which is always a good idea, and second it is to pass on the liability. Face it; no one wants to get sued for anything. I have to say that if Chan or any other person is willing to take responsibility for his own actions, then let them do what they want. This is within reason though. It would be very expensive for a studio to postpone shooting a movie for several months because a lead broke his leg doing something stupid. The fact is that Jackie Chan is a well trained stunt man, which is all you can really ask for. They don't call them stunts because they're safe.
-Aaron Siebert
I do understand where Hollywood is coming from though. They already have enough insurance to deal with as it is. From insuring that movies get done, to having to insure actors that they will complete the movie and not take PCPs and ruin their career. Hollywood has a lot to deal with. As far as actors go: the worse the reputation, the more money to insure them. For instance, Robert Downey Jr. couldn't do a Woody Allen film because it cost too much to insure him.
I am trained in Chinese Opera and have been to the Chinese Training academies for theatre, and I can completely understand this frustration. Those acrobats know exactly what to do and how to do it, and as soon as you add an extra element that they have to contend with (like padding) it becomes extraordinarily difficult. It can actually be a safety hazard. On the other hand, in America, people pay a lot of money to be able to have Chan do those things, and if he is injured, it can be very bad for a production, and further more, in America, people sue whn they feel that they are not adequately protected. Stage combat and stunts are rife with rules about this sort of thing, and it is based on past experience. You can't completely blame them for it.
Too bad Jackie. So sad Jackie. I don't think he quite understands it. When he dies, an entire world of people will be pissed. I'm happy that there is a country that will allow him to do everything that he feels that he needs to do. Sorry it can't be here, but I can completely understand why a producer would not want that on his shoulders. I know that if I held someone's life in my hands, theres no way that I would ever let them do dangerous things without safety precautions/gear. This article seems a little bit whiney to me. And a tad bit annoying. Thanks for remembering those of the production team that have to cover their behind when you die, Jackie.
For someone like Chan who has a lot of experience and training, some of these rules can be annoying, because he knows how to do stunts right without getting hurt. I think these rules apply more for the lower level less trained stunt men who may not know as much as Chan does. these rules need to be in place for everyone else or else it gets too complicated deciding who is qualified to follow what rules.
One of my pet peeves is Captain Safety. There is a way to be safe without all of us walking around in bubbles. But I don’t think that applies here. I think that Jackie Chan is just frustrated with the system. The people in charge of safety are like the hall monitors in high school, just a little annoying. Unlike the hall monitors, safety guys have to be there and they are useful. If someone explained to him why and how the safety precautions were going to be implemented, I’m sure he would understand and feel differently.
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