03-06-2020, 11:42 PM
Looking back on my filming days, I have often talked about how rather than throw my actors in front of the camera, I would first engage them in discussions. usually first about old movies with cool kill shots they'd seen, and perhaps the special effects (or lack of) used in them. This would encourage them to both recount kills that had stuck with them, and think about how they might be accomplished on camera. We would talk about where the actors took the hits and how they reacted, and how strongly they physically sympathized with hits in different areas. Not surprisingly they seemed to most strongly remember vivid kills that they had seen as boys or teenagers, and would often relate them to how they would act out dying when playing war, cowboys and Indians, etc. Most of them could describe in detail at least four or five kills that had made a strong impression on them.
I would also stress designing the scenes to take best advantage of the physique of the actor, no matter what their body type, to make them look their best. If they had great muscles we would try to accentuate them; if they didn't we would do what we could to use their softer bodies in such a way that they were comfortable with.
I would say that 70% of their scene descriptions involved belly hits, in the general vicinity of the navel or six-pack. Now of course most of these were not shirtless hits, but they tended to describe them as if they were. Maybe 20% were shots in the guts, below the navel and above the cock. Only 10% or so were chest hits.
In describing these hits, the guys would almost always describe belly shots specifically as "right in the belly", once I got them out of the habit of saying "stomach", as I would point out that the stomach is actually just a small part of the upper belly close to the bottom of the sternum. Just as often they would say right in the navel or right in the bellybutton, and most would comment on how the navel was pretty much a perfect bulls-eye target. So when they said belly shots, they almost always leaned towards lower belly. And generally belly shots would be described as straight in, level shots. I think this all comes from a natural tendency to just grab the belly right in the navel area if you get shot or stabbed.
Most guys tend to describe gut shots as being nastier or more painful then belly hits. They tended to respond to them as being more sadistic, agonizing, dramatic, and a slower death. They also would describe such hits as being a little more personal and intimate, as usually the attacker and victim would be very close together. Most hits "right in the guts" tended to be upthrusts with knives or swords, or shoving a gun at a slightly upwards angle point blank. Arrow shots, a little less common, tended to be upper guts, straight in just under the navel to mid-gut.
Chest shots were probably least favored for dramatic effect simply because they are seen as a quicker death, and less painful. Some preferred a shot right in the middle of the sternum, while others tended to prefer the nipple area; several just seemed to get a kick out of saying "shoot 'em right in the tit!"
As our conversations progressed to the point of actually mapping out scenes to perform for the camera, all the elements described above would come into play. Of course I made it clear early on that we would be working shirtless, to show off both the weapons and the body type to best effect. Where the actor was most inclined to take a hit often just depended on the choice of weapon. Nobody seemed very interested in getting shot or stabbed in the chest, unless just as a finish shot after getting hit elsewhere, except maybe with arrows, as even an arrow shot in the chest wouldn't necessarily be a quick death.
Spear shots were possibly easiest; most guys wanted to take a spear right in the belly, especially a thrown spear. If it was a thrust spear, right in the bellybutton would invariably be first choice, guts a close second, especially a thrust just under the navel. Some guys with a long lean body would lean towards taking it a little lower if they had a nice long gut area to show off, as it allows the actor to fold neatly around the spear. and writhe on it before dying.
Sword shots tend to be a little more up close and personal, so up into the guts was most common. Straight into the belly would be second.
Knives are definitely even more intimate, and most guys seemed to like getting stabbed while in a clinch with their attacker, pulled bare chest to chest even, making it harder to resist, while getting stuck either right in the belly or taking thrusts up into their guts repeatedly. A knife is also probably the single best choice for a stab in the navel, as it is easiest to aim deliberately and even slowly. And any scenario allowing for multiple thrusts with a knife is a perfect setup, because of the rhythmic quality, for leading to an orgasmic death performance.
As far as arrow shots go, single arrows straight into the belly or even the navel were probably most popular, as they simply look like a nice bulls-eye hit, with an assuredly slow death playout. Nobody dies quick from an arrow in his belly, as we have all seen it many times in Westerns and peplum films.
Gunshots require a little more imagination from the actor, but they are probably the kind of death we have all seen most often; with my actors I was giving them the opportunity to take gunshots bare-chested, which we only see very occasionally in movies. I usually used recorded sound effects while filming to give the actor something to respond to if possible. Given the option, at a distance most preferred to take shots in their bellies multiple times, with maybe a shot or two in the pecs to finish. This goes back to how we played such scenes as kids, and the natural reaction is almost always to grab your belly after getting shot. In a more closeup situation, getting pumped repeatedly in the guts plays good as a painful way to take it. For machine guns, virtually all my guys liked getting their bellies and guts riddled, maybe taking a strafe across the chest to finish while they clutched their bellies.
Bayonets by their very nature put a little distance between the attacker and the victim; almost without exception my guys would prefer to get stuck in the guts just under the navel, then have the gun fire, putting a finishing slug right through their navel.
As far as groin hits go, I'd say about 30% of my guys were OK with taking shots there. Rather than hitting in the balls, which is kind of hard to play interestingly and isn't very fatal, I would steer them towards taking a groin hit in the dick, with the assumption that it is being held somewhat upright like how jockey underwear holds you. So the hit would actually be going through the cock up into the guts. This was especially effective with arrow shots and gunshots, which gave them a great excuse to grab and clutch at their cocks. With a collapsible knife prop like we used, such a hit would usually be the last in a series; after a few stabs in the belly, a nice upthrust right under the cockhead, pulling it up and pinning it to their upper gut just under the navel usually resulted in a great orgasmic death performance. Most guys would be good and hard after a couple of takes of such a scene; I always felt it was a way for them to engage in physical activity that was blatantly homoerotic, without seeming actually "gay". A couple of my actors I am sure went straight home and jerked off after filming such scenes.
All in all, that's pretty much everything I learned from 20+ years of filming such scenes with several dozen actors. The main thing is to get them comfortable with the idea of this as play, like we did when we were kids, while trying scene ideas that are just a little more intense and graphic than you would get away with in a commercial movie, and to stress the concept of "selling the prop" or special effect involved. Almost all of my actors were straight, and none of them ever seemed concerned that what we were doing was particularly "gay". It was just fun! Hopefully my experiences might inspire and help others who are trying to film their own such projects.
- Derek
I would also stress designing the scenes to take best advantage of the physique of the actor, no matter what their body type, to make them look their best. If they had great muscles we would try to accentuate them; if they didn't we would do what we could to use their softer bodies in such a way that they were comfortable with.
I would say that 70% of their scene descriptions involved belly hits, in the general vicinity of the navel or six-pack. Now of course most of these were not shirtless hits, but they tended to describe them as if they were. Maybe 20% were shots in the guts, below the navel and above the cock. Only 10% or so were chest hits.
In describing these hits, the guys would almost always describe belly shots specifically as "right in the belly", once I got them out of the habit of saying "stomach", as I would point out that the stomach is actually just a small part of the upper belly close to the bottom of the sternum. Just as often they would say right in the navel or right in the bellybutton, and most would comment on how the navel was pretty much a perfect bulls-eye target. So when they said belly shots, they almost always leaned towards lower belly. And generally belly shots would be described as straight in, level shots. I think this all comes from a natural tendency to just grab the belly right in the navel area if you get shot or stabbed.
Most guys tend to describe gut shots as being nastier or more painful then belly hits. They tended to respond to them as being more sadistic, agonizing, dramatic, and a slower death. They also would describe such hits as being a little more personal and intimate, as usually the attacker and victim would be very close together. Most hits "right in the guts" tended to be upthrusts with knives or swords, or shoving a gun at a slightly upwards angle point blank. Arrow shots, a little less common, tended to be upper guts, straight in just under the navel to mid-gut.
Chest shots were probably least favored for dramatic effect simply because they are seen as a quicker death, and less painful. Some preferred a shot right in the middle of the sternum, while others tended to prefer the nipple area; several just seemed to get a kick out of saying "shoot 'em right in the tit!"
As our conversations progressed to the point of actually mapping out scenes to perform for the camera, all the elements described above would come into play. Of course I made it clear early on that we would be working shirtless, to show off both the weapons and the body type to best effect. Where the actor was most inclined to take a hit often just depended on the choice of weapon. Nobody seemed very interested in getting shot or stabbed in the chest, unless just as a finish shot after getting hit elsewhere, except maybe with arrows, as even an arrow shot in the chest wouldn't necessarily be a quick death.
Spear shots were possibly easiest; most guys wanted to take a spear right in the belly, especially a thrown spear. If it was a thrust spear, right in the bellybutton would invariably be first choice, guts a close second, especially a thrust just under the navel. Some guys with a long lean body would lean towards taking it a little lower if they had a nice long gut area to show off, as it allows the actor to fold neatly around the spear. and writhe on it before dying.
Sword shots tend to be a little more up close and personal, so up into the guts was most common. Straight into the belly would be second.
Knives are definitely even more intimate, and most guys seemed to like getting stabbed while in a clinch with their attacker, pulled bare chest to chest even, making it harder to resist, while getting stuck either right in the belly or taking thrusts up into their guts repeatedly. A knife is also probably the single best choice for a stab in the navel, as it is easiest to aim deliberately and even slowly. And any scenario allowing for multiple thrusts with a knife is a perfect setup, because of the rhythmic quality, for leading to an orgasmic death performance.
As far as arrow shots go, single arrows straight into the belly or even the navel were probably most popular, as they simply look like a nice bulls-eye hit, with an assuredly slow death playout. Nobody dies quick from an arrow in his belly, as we have all seen it many times in Westerns and peplum films.
Gunshots require a little more imagination from the actor, but they are probably the kind of death we have all seen most often; with my actors I was giving them the opportunity to take gunshots bare-chested, which we only see very occasionally in movies. I usually used recorded sound effects while filming to give the actor something to respond to if possible. Given the option, at a distance most preferred to take shots in their bellies multiple times, with maybe a shot or two in the pecs to finish. This goes back to how we played such scenes as kids, and the natural reaction is almost always to grab your belly after getting shot. In a more closeup situation, getting pumped repeatedly in the guts plays good as a painful way to take it. For machine guns, virtually all my guys liked getting their bellies and guts riddled, maybe taking a strafe across the chest to finish while they clutched their bellies.
Bayonets by their very nature put a little distance between the attacker and the victim; almost without exception my guys would prefer to get stuck in the guts just under the navel, then have the gun fire, putting a finishing slug right through their navel.
As far as groin hits go, I'd say about 30% of my guys were OK with taking shots there. Rather than hitting in the balls, which is kind of hard to play interestingly and isn't very fatal, I would steer them towards taking a groin hit in the dick, with the assumption that it is being held somewhat upright like how jockey underwear holds you. So the hit would actually be going through the cock up into the guts. This was especially effective with arrow shots and gunshots, which gave them a great excuse to grab and clutch at their cocks. With a collapsible knife prop like we used, such a hit would usually be the last in a series; after a few stabs in the belly, a nice upthrust right under the cockhead, pulling it up and pinning it to their upper gut just under the navel usually resulted in a great orgasmic death performance. Most guys would be good and hard after a couple of takes of such a scene; I always felt it was a way for them to engage in physical activity that was blatantly homoerotic, without seeming actually "gay". A couple of my actors I am sure went straight home and jerked off after filming such scenes.
All in all, that's pretty much everything I learned from 20+ years of filming such scenes with several dozen actors. The main thing is to get them comfortable with the idea of this as play, like we did when we were kids, while trying scene ideas that are just a little more intense and graphic than you would get away with in a commercial movie, and to stress the concept of "selling the prop" or special effect involved. Almost all of my actors were straight, and none of them ever seemed concerned that what we were doing was particularly "gay". It was just fun! Hopefully my experiences might inspire and help others who are trying to film their own such projects.
- Derek