NEW DEHLI: Iron Man stunt director Eric Oram feels that Bollywoood films are much more fun than American movies in several ways. He believes that there has been a noticeable leap forward in the production value of Indian cinema.
“The production value seems to be getting better. Over the past several years, Bollywood films are being taken more and more seriously by Hollywood film-makers,” said Oram.
Oram is looking forward to the third part in the enormously popular Iron Man series, starring Robert Downey Jr, Guy Pearce and Gwyneth Paltrow, and is directed by Shane Black.
Iron Man 3 more of an action-thriller featuring popular Marvel comic character, Iron Man. What’s different this time?
There is a big difference in the story and in the tone of IM3. In IM1, we saw the rise of Iron Man. Tony is transformed into a more honest, likeable character than when he began.
In the second film, we saw the reaction and response to his rise. And though Tony manages to keep his tongue in cheek approach to saving the world intact, he is in fact challenged and humbled by his experience.
In this film, we see how being that hero has taken a huge toll on Tony and on those around him. This is a story about the man behind the iron mask, Tony Stark. It is about how he has to come out from hiding (behind the iron shield), and not just face his enemies, but himself.
How challenging is it to train actors?
The challenge of training most actors is time. Depending on the demands of the character, a given scene, or a given shot, we are usually racing against the clock from the word go. Every single actor is different and brings a unique set of strengths and weaknesses into the process. It is our (the stunt department’s) job to hide those weaknesses and showcase their strengths.
Advanced technology and equipment have helped improve shooting stunt scenes. Can you comment on that?
Certainly, there have been many leaps forward in film technology, and in the equipment we use in creating action, that have made it a lot easier to design and develop stunt sequences. When a stunt or fight is done practically, it has a certain look to it, which is still better than what a computer can create. Our goal on IM3 was to do every possible stunt and fight practically, only if it was absolutely necessary, would we turn it into a green screen shot.
The more realistic and practical the stunt or fight is, the more it increases the chances of the actor getting injured. The goal is to find the balance between what we can get away with doing for real, and what needs to be done with computer-generated imagery (CGI).
Hollywood has influenced Bollywood in a big way when it comes to action and adventure. What do you have to say about Bollywood films?
They don’t seem to take themselves as seriously as Hollywood films do. They can gracefully flow from a really intense and dramatic action sequence one minute, into a musical song and dance number the next. That kind of command of multiple genres compacted into a single Bollywood film is quite a feat!
The stunt coordinator on IM3, Markos Rounthwaite, was the action director for the recent hit, Ek Tha Tiger, before returning to Hollywood to work with us on IM3!
How do you control or manage the fear factor among actors?
Fear management among actors is a rather layered process. Because most actors are not trained fighters or stunt performers, they have to appear to be, and they must do so, again, in a very short amount of time. This can be very daunting, even for the most flexible of egos.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 19th, 2013.
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