mickey facchinello

LBP Stunts Pays Tribute To Hong Kong Classic, WHEELS ON MEALS

It’s not a formula all indie filmmakers use, but it does prove to be a useful tool for developing rudimentary skills needed when trying to understand how to shoot action and what techniques to include in your choreography. It’s why guys filmmakers like Hung and Chan became the trendsetters they still are, and if you’re considering stepping into the fray with your own vision for action, you’d best do your homework, especially if you want me to write a good review. *wink*

ATLAS CAM FIGHT Brings You A Whole New View Of Action

Lee B. Golden III

Ben Jenkin and Solomon Brende demonstrate their freerunning skills with Atlas Cam equipment.

If you look at any fight scene from a film or an online test fight such as the ones I have hosted on this site, they all have their own flavor and vision as per their stunt coordinators and choreographers and directors. Such was the case for the latest online gem brought to you courtesy of Microdrones-pictures, a company best known for its high-flying style and vision of cinematography by way of stuntman and stunt coordinator Ferdi Fischer, whose latest experiment is now available online, simply called Atlas Cam Fight.

Assisted by fellow stuntman and cinematographer Daniel Leavitt, the new video’s main focus aisde from illustrating the action was to demonstrate just how Atlas works; Basically it’s a camera stabilizer that fits on the shoulder from the front to the back of its user. The result is what you see below, courtesy of director and fight choreographer James Young. And while this particular equipment isn’t used often in Hollywood, it makes one curious. Could this be the future of fight scene cinematography?

Check out the sampler below, featuring Brendon Huor, Travis Wong, Gui DaSilva and Mickey Facchinello, with Ben Jenkin and Solomon Brende. And to learn more about Microdrones-pictures, feel free to give their Facebook page a few minutes of your time.

Updates On STAR WARS VII; Pre-Viz Light Saber Action By Philip Silvera

Lee B. Golden III

News and updates on anything related to writer and director J.J. Abrams‘ Star Wars: Episode VII have been in a constantly fluxuating state. Names and faces of expected cast members ranging from original franchise actors Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrrison Ford, to some new names being circulated for a Jedi lead have all made headlines in the past few months. And with Inside Llewyn Davis actor Adam Phelps and 12 Years A Slave actress Lupita Nyong’o being heavily talked about to portray specific roles in the film, all we can really wait for is an official press release of some kind that will handle all the ins and outs of just what this new production will entail.

On Tuesday however, at least a few other pieces of news have been confirmed regarding the new expected cast of the film, which in some form or another will include “a trio of new young leads along with some very familiar faces.”, setting the new trilogy thirty years after the first two chapters which capped off at the 1983 film, Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi, according to the latest reports forwarded at ComingSoon.net. Other than that, any news that comes our way is bound to either continue stirring things up in the rumorsphere before we actually receive something solid.

What also awaits is learning who will be designing new trilogy’s signature light saber battles and stunt sequences. And with this, I now bring you at least one video that has been making the rounds this week featuring pre-viz light saber action choreographed by Philip J. Silvera, who also shares credits for at least two Star Wars video game titles in the last several years. Silvera also has an extensive film and TV credit listing as a formidable stuntman and fight choreographer, and although it is unlikely that Silvera will be the one directing the action, judging by the video below, it does bring an otherwise interesting question as to how the new lightsaber battles will be coordinated and shot, considering the ones in the first six films were given such a distinct look and feel. And I also wonder how the hardcore fans of this epic and continually growing space opera will receive it when the film is finally packaged and delivered on December 18, 2015.

Watch Silvera’s concept video below and judge for youself! Also featured are demo performances by Wayne Dalglish, as well as Mickey Facchinello and Gui DaSilva, of which fans can also expect the latter two to appear in the forthcoming independent Star Wars series fan pilot, Dark Betrayal, from creator Noah Fleder over at Force Storm Entertainment very soon.

Stick around, and may the force be with you!

Caitlin Dechelle Hammers Away In A New Fan Fight Tribute To THE RAID 2!

Lee B. Golden III

Fans of martial arts action cinema like myself and independent filmmaker Vlad Rimburg represent a majority of people eagerly awaiting the official March 28 release date of writer and director Gareth Evans’s new epic crime thriller, The Raid 2. However, on Tuesday evening, Rimburg took to his channel to offer an inspired look at actress Julie Estelle’s portrayal of the iconic character, Hammer Girl, in a new, brutal, bloody and spectacularly violent fan short by CZ12 co-star and action actress Caitlin Dechelle.

Rehearsed last week in the course of two days and filmed only several days ago, the Hammer Girl fan fight marks Rimburg‘s second project with Dechelle since a chance meeting in 2012 during a photo shoot with photographer and performer Tony Chu. That photo shoot eventually led to their first collaboration later that year for the two-part ensemble action piece, Part 2: Chapter A, and the two had been making an extensive effort to do it all again ever since. Fast forward through 2014, and this is where it gets all kinds of weird and exciting for me, because this is the first time I’m including myself in a report of this nature.

I won’t delve too much into the details as I welcome all of you to read more about how the project came to fruition in the description of the video. But from the bottom of my heart, I am deeply thankful to have such a wonderful extended circle of taleneted acquaintances and friends with like-minded goals. I consider myself very fortunate this week. I am humbled to be included in such a project, and thankful to have inspired such a fine group like this one seen here. They did all the work, and as fans of the action genre, we owe these people our boundless support!

Subscribe to Rimburg‘s channel in the embed below, and stay tuned to Film Combat Syndicate for more exciting content to come!

REEL TIME: Mickey Facchinello (2014)

Lee B. Golden III

Action fans can expect plenty of surprises this year from independent action filmmaker and rising star in fight choreography, Vlad Rimburg with his latest project putting him on the path to the galaxy far, far away with creator and Force Storm Entertainment frontman, actor and action actor Noah Fleder‘s currently-developing Star Wars fan series project. Leading the first of the series is an episode titled Dark Betrayal which features an amazing slate of some of the best cinematic action performers to take the internet by storm in recent history, including LBP Stunts Chicago member, action actress and stuntwoman Mickey Facchinello taking the lead in Sith form as you can see in the photo aligned above left.

[UPDATED] Force Storm Entertainment Reveals New Concept Character Photos And New Campaign Video

Lee B. Golden III

Martial artist, actor, producer and scribe Noah S. Felder is currently in the middle of a major project devoted to Star Wars fans and action cinema junkies over at his base of operations with Force Storm Entertainment. As such, with his newest crowdfunder just 24 days before its deadline, the excitement and anticipation continues build as the project has now begun showcasing new promotional artwork and concept photos to showcase a sample of how some of its characters will look, including actors Brendon Huor, actress Mickey Facchinello, actors Gui DaSilva, Jimmy Chhiu and Yoshua Sudarso, and actor, fight choreographer and director Vlad Rimburg.

Check out the gallery below, and if you are not yet familar with the project, click HERE to read the initial report, and then visit the official Indiegogo campaign page to learn how you can donate and benefit from your generousity.

A Storm Is Brewing For Noah Fleder’s New Channel, FORCE STORM ENTERTAINMENT!

Lee B. Golden III

If you have been tuning into Film Combat Syndicate, chances are you have had the good fortune of coming across some of the best independently made martial arts action short films and test fights to make our way in recent years and months. More importantly, action fans, particularly fans geared toward science fiction might have even caught The Stunt People’s own Eric Jacobus with his crowdpleasing Star Wars Go Pro lightsaber Vader Strikes project. Well, here and now in 2014, the trend continues with different players and a different vision as actor and martial artist Noah Fleder initiates the newest Indiegogo campaign for his own Star Wars fan-driven action channel, Force Storm Entertainment.

Fleder briefly spoke to Film Combat Syndicate late last year about his new project as things were still in development at the time. “I grew up as a HUGE Star Wars fan all starting with the ORIGINAL film (A New Hope) and I was hooked.” he says. “I started to get all of my friends from around my block as kids playing with lightsabers and nurf guns… and then I started to read the books and play the games. Now I feel like I have the friends and resources to make my own films within the Star Wars universe.” He then added, “Also I grew up backpacking, in the outdoors doing lots of martial arts as a child growing up, so that went hand in hand with my wild imagination as far as Star Wars goes.”.

As Fleder continues his journey into Force Storm Entertainment with the self-appointed task of writing, executive producing, co-coordinating and performing throughout, he won’t be alone, as he will be accompanied by some of the biggest and most impactful action performers to date, namely premier martial arts action aficionado and indepenent filmmaker Vlad Rimburg (pictured right). The two recently worked together on just a few projects last year, including producer Travis Wong’s original webseries The Hunt for the Flow YouTube channel, as well as Rimburg‘s Donnie Yen-inspired Special ID miniseries, and it’s easy to see why Fleder would choose such a great action choreographer like Rimburg in the first place. “His WILD imagination and creative process is why I love working with him.”, Fleder says of Rimburg. “His ability to capture the fighters skill on camera and develop great choreography is why I feel honored to have him apart of this project. I remember the first time I worked with him on The Hunt, he told me to think of a quick kick combination before Brendon Huor finished me in the fight. I asked him if I could do a double front kick to side kick combo in the air, and he didnt think I could do it. So he said ‘you get three shots…after that we move on.’ After my first successful attempt, he yelled ‘HELL YEA NOAH!! You can do it as many times as you want!!’”.

With filming to hopefully begin sometime this month, the ambitious new series will be aimed at illustrating varying storylines hosted with a number of fighting styles and philosophies emphasizing the use of The Force and lightsaber choreography as a whole, and will bring lead actress Mickey Facchinello on board along with Zero Gravity stunt impressario Tony Chu, and a reunion of several actors from The Hunt, including Brendon Huor, Yoshua Sudarso, Gui DaSilva and Jimmy Chhiu; That’s just for the first installment considering Fleder is hoping to do an entire series, which means future videos could very well include perfomers and actors from other teams around the country and possibly the world. But as with all things in film, this can only happen with your donation.

So if you want to see some more Jedi and Sith muscle in your martial arts entertainment and you believe in what Fleder and Rimburg have to offer, then head on over to the official Force Storm Entertainment Indiegogo page to view Fleder‘s campaign video, a list of who the selected performers listed so far with links to their respective work, and the perks with which you can benefit from your donation, and much more!

Also, be sure to LIKE the official Facebook fan page for Force Storm Entertainment as a further show of your support. And as always, may the force be with you!

LBP Stunts Chicago Reunites Three Of Its Own For Some KUNG FU FIGHT PRACTICE!

Lee B. Golden III

Premier action choreography and screenfighting troupe LBP Stunts Chicago makes a triumphant brief return to the foray with three of its own in a brand new fight Kung Fu practice clip directed by LBP mainstay Emmanuel Manzanares, with performances by LBP members, actors and stunt professionals Brendon Huor and Mickey Facchinello. Both performers have extensive experience in acting and stuntwork, in addition to the two last recently appearing opposite each other in action filmmaker Vlad Rimburg’s Donnie Yen-inspired miniseries with Special ID Episode 1: The Mute.

The new clip also marks the first time Facchinello and Huor have worked with Manzanares since collaborating with Thousand Pounds Action Company action coordinator and fellow performer Vonzell Carter for a Samurai Champloo-inspired practice fight back in 2011. “It’s always fun to work with them.”, he says of Facchinello and Huor. “We all understand each other, so the process is easy. Plus both Brendon and Mickey work really hard at what they do, and it always shows in their performances.”.

I also got to talk a little bit with to Huor and Facchinello on Monday about getting back together after so long, addition to some of the respective qualities they view in each other’s performance. “It was cool!”, Huor writes. “I had just gotten back from Chicago and Mickey had been really wanting to do a fight with me. Just so happened that weekend was open for us, so it was a little hard to find the energy and motivation after traveling so much but I was glad that I did.” Huor was also very upbeat when I asked him about Facchinello‘s qualities as a screenfighter and what makes her such a great professional to work with. “She doesn’t panic in the moment, no matter how hard I’m swinging or kicking at her.”, he says. “And, she’s very knowledgeable about martial arts, so she is able to do the same move different ways, which is so important and helpful. Also, she has really good intensity and energy which makes it easy to be IN the scene with her.”.

I have written about Facchinello‘s work a few times between the blog and the page in the past year or so since I began Film Combat Syndicate, and I was always so eager to talk to her directly and get a dialogue going. So I was very pleased when I got to ask her a few questions in addition to redirecting the ones I asked Huor. To start things off, I asked Facchinello about what inspired her to step into the field of acting and stuntwork. “Well, there’s a lot.”, she says, before pointing out certain aspects like creative freedom and the general love of performance as two principal reasons behind her inspiration. In speaking for herself and Huor, she tells Film Combat Syndicate, “We both love being able to take a character, a style, an idea, etc.. And making it come to life as best we can. Sometimes we are time-crunched, or we come across things that make it more difficult. Like location issues, weather, etc. but it all just makes us better in the end I suppose.”.

On her answer regarding what makes Huor such a great partner to great with, Facchinello reciprocated with her own approval, despite not being able to work much with him. “…To be honest, not trying to ‘toot his horn’ or anything but he is probably one of the best performers all around (as a whole: being versatile), that I know.”, she writes. “He adapts and he learns quickly, not to mention he’s trained in a ton already. He’s a great teacher, he can act, etc.. Just very talented all around. He is one of my main role-models!”.

Look out for more on the way from Manzanares as he continues to put out more creativity in the year ahead. Furthermore, you can also expect to hear more from Manzanares as he and the cast and crew of the upcoming feature-length action comedy, Unlucky Stars, prepare a new crowdfunder for the film’s post production, film festival circulation and DVD printing in the year ahead. Theatergoers can also expect to see Facchinello’s credits in the upcoming releases of Jupiter Ascending (July 18) and 22 Jumpstreet (June 13). Meamwhile, you can also catch Huor and Manzanres in their upcoming stunt performances in director Neil Burger’s sci-fi thriller, Divergent (March 21).

To catch Huor‘s previous performance in the Vlad Rimburg-directed short, Dragon Lady, CLICK HERE. And for more information on LBP Stunts Chicago, click the appropriate tag below or visit their official website.

Special2520ID25202528Donnie2520Yen2520kitchen2520fight2520inspiration2529_HD_119328-1

Mickey Facchinello Harnesses Her Inner-Yen In SPECIAL ID – EPISODE 1: THE MUTE

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been a lucrative year for independent action extraordinare, director and choreographer Vlad Rimburg. If you’ve been following Rimburg long enough, then you’re likely familiar with the copious amounts of work he has distributed in garnering the credibility he now has as one of the foremost independent action designers of our time. Well on Friday, nothing changed, with newly releasing his Donnie Yen-inspired action short film, Special ID – Episode 1: The Mute, based on one of the most recently unveiled teaser clips prior to the release of Donnie Yen’s latest action thriller from director Clarence Fok.

Filmed as the hopeful start of a new webseries, the new short was shot last weekend on Sunday afternoon at 3pm PST through 4am the following morning, with actress, action performer and Hollywood stuntwoman Mickey Facchinello (above/right) fitting Yen’s shoes as a mute demon huntress in a brutal, contained battle with The Hammer, played by Jimmy Chhiu (above/left) and his small group of demonic henchmen. Facchinello‘s previous credits with Rimburg include Chapter 1: Part C, Men In Suits and Chapter 2: Parts A and B which also featured actor Gui DaSilva, and CZ12 co-star, actress Caitlin Dechelle. Rimburg and Facchinello were supposed to work together again in January earlier this year, but Facchinello had other plans overseas. Facchinello recently made her appearance as one of the masked killers in the futuristic horror thriller from director James DeMonaco, The Purge.

I asked Rimburg what he enjoys most about working with Facchinello, who shares her martial arts lineage with the likes of actors and martial arts performers Mike Chat and Matt Mullins over at Team Sideswipe, and is also a member of LBP Stunts Chicago and Thousand Pounds Action Company. “I believe that Mickey is arguably the best female screen fighter around.” he says. “Her technique is clean and she adapts very well to anything I throw at her. She wrecks and she’s not afraid to go hard with the boys. I would love to see her in a Hong Kong finale.”

Rimburg continues his long path toward his dream of becoming a mainstream action director for bigger films to this day. Martial arts action cinema lovers will also be happy to know that Rimburg will be co-starring in Dennis Ruel’s directorial feature-length debut, Unlucky Stars, in which he also directed the action sequences, attributing specifically to a contemporary adherance to the classic Golden Harvest/Media Asia label Hong Kong action comedies of the 1980’s that most of us know and hold near and dear. And for all things considered, directing innovative, classic sequences is something Rimburg is not hesitant to express himself over.

“I love having the freedom to create.” he tells Film Combat Syndicate. “To be able to think of something and put it in a visual format, to me, is one of the greatest feelings there is. There are no limitations when thinking. Even if I know I’m choreographing something that I can’t film for a year or two, I love being able to fill my mind of beautiful and violent images. Most importantly though, I want to keep the art of martial arts filmmaking alive. It’s great to see the independent community continue to produce fights done right, in a time where fast editing and funky camera angles dominate skill and technique.”

Personally, I hope this won’t be the last we see from Rimburg. Even moreso, I hope Hollywood is paying attention to what Rimburg has to offer. Many a stuntman and woman I have shared words with speak nothing but praise for his efforts. Accordingly, I hope we continue seeing more of these from Ms. Facchinello for years to come. She’s a fan favorite, for certain. And of course, if you need to see more to believe, you can always explore the Youtube channel in the embed below.

Special ID – Episode 1: The Mute also stars Michael Lehr, Jimmy Chhiu, Brendon Huor, Bryan Cartago, Alfred Hsing, Jerry Quill, Noah Fleder and Brian Le.