Post-production remains pending for Jennifer Linch’s debut martial arts comedy feature, Kung Fu Ghost. Additional photography is set to shoot later this summer consummate the film’s completion as Linch tentatively looks toward a strategic late 2020 presentation.
For now, we turn to at least one other key stunt performer on the project, namely Shane Alexander, who serves as the film’s stunt coordinator. He joins us in the latest chapter of our ongoing Capturing Ghosts interview series to promote Kung Fu Ghost, as we hope to share the stage with Linch in the not too distant future.
For previous reads, click here and here.
Greetings Shane and thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for readers. How are you and yours coping nowadays with the pandemic up to this point.
Hi Lee! I’m doing okay, trying to stay busy and find any way to train during this pandemic.
You’ve been on a few projects with Jennifer Linch including her latest debut, Kung Fu Ghost. Tell us how you got into stunts and about some of your influences getting into the field.
My marital arts background was pretty much the start to my stunt journey, but what really spear headed it was Joining the United Stuntsmen Association and attending the international stunt school in Seattle, they taught me so much.
With Kung Fu Ghost being your first feature project, tell us how you and Jennifer met and what you worked on prior to joining the production.
I met Jennifer on while working on Unsaid, one of her short films, I came on last minute to do a few stunts including a stair fall scene and some fight scenes. I think what sold her was my awesome hand modeling though lol! Working on unsaid was great but brought on a new challenge since it was the first POV film I have ever done.
You serve as stunt coordinator on Kung Fu Ghost with your colleagues Jason Truong and Daniel Ford Beavis. Talk about what it takes to coordinate and orchestrate stunts on a small production like this.
A great team! If you don’t have a fantastic team you are in trouble! And I couldn’t have asked for a better team. Jason and Daniel were key to the stunts being pulled off safe and successful. We had to over come obstacles and put our minds together everyday, things could change at any moment and they did, so with Jasons skill and Daniels experience it made those moments a lot less stressful. I feel working on smaller features you need to be able to adapt and change on the fly and we were able to do just that as a team.
I heard you took quite a spill on this project yourself while doing stunts. Can you tell us about it?
I did take a couple hard hits, mostly to the ground. But the biggest one was going through the glass table and flat backing it on the ground safely. We only had one shot at the stunt since it was the only table we had for the production, so I had to hit my mark perfectly. Also if I didn’t hit my mark perfectly the legs on the table which are not designed to break could have speared me in the back and caused a serious injury. I did hit my mark though and the stunt went perfectly, I did hit my head a little though on the ground which knocked me out for a few seconds, but we got the shot!
How was it working with Jennifer on her first feature? I know it’s certainly a huge undertaking for you all.
Working on small features, usually the whole crew has to wear multiple hats to get everything done. And Jen was wearing a few hats to say the least. Jen did great though and she toughed through directing, acting as the lead, as well as doing all her own stunts! I was very impressed. I see many projects together in the future! ……….With more stunts!
They say that in making movies, you learn by doing. Is there anything you can share with us from your experience on Kung Fu Ghost?
Experience is always the best teacher! I always encourage people to work on a set doing what ever job you can no matter what you want to do in the film industry, especially when you are just starting out! The more you understand how the whole production works as a team the better you will become at your job on set. Make sure you are an asset to any production on multiple levels when needed. and always be willing to help out, because you are all in it together!
Do you have any plans to dive into other aspects of filmmaking apart from stunts?
I want to get into producing, you can’t do stunts forever. Our bodies just cant take it, and I went into this field understanding that. I didn’t know I wanted to get into producing until I started working on movies. It never really crossed my mind. But as I work more and more projects, I can totally see that as the path I want to take in the future, as well as stunt coordinating, but I still have a long way to go!
Speaking of, do you have any other projects lined up provided how progress looks going forward with the pandemic? And can you confirm if you’ll be back with Jen and the rest of the guys for her next project? I keep hearing fire will be involved!
I do have a few lined up, though the pandemic did put all of them on hold there are talks of getting everything going up again, including a possible gig in Canada! Jen and I have certainly talked about future projects together going forward! And I couldn’t do the projects with out Daniel and Jason, after KFG they are my ride or dies! Yes since all three of us have fire burn experience we would love to bring some great real fire burns to the next production! SFX will never beat a real fire burn scene in a movie. I also would like to incorporate some motorcycle stunts into the next project.
Are there any thoughts you would like to share with readers as we exit this interview?
Always follow your dreams and passions! Work hard stay humble and never get discouraged, power through even when times get tough! The end result can be so rewarding! And be sure to catch Kung Fu Ghost when it comes out!
