Independent filmmaker Kevin Barile has been keeping himself pretty busy since 2008 when he relocated from the East coast to Los Angeles to go to film school. Nowadays, anyone who is an action fan will be likely to find him on YouTube showcasing his creativity as an up-and-coming actor, stuntman and fight choreographer, and his latest test fight short, Lift, is a nice little sampler of his growing skillset.
As an actor, he enjoys getting his hands dirty from time to time, although he prefers to be behind the camera creating action sequences, where his passion lies most in filmmaking. “There is something about making action movies that is different from all other genres of film.” he says. “Only when making action movies (martial arts fight scenes in particular) do you actually FEEL the hard work you are putting into it. You finish the day exhausted, sweaty and dirty, and you come back the next day bruised and sore. Action is unique in this way. I enjoy that pain. That pain verifies that I left it all out there and that I gave it my all.”
The test fight also contains some pretty hilarious bloopers near the end to show viewers a lot of the lighter moments of making little online gems such as this. And I have to say, as a motivating tool for what I do on my site, it is really great to see such chemistry and comradery between folks on the screen, especially here between Barile and fellow performer, stuntman and actor Jon Miguel. “…I’ve known Jon for years.” says. “We met on the east coast and have participated in wushu tournaments and martial arts shows together. He learned and remembered the choreography right away It was great finally fighting Jon one on one in this scene.”
Between now and next year, Barile hopes to officially begin principal photography for his Connecticut hometown directorial debut, Kidnapped, for which he is also writing the screenplay. And while the project is still in its early stages of pre-production, with any luck, the right script and the right budget will accomodate the talent Barile may wish to add to the production. So, obviously, details are still pending.
In the meantime, check out Lift in the embed below where you can also subscribe to Kevin Barile‘s channel. And for more on his projects and plans for the future, visit his official website.