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ENSO Productions Presents: CRUEL WORLD
It’s been a while since we’ve last heard from the official YouTube channel for ENSO Productions as their members have likely been busy growing their respective careers, including independent filmmaker, industry stuntman and fight choreographer Walter Garcia whose work has been written about quite a few times on my site, as well as a handful of others in the last several years. He’s one of the most prolific action designers I know of and his online resume of shortfilms are proof of just how good he is behind the camera, as well as in front of it.
You can now check out some of his latest work behind the camera right now in the new online test fight short, Cruel World, with Ryan Robertson and featuring fellow ENSO members Travis Gomez and Isaac Hughes. It’s only a few minutes long, but still makes for another artful presentation of solid fight choreography incorporated with a touch of drama to level up some of the intensity.
These guys aren’t just stuntmen. In my opinion, they’re actors in their own right, as it takes such a talent to also make stunt work convincing, on top of the physical requirements needed.
Hughes is also the subject of a new stunt reel which you can also check out below the new short test fight. Feel free to share this article or head over to the channel to subscribe and share the videos directly with friends!
"Are You Ready!?!" Watch The New LBP Test Fight Short, THROWDOWN!
Michael Lehr and Alexander Hashioka-Oatfield trade shots in the LBP short, THROWDOWN
Independent filmmaker Emmanuel Manzanares continues to entertain the masses this month with a brand new pound-for-pound action short titled Throwdown. Filmed just this past Sunday, the project is one in a continual series of the usual experimental pieces representing the body of work by LBP Stunts Chicago as Manzanares expands his craft with other stunt performing actors in front of the camera, this time with LBP member Alexander Hashioka-Oakfield and West coast-based Fight Factory’s own Michael Lehr.
I spoke to the two performers this week leading the way with Lehr, who recently appeared opposite actor and director John Wusah in their latest collaboration titled Valiant just last week. And it just so happens that while Lehr has been familiar with LBP’s work for a long period of time, Throwdown is his first pairing with Manzanares and anyone from his team, which he describes best as an “eye-opening” experience. “Everytime I think I’m good at stunts and fighting, I work with aces like these guys and I get a good reminder of how much I can improve.” he says. “…They were very friendly, very accommodating and patient.” With several more projects Lehr will be involved in between now and this summer, Lehr expressed his humilty and hopes his next adventure with LBP won’t be too far off, adding “I learned a lot from them, and for such a short shoot, they managed to make me look credible. I’m always trying to surround myself with people I think are better than myself, so hopefully they’ll let me work with them again ASAP.”.
Hashioka-Oatfield, a member of the team since its conception between 2007 and 2008 who has appeared in several pieces I have written about in the past year, can certainly side with Lehr in vouching for the amount of impact that entails in combining similar goals with like-minded folks such as Manzanares. “Any amount of committed training produces results, and working with good people always forces you to raise your game.” says Hashioka-Oatfield. “And since we train hard and regular, it’s fairly easy to grow and make moves. And obviously, in any group, diversity is important, so I’ve tried to branch out and do more than just our stunt training with our guys.”. On that note, he also spoke highly of Lehr on their first time performing together, saying “It was a fun time! Mike has plenty of legit fight training to draw on, and it’s just a matter of channeling that ability towards performance. Honestly, it’s always a little nerve wracking fighting someone new, especially with lots of in ring training. However, Mike has great control and ability. I think he can go as far as he wants with the fight specialty.”.
Currently, Lehr is set to produce a few projects next month, in addition to a Fight Factor sci-fi short with stunt player and actress Katelyn Brooke, as well as playing the lead in an upcoming Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu-oriented webseries, and appearing in NBC’s new medical drama, The Night Shift this fall. Meanwhile, TV viewers can expect to catch Hashioka-Oatfield in a few stunt appearances later this year, including the NBC series Chicago PD, with credits shared with a few more folks from LBP Stunts Chicago in director Neil Burger’s Divergent, in thearers on March 21.
Check out Throwdown in the embed below where you may also subscribe and stay tuned for more info and exciting content.
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