Szoby Cseh - Romanian Father of stunts

(still image from"Inima de Tigan" - Acasa TV)

24 noiembrie 2009 - President Traian Basescu has given to the great stuntman Szoby Cseh Ordinul National Serviciul Credincios in grad de Cavaler (Faithful Service National Order in Knight degree) as sign of high appreciation''for talent, dedication and proven professionalism throughout his career in film, theater and television, and for his work to combat negative social phenomena by new methods, based on the performing arts and sport".

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..During the making of most films nowadays, there are several dangerous & sometimes death defying scenes, such as: high falls from buildings, high speed crashes, body burns, fantastic fights, amazing bike tricks, the list is endless. All these scenes requires the use of Professional Stunt Personnel.

....A “Shower” of kicks and punches, broken chairs and tables a clash of swords, gun shots, horses falling, explosions, capsized cars or a fall from some giddy height – all of the above life threatening fetes of life and death are in a days work for Professional Stunt Personnel – it’s where a stuntmen lives!

The attendance think they are crazy people, ready to risk their life… It isn’t exactly the right thing to say!!!

....You can’t call yourself a stuntman even if you have a lot of guts and physical qualities. Brave people who can fall from great heights or set themselves on fire (to look important or for the money) are everywhere, but the stunt business is an industry and the stuntman must be a very great practitioner of their trade.

....The first stuntmen in the world were the ones used to the risks: Circus people, acrobats, sportsmen (boxers, fighters…), rodeo riders, pilots, etc… They performed the first action scenes for films and thanks to them (at the expense of some life) we can today produce very spectacular stunts, with minimum risk to the stunt performer. It’s only fit and proper to give thanks to the pioneers of this profession, people such as: Joe Hamman, Douglas Fairbanks, Gil Delamare – the latter died while he was shooting “The Watching Saint” (1966) when, for the first time in his life, he wasn’t wearing any safety equipment, this proving to be a fatal mistake.

....In Romania, the first official acknowledgement of this profession was made by the hiring of Szabolcs (Szoby) Cseh (a.k.a."Hare Lips” - from “Margelatu” serial films) as fully time fight adviser at Studioul Cinematografic “Bucuresti”. His performances made him the most outstanding stuntman - some of his daring stunts have never attempted again by anyone in the world!

We thank all those who contributed to the training and development in this thrilling profession!!!

...Who’s the stuntman?

....A man who uses special equipment in order to carry out some dangerous activities, requested in the film/drama script on the screen play. He replaces an actor in some scenes which require daring or imply a physical risk.

...Stunt Performers are members of association and/or unions and their admission is made by the vote and a recommendation of existing Stunt Performers. The stuntmen work in teams, under the supervision of Stunt Coordinator’s.

..The stunt coordinator:

...Is an experienced stuntman. He transposes, organizes and arranges the choreography of the action and the stunts performed in a film, a show or a play. He establishes how many Stunt Performers are required and contracts them depending on their training and ability; he has to make sure that all safety conditions are fulfilled, the performer is adequately equipped in order to carry out in safe conditions the required stunts during any performance. The Stunt Coordinator should always be present on the film set / stage, even if the scene doesn’t require the presence of Stunt Performers, to supervise some scenes performed by actors (when an actor is involved in any type of physical exertion,…).

...He’s normally hired by the producer, director, stage manager or somebody in a position of authority. Engaging an experienced Stunt Coordinator on any production is a very important decision in order to ensure the correct logistic shooting/performance schedule with the correct health and safety of all stunt personnel/actors/crew). Stunt Coordinators could be either men or women (there are situations when an actress or the parents of a child are more comfortable with the idea that a woman is responsible for his/her safety).

...A Stunt Performer must be able to communicate, be skilful, ingenious, inventive, sensitive and trust worthy (a very important attribute!!!). They must be very self-discipline (to be fully aware of the importance of the health and safety conditions) and has to be capable of working in teams. They must have specialized training in all types of stunts they execute (E.g. martial arts, gymnastics, fencing, driving, etc...). They have to be familiar with all kind of stunt work and to know when it’s prudent to stand aside for a certain stunt.

...They must have an officially recognised knowledge of First Aid, be fully aware and able to use the very latest innovations in protective clothing and stunt equipment, be in excellent physical shape, health, be supple and have excellent coordination - these are compulsory requirements for any Stunt Performer. Unfortunately there are no compulsory educational levels in this profession but it’s very important to have recognised qualifications in physical education, acting and first aid.

...Here are some domains in witch a stuntman must have skills:gymnastics, acrobatics; martial arts (boxing, judo, karate...); performance driving / motor-racing;dancing, acting / performing (on stage); stage fights; mountaineering; horse riding.

...To have experience in other sports such as water skiing, diving, paragliding, parachutes, etc…, is also useful.

...The Stunt Performer trains themselves to perform stunts during the pre-production time available preceding the filming on set. Working conditions are not always perfect so health and safety should always be a major consideration on any film set involving stunts. A safety crew comprising of trained safety personnel must always be present on the film set when a stunt is executed.
...There isn’t a strict daily program (such as… 8 hours a day), Stunt Performers have an extended working program even on weekends (over 12 hours a day). Stunt fees vary and usually depend on the required type of stunt and its complexity.

...Any idea about making huge amounts of money from performing stunts is very wrong. Life and health can’t be equated to money and the years of training and effort behind the Stunt Performers performance – this can never be recovered.

...The Stunt Performer is exposed to an intense amount of stress before and during the days when stunts are executed. The effects of the physical knocks, bangs and breaks that they have to endure when executing stunts can lead to muscle stretching, sprains, fractures, the traumatism of organs and the nervous system. This can on occasions lead to lengthy periods of hospitalisation.

...Insurance, training and the necessary technical and sports equipment required often leads to heavy expenses for the Stunt Performer to perform in safe conditions.

Modesty, respect, courage, excellent physical shape, an appetite for knowledge, a willingness to push themselves beyond their limits are just some of the Stunt Performers attributes.

Stunts are a team profession and respect for others within the profession is the key to success!!!

Money and adrenaline seekers are advised to focus on extreme sports, where the requirements aren’t anywhere near as complex!