Emmy-nominated stunt coordinator and performer Victor Paguia joins No Film School’s GG Hawkins to explain how action sequences are designed around character, story, safety, and production realities. Drawing on more than two decades of experience—including his work on I Am Legend, Zombieland, and CBS’s FBI—Paguia discusses breaking into the stunt industry, developing distinct fighting styles for characters, creating ambitious television action on an eight-day prep schedule, and using previsualization to make sequences safer and more effective. He also shares practical advice for independent filmmakers staging action with limited time and resources.
In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Victor Paguia discuss...
How competitive diving prepared Paguia to perform under pressure
Crashing the callback that led to his first stunt job on I Am Legend
Why effective stunt work must serve the story rather than spectacle
Finding the line between exciting action and physically unbelievable action
Developing a shared movement language for zombies and other creatures
Why fast zombies are more intimidating—and more enjoyable to perform
Building action around the established strengths of a character
Giving the agents on FBI distinct fighting styles based on personality and physicality
Keeping fights, chases, and takedowns fresh across multiple seasons
The differences between preparing action for a feature film and a network television series
Choreographing and teaching fights to actors while filming on a tight schedule
Why filmmakers should slow down instead of rushing on set
How stunt doubles help actors learn choreography and improve their performances
Using an iPhone to previs camera angles, movement, costumes, and choreography
How smaller camera systems have expanded the possibilities for action photography
Monitoring multi-camera stunt sequences when playback is unavailable
Why micro-budget filmmakers should design action within their actual resources
The driving, fighting, falling, and wire-work skills aspiring stunt performers should develop
How collaboration between departments creates memorable action
Memorable Quotes:
“Telling the story of the movie is more important than performing the action.”
“Slow is smooth, smooth is fast—and wear sunscreen.”
“Stunt doubles aren't just there to perform the action instead of the actor. They're also there to help choreograph and teach and show.”
“It's enticing to try to go for bigger than you can actually handle, but it may end up just looking bad or sort of amateur.”
Guests:
Victor Paguia
Resources:
Watch Victor Paguia’s Zombieland stunt
Extraction 2 Director Sam Hargrave’s Advice on Oners, Stunts, and Emails
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