Still from Arrow season 6 sizzle reel, image via The CW/official CW YouTube
With Arrow season 6 off the ground, Culturess had the chance to interview James Bamford about masterminding the show’s most thrilling action sequences.
Like the vigilante at its center, Arrow has navigated its share of ups and downs over the years. A tentatively promising debut season paved the way for a magnificent sophomore season, which preceded an extended period of fumbling and stumbling. Then, just when all hope seemed lost, it roped us back in with a harrowing fifth season that brought Oliver’s journey full circle.
Yet, throughout this emotional and creative roller-coaster ride, one constant remained: the action was superb. Despite having a relatively microscopic budget, the original “Berlanti-verse” show puts big-screen blockbusters to shame, churning out intricate yet dynamic set pieces every week, from shootouts to motorcycle chases to old-fashioned knife duels. Credit James Bamford. Along with an ace team, the veteran stunt performer and coordinator established Arrow’s gritty yet elegant fight style. In season 4, he made his directorial debut with the episode “Brotherhood.” Needless to say, it went well; Bamford has helmed five episodes since — the season 6 premiere, “Fallout,” among them.
During the lead-up to season 6, we corresponded with Bamford, who is currently shooting this year’s epic Berlanti-verse crossover. He discussed his career, the logistics of setting up an action scene, and the relationship between real and fictional violence. (This interview has been edited for clarity and length.)
Before getting to Arrow, I want to dive a little into your career as a whole. I know that you started out as a stunt performer before getting into stunt coordination. What first attracted you to this kind of work? Were stunts something that always interested you?
I was interested in being a stuntman since I was a child. My father and I would watch television shows, such as Charlie’s Angels, Six Million Dollar Man, and The Fall Guy. I’d ask, “How does he/she do that Dad?” To which his reply was, “That’s a stuntman/woman, son.” We watched Muhammad Ali fight and speak in many interviews together. Later, by 7 years old, I was introduced to Kung Fu films from Hong Kong, as my mother worked for a cable vision company and we had access to international signals. Eventually, my uncles took me to the drive-in theater, which was playing Enter the Dragon starting Bruce Lee — and that sealed my fate. That was the “last straw”, as it were. That got me started training in the martial arts and eventually led to developing the skills necessary in becoming a stuntman.
How did you get into stunt work professionally? What kind of training and qualifications did it require?
I started training in martial arts at a very early age, and the martial arts… got me in the door of becoming a full-fledged stuntman. After I was initially hired as a fight double/choreographer for Michael Dudikoff, I was taken under the wing by many a talented and experienced stunt performer and taught the ropes — high falls, fire, driving, all the skills necessary to becoming a utility working stuntman. As I had been an actor early in life in community theatre, this added to my skills, as performance ability is also necessary to complete your platform in stunts. Acting is a big part of stunt doubling, or any stunt role.
After beginning as a performer, it was clear to me that one must study the camera and those controlling [it] on set to fully understand what being a solid stunt professional is about. It’s what being a solid filmmaker is about. The camera is the key. If you don’t understand it, you don’t understand the process. In my over 70,000 hours on film sets, I’ve studied under not only some world class stunt coordinators, but cinematographers, directors, and producers. If you didn’t learn something in all that time and experience on a film set, you simply weren’t paying attention. I paid attention. The information and experience I’ve gained is invaluable and not taught in any theory at any school. It’s been used and tested right in front of my eyes – proven methods, proven techniques.
Throughout your career, you’ve doubled various actors, such as Matthew Fox and Benico del Toro. As a double, how closely do you work with the actors? Do you focus purely on the physicality of the action or do you try to “get into character”?
I always looked at stunt doubling as being part of the character that the actor has created. I would study the actor’s movement and mannerisms until I could really get inside his head. Being a good stuntman isn’t just about being able to perform athletically, but about being able to perform and be a performer. When I doubled David Duchovny on The X-Files, I was often brought in just to run if David wasn’t available to shoot, as my ability to mimic his every subtle movement was well-known.
As a stunt performer, it’s your [job] to take over as the character when the actor isn’t on screen. You have to continue in the construction of what the actor has already established or built. You are the character. This follows through to becoming a stunt coordinator or fight coordinator as well, when giving direction and getting a performance from your actors. The essence of the character is in every foundation of the action performance. It extends into every movement and nuance. This ability to direct actors… is a large part of becoming a director and transferring all the skills and experience learned over the years into what often is a natural progression of a stunt coordinator.
What’s the difference between stunt and fight coordination? It sounds like a basic question, but like a lot of behind-the-scenes elements, most people aren’t familiar with stunt work. I hoped you could shed a little light on that.
Fight coordinators plan the physical choreography for any given fight sequence and may request a wire stunt, etc., within the fight sequence which the stunt coordinator would be responsible for arranging. The stunt coordinators are responsible for all stunts, including fights on a show, whereas the fight coordinator is only responsible for the fights. Unless the role is duo, as I was, being both a stunt coordinator and a fight coordinator simultaneously. Having a separate fight coordinator allows the stunt coordinator to concentrate his/her energies on other duties and leave the fight coordinator to his area of expertise. Thus, time management is effectively distributed and quality control is much tighter.
Moving on to Arrow, when the show began, you were a fight coordinator/choreographer and stunt coordinator along with J.J. Makaro. What did your role entail? What was your relationship with J.J. like?
I trained the actors/stunt performers in martial arts, choreographed the fights, and advised directors on shooting styles for the fights. I also covered set when other stunts were being performed. I went where we needed, depending on the schedule. I have worked with J.J. for many years on and off, and we work well together. I had just come off a film when Arrow was starting and jumped at the chance to be on the ground floor of something we all knew would be special.
What was it about Arrow that attracted you to the project?
I was shooting a feature in Havana, Cuba and received a very distorted phone call with a description of the lead character [Oliver Queen] and his possible abilities: an Olympic athlete on many levels, world class parkour, world class fighter/combat abilities, including an uncanny skill in archery. Dark, Batman-like themes. An uncompromising vigilante who will stop at nothing to administer justice. This first description had me hooked. It sounded like something I would watch.
Arrow has a very specific action style that’s both complex and grounded in realism. What went into developing that style? How did it evolve as the show progressed?
I just went with my gut instincts as to what I thought I should be developing. In the beginning, the director and producers really gave us a lot of trust and space to play with. There were a few simple rules to live by: be able to explain what’s transpiring on screen as it relates to the story and remain as grounded as possible within our own mythology we’ve created on the show. As the show processed, we introduced meta-humans, etc., so things can get a little fantastical. We endeavor to remain grounded within the framework we are given to play upon. We have opened up new avenues of shooting and elevated the action to new levels.
What is the process of designing action sequences like? For example, how detailed are the scripts in regards to action? Do you tailor the action to the editing and cinematography, or is it the other way around?
First step in designing any action sequence is to read the script and attend meetings with the director, writers, stunt department, art department, VFX, SPFX departments. Discuss what the director’s [and] producers’ visions are. Brainstorm ideas, come to an agreement on those ideas. All involved leave and begin physically preparing the concept that was discussed in the previous prep meetings and engage in several other mini-meetings along the way to solidify and expand the first discussion’s ideas.
Sometimes the scripts’ description of the action is very detailed, and the end result is identical to it. [Like] The Matrix. Take a read of that script and compare to the screen’s final product; those folks knew exactly what they wanted from day 1. On Arrow, the writers are quite open to collaboration on ideas to elevate, expand, improve the action in any way and trust that the stunt department has the experience and creativity to help in that manner.
A stunt coordinator must understand the camera and its process. If a sequence isn’t shot [or] edited correctly, it loses all of its intent in design, all of its impact. Even if a sequence is shot in an amazingly epic visual fashion, it can still be completely destroyed in the editing room by an inexperienced editor who isn’t comfortable with action. Editing action is a skill in itself… and unfortunately it’s not a skill that everyone possesses out there in film land. Quite often on an action savvy show, the action designer is very involved in the editing process at the request of the director, to his/her benefit. Not having an understanding of the flow, or techniques involved in the sequence can turn a beautifully crafted sequence into a chopped up bag of banjo chips.
People enjoy action scenes because they look cool from a visual standpoint. However, there are also practical concerns involved, such as the safety of the performers. How do you balance style versus practicality?
Experience gives you the tools to devise sequences that are not only visually appealing, but safe to perform. There is always a risk. If there wasn’t a risk, there wouldn’t be stunt performers. Anybody could do it, but there is a risk. People can sit safely behind their screens and enjoy the show, but stunt performers actually feel the pain and out that in the screen. There is a 100% injury rate in the stunt section of the industry.
Stunt performers are an elite group for a good reason. It’s not for everybody. It takes a very special type of person to do this for a living day in, day out. In an age when many people are content to sit behind their keyboard and insult people they’ve never met because they are safe and protected, stunt performers are out there risking their safety and sometimes their lives, for those same people who have insulted them or the show they work on. A true stunt performer is a true hero. The combination of bravery and skill involved is rare.
How often do the actors on Arrow perform their own stunts? I know Stephen Amell does many of them, but what about the others? Do you think it’s good for actors to do stunts themselves? Or do you think it does a disservice to professional stuntmen/women?
I incorporate an actor into a stunt sequence based on their natural ability and time they devote into training/rehearsal. It’s simply much like a baseball team: if you don’t come to practice, you end up on the bench. We can’t afford the safety concerns with a performer/actor who’s… not prepared 100%. Stephen Amell is an athletic phenomenon. Aside from attending many weeks of training with myself at the beginning of the pilot for Arrow, he has a natural disposition for picking up, remembering choreography. He can learn a short fight in 5-10 minutes and perform it safely with intensity. I welcome actors who add to the quality of the process, as Stephen does. We consider him captain of the Arrow stunt team.
Arrow season 6 trailer, screenshot courtesy of The CW/YouTube
During Arrow‘s fourth season, you started to direct. How did you make the transition? How did your background in stunts prepare you for directing?
As I mentioned, I’ve been studying since I began working in the film industry in 1991. Studying the stunt performers, stunt coordinators, actors, and studying the directors. I can’t count how many directors I’ve worked beside over those years, but I’ve tried to take some piece of advice or learn something from each one. The amount of experience and talent I’ve been exposed to from others is staggering….
I’ve directed many splinter and 2nd units over the years, and Arrow seemed like the right vehicle to jump into directing a full episode. I know the characters and the content as well as I know myself. It was a natural progression. Many, many stunt coordinators make the leap to second unit director — not many to main unit director, though. Fortunately, films like John Wick and Atomic Blonde were directed by stunt coordinators-turned-directors and have opened the door for more people such as myself to make the progression.
In this case, [producers] Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg gave me their faith and allowed me the opportunity to show them what I had to offer. They loved my first attempt, as did the studio, so they asked me to do another, then another, etc. and here we are. I trained my assistant, Curtis Braconnier, who is a very talented young man, to take over my position as stunt/fight coordinator so the show would be looked after by him as it had by me in the past. Together, with him and Eli Zagoudakis, the stunt team is flourishing.
The first episode you directed, “Brotherhood,” included a sequence with a long take following Willa Holland’s Thea down a hallway and into an elevator as she fights a couple of villains. I think it’s one of Arrow‘s best action scenes to date. What went into designing and filming it?
This was a sequence that I had in mind for years on end. It was inspired by a much longer sequence from an action feature film by John Woo, Hard Boiled, which goes on for over three minutes. Although on a TV series, we don’t have the screen time for a three-minute shot, we attempted to cram as much action into a solid 57-second one as possible. Even then, the shot was cut short in the final cut by approximately seven seconds from the original, trimmed so as to skip the last section and jump cut to what is the end of the fight. I hope that the audience can one day see the whole shot in its full glory.
The writers asked me if there was anything I had wanted to do on the show that hadn’t been done before. I told them about this shot, and they wrote it into the script. It was originally scripted as Arrow and Diggle fighting their way down a hallway, in [and] out of an elevator, etc. As the story developed, the action evolved to Speedy being the carrier of the action. Having been a stunt coordinator/fight choreographer myself, I planned this shot very differently than many directors would have. I first envisioned that visual of the shot and where/how I wanted the fight to travel.
We got to work on designing and building the set, including a working elevator, to my specs. For this shot to work, we needed the whole set, including the elevator doors, to be controlled by us, as timing was critical. Side-note: the doors failed to function correctly on the first 12-14 takes of the fight, so the fighters were completely exhausted in the final take you see on the aired episode. I believe there was some vomiting occurring between the last few takes. One solid minute of sheer fighting is a very long time for anybody.
Step two of the process is the actual choreography of the physical movements of the characters within the environment. Once I had decided on the set, I got together with fight choreographer Curtis Braconnier and talked through the specifics of my wants. Unlike many directors, I asked for very specific techniques, pace, and style at very specific times within the combat. Curtis has a great understanding of how I do things and my visual style [and] martial arts preferences. He went away and got to work with the stunt performers on the fight right away. As the weeks progressed, we would check back in with each other to ensure the plans were going down the path that I had specified and renamed on track. Curtis and his vast creativity [were] able to bring my dream to life before my eyes.
We had the advantage of having a script much longer in advance then normal for a TV series schedule, so our planning process was stretched out over a longer period then we would usually have. The fight had a chance to morph many times… into the wonderful ballet of combat you see now.
Overall, the shooting of the fight didn’t take long, although to get it just right we shot over 14 takes. In a one-r you don’t get to edit away mistakes. The whole shot has to be perfect. So, the performers get quite wiped out by the end. I’m very proud of what we accomplished on a relatively tight schedule, on a television budget, with very talented people involved all around.
In addition to Arrow, you directed one episode of Supergirl, last season’s “Survivors.” How did working on Supergirl differ from working on Arrow?
The circumstances in which I was brought [on] were not what you’d expect. There was another director involved in the onset of production of that episode. This director had some prior engagements to deal with, and Supergirl required a new director to step in to help complete the episode.
When I was approached by Andrew Kreisberg to shoot the episode, I asked how long there was left in the prep process. As most everyone knows in this business, prep is everything, especially on a show with the scale of Supergirl. I was told that prep was over, and could I start tomorrow morning, as they were already three days into shooting in the 10-day schedule. It was an honor to be asked, so I accepted the task, and there I was on the set the next day. I spent many hours with the previous director going over his plans and discussing what I might do differently and what I would do to try and maintain his original vision as well. I was brought to set, met the cast, immediately loved them, and was off to the races.
Unlike a regular episode, I had to leave immediately on completion, head over to Legends of Tomorrow and shoot a large sequence for the opening two episodes of last season, then proceed back to Arrow, where I commenced my prep for the 100th episode — the crossover of season 5. Although my Supergirl experience was brief, the cast left a feeling with me I carry this day. Every time I’m brought on to the set for second unit shots to direct, or they come over to Arrow, it’s like we’ve known each other for a lifetime.
So, I watched the season 6 premiere, “Fallout,” and wanted to ask you a couple questions about directing the episode. First, the lighting of the episode was striking. Because of how Oliver operates, a lot of Arrow takes place at night or in dark interiors. How do you ensure each scene is lit so it’s realistic but viewers can still tell what’s going on?
I work very hard with our cinematographers to create a look that is unique… Use of primary colors and use of shadow [and] contrast to show the viewer only what we want them to see, while allowing for depth… Arrow’s lighting is deep in its soul as one of the characters of the show.
Similarly, the cinematography has a fluidity that contrasts from the use of close-ups and rapid editing that’s so common in action filmmaking nowadays. Is it an active decision to deviate from the norm? How do you figure out a style that works for you?
If I have a personal “style”, it’s “flow”. I want the episode to flow from scene to scene seamlessly, and within a scene the editing shouldn’t be noticeable or shocking to the eye, unless it’s called for by the nature of the content. I want the visuals to breath and cut down on the claustrophobic feel that television sometimes has. The use of wide shots and quite often longer takes… is my way of forcing the audience into our environment. Cutting to close ups immediately takes the ride [in] a different direction and, in my opinion, is a very antiquated… style.
Although all the action scenes were excellent, the opening fight really stood out to me. What did you hope to achieve with that sequence in terms of storytelling? How did you approach designing and filming it?
As some know, our broadcast time for an episode is somewhere [around] 42 minutes. I try to design the action to not only service the characters and story, but fit… within the episode… If my memory serves, my director’s cut of the episode was about [six-and-a-half] minutes over broadcast time. Some directors find themselves in a position of being 10-15 minutes over the time allotted. Imagine having to go through the episode and drop several minutes of beautifully shot, painstaking designed minutes of action or dialogue. That is one of the hardest jobs for the editor and producers, cutting the episode to fit in the time slot and still keep the director’s vision, design, intent. I can tell you that the opening fight portion in the first episode of season 6 was actually cut in half from the originally shot/edited action for time purposes…
The main challenge while designing this sequence was finding an appropriate location. When I saw the old, abandoned ferry, I fell in love. What better place for an evil mastermind to launch his missile on Star City from? When I first read the script, another word in my visual Rolodex popped up: drone. The opening and closing shots in this scene had to be shot over water and with a drone operated camera. Fortunately, Vancouver is home to some of the most talented drone pilots in the world.
The visuals for Green Arrow’s entrance out of the water also came very clear to me on my first script-reading, although the script originally had him arriving by parachute. For some reason, I kept seeing a launch from the depths of the ocean up onto the deck. That and an opening hand-to-hand fight… were the first visuals I got to work designing, discussing with the creative team. The stunt department did a fabulous job of bringing these ideas to life for us with countless discussions, surveys, and rehearsal time. I’m very proud of the end result and happy you enjoyed it all.
On a less technical level, what is your favorite moment from the episode? It can be something you enjoyed filming or something you think turned out really well in the finished product.
I really love Green Arrow’s entrance in the opening scene, along with the bridge sequence battling Black Siren and saving Wild Dog. A lot of time and lack of sleep went into those chunks of action. In addition, the character moments throughout the episode were a lot of fun to play with, as we follow each individual’s path picking up from where we left them in season 5. Discovering new strengths and weaknesses on all accounts sets up the rest of the season in a big way.
Lastly, on a different note, I’m sure you know about the recent deadly shooting in Las Vegas. In light of what’s going on in the real world, do you have concerns about the effects of onscreen violence? What steps can filmmakers take to avoid glorifying violence?
At its core, [Arrow is] a crime-fighting drama with a flair for the romantic and comic book visuals. With the lack of meta-humans to battle, our heroes [and] villains quite often carry firearms, with the exception of the League of Assassins who were more traditionally dated with swords, arrows, knives. Our lead character carries a projectile weapon as his tool of choice. We have other characters who are also armed within our mythology. To suddenly strip the characters of all these tools would not make sense…
Our heroes [must] overcome some form of jeopardy to appear heroic. The levels of jeopardy must rise each season with new stakes at hand, or our characters remain where they were the previous season. We’ve established a visual level of action on our show that the audience has come to expect and enjoy. We have fans who watch the show purely for the action, for the relationships, for the romance, for the abs… In the end, it’s a television show, and it’s meant to be enjoyed.
I’ve been watching television and films since I was born. I’ve always appreciated a well-crafted action sequence, no matter what the genre. If firearms make sense within the context of telling the story, then they belong in the story. There are different levels of graphic visuals allotted for different time slots or theatrical ratings. Parents should be monitoring what is acceptable for their children to view at all times. Children, teenagers, and adults should be taught the ability to discern between a television show and real life, between dramatic visuals, and their environment around them.
Should a TV show/film be aware and sensitive to what is displayed on the screen? Of course. Being socially responsible is important. Being actively creative and having the ability to tell a story in the manner the creator of the story intended is also important. Being aware of the issues within the community is very important to [telling] stories from a place of educated outlook. If the storyteller determines the story requires any given element to further tell the story, that’s the storyteller’s prerogative. Without creative freedom, every show would be an assembly line-produced batch of generic, wishy-washy content without heart.
I’m not a political activist in any way, shape, or form. I do have my own personal opinions on the world, however, outside of my job. I am a father, a husband, a friend, and a human being… What has occurred in Las Vegas and many cities… is horrible and needs to be addressed politically within communities.
I’ve never owned a gun nor felt the need to, although I have many mature, responsible friends who do. If I did feel the need to purchase and keep a firearm, I would expect an extensive screening process… If certain criteria aren’t met, then, no firearms should be distributed, period. Although every human on this planet has rights, they don’t have the right to shoot and murder innocent people.
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Arrow airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST on The CW.