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  • Learn how to plan, rehearse, and film combat scenes
  • While keeping your cast, crew, and yourself safe
  • Created in partnership with Canon
About the Course
Roll Sound.
Roll Camera.
Action!

Join America Young and Graham Ehlers Sheldon as they show you what it takes to bring a piece of combat from script to screen. For every person who works on a film set, or even any movie lover who wants to know more about stunts, America and Graham provide a foundation in how the professionals plan, rehearse, and wind up Selling the Punch.

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selling the punch action stunt filmmaking course
action scene filmmaking canon r5c combat filmmaking course production combat action scenes filmmaking selling the punch stunt filmmaking course
  • 1.5+ Hours Long
  • 3 Curated Lessons
  • 4.5 / 5 Average Review
  • Certificate On Completion
america young and graham ehlers sheldon
Meet the Instructors
America Young

America Young is currently working in Film, TV, Animation and Video Games as a Director, stunt coordinator and stunt woman. To date, she has directed for Network TV, two features, a season of an animated show, a video game and four digital series. She has stunt coordinated on projects for Warner Bros, Netflix, Lifetime and Cannal Plus, and worked on 65 video games.

Learn More about America
Graham Ehlers Sheldon

Emmy® award winner Graham Sheldon resides in southern California USA where he works as a producer, director of photography, and sales agent for indie films. Throughout his career, Sheldon has produced and shot scripted, topical, and historical documentary projects in over two dozen countries and across the United States--including Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands.

Learn More about Graham
Course Takeaways
What You'll Learn
  • How to get kicked by a professional

  • What does a stunt coordinator do

  • All about safety and speaking up

  • The benefits of collaboration

  • What to discuss in pre-production

  • How to incorporate the entire team

  • Casting and working with actors

  • Learning the fight

  • Taking the fight to set

  • Creating a safe space on set

  • Working with the camera team

  • Style and technical choices

  • Where not to put the camera

  • Post production techniques

  • Red flags to look out for

  • Pursuing a career

Course Curriculum
The Lessons
selling the punch course lessons
  • Knowing what you don’t know. Graham and America break down what a stunt coordinator actually does and how they look at scripts differently than other film professionals.

    They'll teach you what you can expect when weapons and/or fighting are present on set. Unit One ends with a real production meeting where Graham and America discuss the scene they will film in Unit Two as director and DP.

  • Learn how different departments are integrated into creating a fight sequence: who is consulted and what is considered.

    Then, observe the rehearsal America conducts with two actors as they stage a hand to hand combat sequence between two time travelers.

    Lastly, they'll show you how they take that sequence from rehearsal to capturing it in camera.

  • See the finished product of what Graham and America filmed to demonstrate best practices. Stick around to learn what red flags to watch out for when you're working on a project with stunt professionals and weapons.

    Hear their war stories of when things didn't go well and their safety was at risk. Learn what to say and how to approach a situation when you don't feel safe, so you can secure a long career in the business without fear of mishaps.

Course Reviews
What Viewers are Saying
  • Wait so the actor wasn't suppose to punch and kick me for real? I shoulda watched this class earlier. Now I can't move my leg for a few days. Thanks America and crew!

    Mark Ancheta
  • Very informative course, with practical examples and useful suggestions.

    Matteo Bianchi
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