Latest news with #actioncinema
South China Morning Post
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
The stunt training school teaching Hongkongers how to ace action film sequences
Hong Kong's action cinema industry has a global reputation for dangerous stunts and creative choreography. Being on screen in an action film often requires a wide range of skills, including gymnastics, martial arts, using weapons and being suspended from wireworks. In 2022, professional stunt actor Andrew Pong opened a martial arts academy that also offers aspiring actors and curious members of the public some training in how to do film stunts. Post reporter Oscar Liu 'tried out' for a role as one of Pong's students.
South China Morning Post
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Kung fu hustle: Hong Kong action film actor turns mentor for stunt performers
With leaps and falls on screen, Hong Kong actor Andrew Clifford Pong King-fung is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of martial artists and stunt professionals through his studio to honour the rich heritage of the city's action and kung fu films. Established in 2022, the New Era Martial Club in Quarry Bay offers the public a place to try seemingly dangerous movie stunts in a safe setting and allows Pong to share his know-how with aspiring action performers. 'Our primary mission is to promote and cultivate a new generation of Hong Kong martial artists and to make them become more aware of Hong Kong's cultural diversity, especially in Hong Kong action cinema and kung fu in general,' the 34-year-old founder of the club said, adding the group welcomed individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Hong Kong cinema is renowned for its martial arts productions over the decades, from wuxia legends to kung fu epics, featuring superstars ranging from Bruce Lee and Sammo Hung Kam-bo to Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen Ji-dan. The films of John Woo Yu-sen and wire work techniques adopted by figures such as Yuen Woo-ping in the 1980s and early 1990s also influenced Hollywood and cemented Hong Kong's legacy as a powerhouse of action filmmaking. Pong's passion for action cinema was ignited in childhood, largely through watching the movies of his parents, Chin Siu-ho and Sharon Kwok Sau-wan, as well as his uncle, Chin Ka-lok. The Chins are both renowned martial arts actors and action choreographers in the city.
Malay Mail
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Jackie Chan: CGI stunts are numbing audiences to real danger
HONG KONG, May 14 — Jackie Chan isn't pulling any punches when it comes to how modern technology is changing the face of action cinema — and not for the better. The 71-year-old martial arts legend has voiced concerns that computer-generated imagery (CGI) is stripping away the sense of danger that once defined the genre. Speaking to Haute Living, Chan reflected on the evolution of stunt work since he first started performing his own back-breaking feats over six decades ago. 'In the old days, the only [choice we had] was to be there and jump, that's it,' he said. 'Today, with computers, actors can do anything, but there's always a sense of reality that you feel is missing.' The Rush Hour star believes audiences are becoming desensitised to action because CGI stunts, while spectacular, lack the physical stakes of real-life danger. 'It's a double-edged sword. On one hand, actors become more and more capable of doing impossible stunts with the help of technology, and yet, on the other hand, the concept of danger and limit gets blurred and the audience is numb [to it],' he explained. Chan was quick to clarify he isn't advocating for reckless filmmaking. 'But I'm not encouraging anybody to risk their lives to do the stunts like I did. It truly is too dangerous,' he added. Despite his warnings, the action veteran remains firmly committed to his own high-wire style of performance. 'Of course, I always do my own stunts. It's who I am,' he said. 'That's not changing until the day I retire, which is never! And to be honest, when you've done it for 64 years straight, there's no physical preparation anymore. Everything is in your heart and soul, it is muscle memory.' Now starring in Karate Kid: Legends, which opens in Malaysian cinemas on June 5, Chan said that when it comes to choreographing action, that audience connection is never far from his mind. 'Most of the movies I made were commercial films, so it wasn't that much of a conflict. I would constantly brainstorm how to design an action sequence to make it more appealing to the audience,' he said. Through it all, Chan continues to live by a simple creative principle: never get too comfortable. 'You can't make everyone satisfied and happy, so the only thing you can do is be true and honest to yourself,' he said. 'Cinema is an art of regret. You always feel like you could do more, do better. But for me, as long I push myself to the limit, I can move on without regret.'
