Fighting for welfare of stunt performers

Written by Ardela Nabila | Read in Indonesian

It has been more than two decades since Muhammad Yazid, or better known as Majid Piranha, entered the field of acting as a stuntman, stunt coordinator and action director.

In the late 1990s, when the Indonesian film industry began to revive, stunt professionals worked individually and had to curry favour with directors or producers in order to get a part in a film or soap opera project.

Some directors also preferred foreign stuntmen for their projects. At that time, Majid was well aware that Indonesia had many talented individuals in his field.

Even though there are some action stars who prefer doing dangerous scenes themselves–just like top actors Tom Cruise and Jackie Chan who are famous for doing dangerous stunts without a stunt double–, it cannot be denied that stunt performers are still very much relied upon in most film projects.

Fueled by concerns about being replaced by foreign stuntmen, Majid in 2005 established a forum called Piranha Stunt Indonesia, which would later become the first and largest stuntmen’s community in Indonesia.

His journey in establishing the organisation was not all smooth sailing, as he got into a conflict which forced him to let go of his main job.

“At that time, there was no organisation that protected stuntmen, either regarding work safety or the work itself. The director recruited stuntmen based on who they favoured. When I founded the Indonesian Stuntmen’s Association (which later became Piranha Stunt Indonesia), there was discontent among seniors, to the point that I had to be removed from my job," he said in a recent interview with TFR.

To date, Piranha Stunt Indonesia has trained and is home to more than 100 stuntmen in Indonesia, and has taken part in numerous advertising projects, soap operas and big films in various genres, both national and international.

Not just performing stunts, stuntmen must also be able to act!

As the national film industry continues to progress, the need for stunt professionals also continues to increase. In addition, there are organisations like Piranha Stunt Indonesia which accommodate stuntmen and provide new opportunities for their members to enter the acting industry.

"And now we are often invited to go abroad, such as to Malaysia, India; and in the near future our team will go to Italy. That's how big the need for stuntmen is. A platform like this makes it easier for them to connect with other parties, unlike in the past when we worked individually," Majid explained.

Many new stuntmen have joined the community, which Majid founded with 19 of his friends. He also recruits new talents to train in order to nurture a new generation of stunt performers for the future of the Indonesian film world.

However, Majid emphasised that stuntmen are not just about martial arts.; they are more than just performing stunts in front of the camera in place of the actor.

Flexible acting skill is another requirement for every stunt performer. That is because apart from acting on behalf of the actor, they are also needed as stunt fighters and act out fight scenes against other actors.

Majid said, "There is a stunt fighter, where they have to act as opponents against the actors. Although the duration may be short, the performance will greatly influence the acting and actions of the co-stars. The results won't be good if the opponent can't act.”

That's why they need intensive training every day, which includes creating choreography. It usually takes one week to three months of preparation before they appear in front of the camera. The duration depends on the budget given by the production and the complexity of the required actions.

Dangerous profession, minimal preventive efforts

What comes into our minds when we hear about the role of a stuntman is perhaps a profession that stays under the shadow of the actor. In fact, this profession deserves the same appreciation as other film workers.

Unfortunately, despite playing an important role in carrying out dangerous scenes, many production houses and stuntmen still neglect and do not uphold safety measures on the filming location.

World-class film industries, such as Hollywood, require actors and stunt performers to have insurance to join a project, but this policy is not yet applied in Indonesia.

Majid said not all production houses guarantee the safety and welfare of stuntmen during filming. Some production houses even take action only when a stunt performer is injured, instead of taking preventive measures by providing a medical team and safety guarantee from the start of filming.

"Actually, BPJS provides insurance for art professionals, including us, because the nature of our profession needs protection. But the level of awareness regarding the safety of stuntmen is still low. Some stuntmen have personal insurance, but the rest don’t."

He added, "Not all productions prepare ambulances or medics on standby when filming dangerous scenes. But there are some who are aware and well-prepared by providing everything on the site, even a masseuse to deal with ankle injury. So it really depends on the production house."

In the event that the stuntman does not get insurance, the production house bears full responsibility when an incident happens. Usually, when an injury or wound occurs in the middle of filming, the stuntman will receive first aid and be rushed to the hospital.

"But there are those who only cover it at the beginning, there are also those who cover it until the end," he explained. In cases like these, the stuntman has the freedom to accept or reject the offer to take part in the project.

Besides protection for stuntmen, another cause Majid is fighting for is more appreciation for action films and actors. He wants national film awards such as the Indonesian Film Festival to give special nominations to action films.

“So we demand that stuntmen be more rewarded financially and through awards. There should be awards for certain genres in Indonesia, especially for action films; only then can stuntmen compete to win awards."

Of course, in order to realise this dream, the stuntmen must, first and foremost, be able to appreciate and determine the best value for themselves, and continue to improve their skills so that they can stay in the industry.

Just like other film workers, stuntmen still have to go through a long, winding road to realise the dream for welfare in the Indonesian film industry.