The Rambling Writer Interview: Stunt Performer Cody Shipman

I’m proud of my grandnephew Cody Shipman and his adventurous work as a stunt performer. Let’s hear from him!

As I mentioned last week in my review of the movie “The Fall Guy,” my grandnephew Cody Shipman (his actual given name) had become a movie stunt performer a few years ago. I had become more and more interested in how what he calls “gags” are accomplished, so here it is from the horse’s mouth:

Sara: Hey, Cody! I love the way you are following the call of adventure, now working as a stunt performer in films. I was jazzed a few years ago when I learned that you had been “following in my fin kicks” with the scuba gig. (Remind me: Where was that, and how did you get into it?) Now you are taking it to the next level! Fill us in on how you got into the stunt school and then into films.

Cody: Thank you, it’s hard for me to not keep adventuring and exploring. That’s actually what led me to Saipan where I learned to dive. It was only supposed to be a six month trip, but instead turned into a two year long stay. What can I say, I fell in love with the place and the people. When it was time to return to the real world, I knew the only call I’ve ever felt stronger than to the military was to work in film. The start to that journey was getting as much training as possible. Going to workshops, different stunt gyms, continuing my martial arts training, just nonstop learning. Which led me to my first live stunt show for a company called Mirage. An eight month long contract in China working with some absolute professionals  allowed me to expand my skill set, from different burns, crashing a motorcycle, doing maneuvers with an ATV, and just all around being a better performer. Which all helped me make the transition into film/TV when I moved to Atlanta.

Sara: What are some stunts you’ve done, and what is your favorite? What’s the hardest stunt you’ve done, and/or the most dangerous? How do you deal with adrenaline?

Cody: Oh man, adrenaline, I feel like that’s one of the most common questions. One of my favorite sayings is, “You can’t get rid of the butterflies in your stomach, but you can make them march in a straight line.” Honestly for me I think the best answer is training, training, and even more training. Developing that confidence in yourself and your skills, and then on the day when your whole team is around to make sure everyone is set up for success makes doing the gag (stunt) that much easier.

My favorite stunt is still from the live show, it was sliding a motorcycle through a flame bar, which would then catch my back on fire. That stunt always got a great reaction from the crowd. Who knew people loved fire so much? Other than that, I’ve gotten to do stair falls, fighting, have prop bottles broken on my head, wire work, deadmen (you’re anchored to a point then run to end of your line to be pulled to the ground), ratchets (tied to an air compressor with a piston, yanks you back fast), and just oh so many falls. A good runner up was getting to fall onto the hood of a moving cop car, that was a really fun day.

Sara: What films have you performed in?

Cody: I’m still early in my career, but I’ve been blessed with some really amazing opportunities to work on “Wakanda Forever,” “Iron Claw,” A24’s “Civil War,” “Stranger Things,” and then some smaller things like “Saturn,” which is premiering at the Richmond International film festival this year, and “115 Grains,” which won Best Picture at both the Gasparilla and Sunscreen Film festivals last year. I’m really looking forward to continuing to grow that list.

Sara: I saw a comment you made about the great teamwork and friendships among your fellow stunt performers. I assume that mutual trust is critical.  Care to elaborate?

Cody: Oh for sure! It’s actually one of my favorite things about film, it’s one of those few types of art that just can’t be done alone. When someone is painting, you don’t have five people holding a brush while someone tells you what color to use, but that’s essentially what a film set is. A massive group of people coming together to create this singular piece. Then, when you focus in on just stunts you add another layer. Not only are we coming in to support this film, but aour department is literally putting our bodies on the line. When the Director says action, you are trusting every member of that team to have your back, and to make sure you are gonna be able to go home safely after the day is over.

That level of trust has a natural way of bringing people closer. Plus not just working with them, but these same people are the ones you are training with or seeing in workshops. The film industry is a small world, and stunts even more so.

Sara: Have you ever been injured doing a stunt? What kind of precautions are in place?

Cody: I think this is the second most-asked question. Thankfully I haven’t been hurt on set (knocks on wood.) It’s a laundry list of things that go into making a gag safe way before actually being in front of a lens. The very first layer is having a Coordinator (The one leading the stunt department) who knows what they are doing, and can communicate that clearly. Knowing the safest way to set up and do whatever stunts are being shot that day. Then you have the rest of the team running in support of that. Making sure if you have a pad, that the pad is there and clear for you to land on, making sure the table you’re about to go through doesn’t have massive screws in them. Everything is about redundancy in the safety of the performer and then the ability to repeat the gag for however many takes the director needs.

Sara: What are your goals in this work? What should we be watching for?

Cody: For a while my goals have been focused on gaining the knowledge to pursue this career. That focus will never stop being continuing to learn and grow, but has shifted to now having the space to start looking to the future. My goal would be to eventually be in a Stunt Coordinator role. Getting to add to a film’s story through action design would just be an incredible role to have.

Sara: I just watched the recent movie “The Fall Guy,” directed by former stunt double David Leitch as a “love letter to stunts.”[NOTE: See my review of the movie in last week’s blog post here, 10/19/24.] Have you seen it, and what did you think? I loved it, though obviously it’s way over the top, played for laughs. Fall guy “Cole Seavers” would have been dead several times over after receiving such repeated physical traumas?

Cody: It’s such a good movie! Although I feel like anyone is going to love a movie celebrating their field of work. When it came out, everyone was talking about it — over the sound of boxing pad work you could hear people gushing over how awesome the movie was. I actually have a friend who has seen it around 9 times. For me it has to be the helicopter scene, jumping from the camera car to the helicopter and then followed by that high fall to the air bag…. Just wow. Such a beautiful fall, like art in motion!

As with most action movies, yeah, I don’t think the hero makes it past the injuries. That’s the beauty of cinema, though, getting to step inside this world where the rule of cool supersedes the regularity of reality.

Sara: Anything else you’d like to add?

Cody: I recently had to write this essay about why I got into stunts, and where I would like to take my career for a boot camp I participated in. Here it is, if your readers would like to know more:

                                                                                Falling for Stunts

Why do you want to do stunts?

Thats a big question, and the answer isn’t a short one. Looking back, my career in Stunts seems like it was inevitable, but for someone who grew up like I did, it’s not a future I would have thought was possible. I was a lonely kid, from a struggling family, who found comfort and community in stories. The movie theater quickly became my favorite place in the world. When we could swing it, it didn’t even matter if we were seeing a bad movie, I was just happy to be there. When the trailers ended, and opening credits rolled, I wasn’t a lonely kid anymore. I was dashing through the sands of Egypt with Rick O’Connell or experiencing the glory of Elysium with Russell Crowe. Soon, I found myself practicing my best John Wayne swagger and mimicking Peirce Brosnan’s line delivery.

I liked the action stuff. I come from a long line of soldiers, so maybe that’s not too much of a surprise. But action, and what I later learned was the Stunts Department, made the movies come to life, for me, that was the magic that made movies real.

Fortunately (and sometimes less fortunately), my Special Forces father raised me like a soldier. He taught me how to fight, how to shoot, we drilled tactics and survival skills. More importantly, he taught me the value of hard work, how to reject self-limiting thoughts, and to put the “we” above the “me.” That came in handy when I left for basic at seventeen. I am a Shipman, we are soldiers, and I quickly excelled. Finally, I was in the action and surrounded by those who loved the action too. I was happy just to be there, no matter how crappy the work got, because I got to be a part of the mission. In fact, I distinctly remember standing in front of Drill Sargent Crosby, getting a particularly heinous assignment for the next day, with a big shit-eating grin plastered across my face. I guess that got under Drill Seargent’s skin. “Shipman,” he barked, “why the fuck are you standing there smiling like an over-motivated cracked-out Weasel?!” I told him the truth – because I wanted to be there, the army was my life, and there was nowhere else I would rather be. I was wrong, of course, I just didn’t know it quite yet.

Six years and an arsenal of great stories later, my time in the military was done, and I had two paths in front of me: enlisting in the French Foreign Legion, and an offer to go to China and become a Stunt Performer. I picked the latter.

Ultimately, I wanted to be a part of making the stories that meant so much to me. I was ready to eat the mat and bleed for my craft. I hear people say all the time “If there’s anything you can do other than Stunts, do that.” The truth of it is, I could not fathom living any other life, or being anything else. I love every aspect of Stunt Performing. I love working with other creatives and building worlds for people to escape into. I love being pushed by my peers to explore new techniques. I even love signing the G’s. I’m just happy to be here. Even after the worst day on set, there is no doubt in my mind – this is where I need to be.

Now on to the second question, where do I see myself in ten years.

 That’s simple, sitting in my home office, surrounded by my Taurus Awards, signing the contract for the next film I am going to coordinate. I see myself mentoring the next generation of Stunt Performers, and grabbing a drink with the people who helped me on my way. I see myself being the one who gets to bring the magic to the movies. I know, it’s a ballsy dream for a lonely kid who likes to fall down, but I’ll die trying to get there if that’s what it takes.

From Sara:

Thank you, Cody, for this wonderful glimpse into your world!

And here’s a link to a sword-fighting scene that Cody choreographed and performed, along with a fellow graduate of his recent special training. Cody also edited the video:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAoGfOfuFCL/?igsh=MW5uZWE2aWFuYXdxcg==

*****

You will find The Rambling Writer’s blog posts here every Saturday. Sara’s Caribbean suspense novel ISLANDS draws on her experiences working as a scuba divemaster on different tropic islands. “A stomping, vivid ride.” (Statesman Journal)  Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com