Hello, I am Yuji, the Second Unit Director.
When it comes to Power Rangers, it’s all about the exciting action where the characters with unique personalities move around.
Are you curious about what kind of training the Power Rangers actors do?
I have been involved in the Power Rangers series for a long time and have conducted action training for the actors leading up to filming.
In this blog, I will introduce the actor’s action training leading up to filming. I will introduce the training that the actors receive and how it contributes to the action scenes.
What is Power Rangers Second Unit? What they do?
A Power Rangers Second Unit is a team of filmmakers who shoot additional footage and scenes for the Power Rangers franchise independently from the Main Unit. The second unit is responsible for filming action sequences, stunts, masked stuntman plays, and special effects shots, while the main unit focuses on filming actors’ dialogue scenes.
The second unit works closely with the main unit to coordinate and execute action scenes. Capture the most dynamic and exciting shots using multiple camera angles and specialized equipment. We also work with the visual effects team to integrate Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) and other effects into the final product.
The second unit will play a key role in bringing the world of Power Rangers to life and packing each episode with exciting action and memorable moments for fans to enjoy.
Starting tomorrow, we will focus on the action training of the Power Rangers cast. What kind of training will the cast undergo before filming? Let’s get to the secret! stay tuned!
Behind the Scenes of Epic Power Rangers Action: From Training to Filming!
Behind the Scenes of Epic Power Rangers Action: From Training to Filming!
The process of taking a Power Rangers actor to shoot an action scene typically involves several steps, including training, rehearsals, and safety procedures. Here’s the general flow of how this works:
Training
Before filming begins, actors undergo basic martial arts and stunt training to prepare for the physical demands of the role. This training is delivered by a Power Rangers Action Unit Trainer and includes learning specific moves and choreography.
Rehearsals
After the actors complete their initial training, they begin rehearsing specific action scenes under the guidance of the Action Unit Director. During these rehearsals, action directors and trainers work with the actors to perfect the choreography and ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities.
Safety Procedures
Before filming an action scene, cast and crew go through safety procedures to minimize the risk of injury. This includes using protective equipment such as padding, safety mats, and practicing fall and stunt techniques to ensure proper execution.
Filming
When an actor is ready to shoot an action scene, the Action Coordinator works with the Action Unit Director to design the sequence, determine camera angles and other details. The action coordinator then works with the actors to execute the choreography to ensure everyone is safe on set.
Throughout this process, the Power Rangers second Unit plays a key role in ensuring action scenes are exciting, safe and performed to the highest standards. By providing the necessary training, choreography and safety procedures, the Action Unit helps Power Rangers actors bring their characters to life and create memorable moments for fans around the world.
Training
Power Rangers fans, get ready to learn about the intense action training that the cast goes through before filming begins!
Did you know that the cast of Power Rangers undergoes a rigorous three-week training program before shooting even starts? That’s right – before they even step foot on set, they’re put through their paces to ensure they can handle the physical demands of their roles.
But here’s the catch – the actual training period is only a little over 14 days, since the actors are given two days off on weekends. That means they have to learn everything they need to know in a very short amount of time.
During this intensive training period, the actors learn everything from the basics of action to advanced techniques for avoiding danger. They’re taught how to execute fight scenes with precision and how to do their own stunts without getting injured.
And it’s not just about physical ability – they also have to learn how to act while performing complex action sequences. They need to be able to convey emotion and stay in character while fighting off villains.
It’s no easy feat, but the cast of Power Rangers is up for the challenge. They put in the hard work and dedication necessary to bring these beloved characters to life on screen. So the next time you watch a Power Rangers episode or movie, remember the incredible effort that goes into creating those epic action scenes.
So what is the training to do it successfully?
Training takes place 3 hours a day, 5 days a week. The Power Rangers stunt team consists of about 10 people, basically 2 people for each cast.
The first week is basic training. First, everyone starts with light running, then stretches and calisthenics. These are very important for the trainers to understand the flexibility of the cast as well as to prevent cast injuries.
Next, we move on to basic punches and kicks, and the emphasis here is on relaxing. Instead of suddenly practicing punches and kicks, we repeat exercises that are conscious of centrifugal force and gravity, such as twisting the body in a relaxed state, raising and shaking hands and feet. They are exercises that engage the whole body as you strike and kick, leading to natural and powerful movements. When it comes to shooting, even if you are careful, your muscles will become tense and stiff. It is very important to make a habit of relaxing your body during training and rehearsals before the performance.
Our basic punches and kicks are practiced with the muscles relaxed.
Why is it important to relax?
I also tell the stunt performers to always be aware of how to relax. If your body is tense, you will not be able to move quickly and sharply. Also, if your opponent makes a mistake in the choreography, it will be difficult to stop a swinging fist or throwing a kick at the last minute. If you are pushing too hard from the beginning, you may not have enough strength to stop, and you may injure your opponent. Action is different from martial arts, rather than inflicting damage on the opponent, it is important to express how seriously you are fighting without damaging the opponent. When you relax, your body’s range of motion expands, and your whole body naturally interlocks, allowing you to perform big and brilliant moves. Relaxing exercises are very effective for action performance.
Behind the scenes of Power Rangers action: how the cast is trained for strong performances
The first Week
Action scenes require a lot of practice to show a powerful performance. The cast of Power Rangers practice the basics of punching and kicking every day. Cast members with action experience receive more rigorous training to improve their technique.
Kai, for example, was good at boxing, possessing impeccable form and powerful punches. But to make his skills look stronger on screen, we gave him some training like adjusting his full body and angles.
During training, you will work with a stunt performer to practice footwork in movements such as punches, kicks, blocks, and ducks, as well as actual hitting practice using punch and kick mitts. This allows you to get a sense of the distance and image of your form.
In the second half of the practice, we will combine the techniques we have practiced so far and perform a short choreography with the stunt performer. We also incorporate light gymnastics training such as cartwheels.
Through this rigorous training, the cast trains unfamiliar muscles and delivers powerful performances in action scenes. They have to be prepared for muscle soreness after training, but they work hard to make the action scenes more engaging.
They boost each other’s skills and motivation while encouraging each other during a rigorous training session.
The second week
The second week is basic plus application training. The first week’s warm-up, calisthenics, movie fight basics, shoulder rolls, and other crisis avoidance exercises are carried out every day. We create short choreographies for our cast that include falls from being hit and reactions that they are good at. Choreography is a combination of basics such as kicks, punches, and falls. If you have a solid foundation for each one, you will be able to create a stable and persuasive action scene. By practicing and adjusting many short choreography with different situation settings, you will get used to the fighting itself. From around this time, the cast will also include plays as their respective roles. It is not easy to practice action while being conscious of facial expressions and body expressions. If you put your emotions into it, you may lose your rhythm, or you may injure your opponent, and you may forget the next choreography. It’s important to show emotions on your face and body with a fixed choreography, but don’t let the viewer know what’s going to happen next. For example, by blocking just before hitting the opponent’s face so as not to block before the opponent’s attack, the repetition of such details creates scenes that excite the viewers. In this way, by doing a lot of short fights, you will cultivate the calmness to do it safely while being conscious of various things.
The third week
The third week will be the finishing touches. The main exercises from here on are the choreography practice of the actions on the script and the morphing sequence practice. When practicing the choreography for the actions on the script, the choreographed choreography based on the image of each character is conveyed to the cast and practiced in short sections. The point here is to practice while representing the characters played by the cast in their movements and facial expressions. During the training period, you can build and practice the actions for episodes 1 and 2 of Power Rangers. this is the last one. Morphing sequences are exercises unique to Power Rangers. By the third week, the season’s morphing sequences are mostly decided, and we start practicing based on the previsualization performed by the stunt performers. In Power Rangers, there are many scenes where you line up in a horizontal line and transform, but it is important that everyone’s timing matches. At practice, a stunt performer counts out to keep everyone in time. Cast members form a circle and practice the timing over and over to check each other’s form. Every time I see their transformation sequence at the beginning of filming, I am so moved. When you see the transformation sequence in which everyone’s voices and movements are exactly the same, you can feel their hard work. They act so confidently that it feels like they’ve grown a size even though it’s only been a few weeks.
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