“Dogfight” short film and Q&A by LBP Stunts Chicago

Have you ever heard of the LBP Chicago Stunt Team? They’re a professional stunt team that specialize in martial arts choreography and action design.

Just recently Shawn Bernal of the team sent me a link to their latest video called ‘Dogfight’ – a fantastic short film which showcases some terrific and high energy fighting.

So to follow up on what I thought was an awesome short film, I thought I’d ask the guys a few questions and of course, show everyone the video.

Below are the Q&A’s of the guys behind the video, and at the bottom, the video embed of ‘Dogfight’ – make sure you check it out!

Director/Fight Choreographer/Editor Emmanuel Manzanares

How long did it take for you guys to film dog fight, also how long did it take to choreograph the whole thing?

It took 13 days across 5 months to film Dogfight, starting in August and ending in November. This was because everyone was working on other projects at the time, and we could only meet up one day a week to film in between our busy schedules. The average filming hours were about 4 to 6 hrs per week.

Is there anything or anyone in particular that motivates you to do these kinds of short films?

This is the type of thing we love to do, whether it be for practice purposes, or to tell stories. I feel there are always numerous factors that inspire us, whether they be our favorite films, actors, stunt coordinators/fight choreographers, or even our own stunt peers in the industry. However, it’s a never ending process, and there is always something to learn and experience from doing these, whether good or bad. I feel that type of experience and willingness to keep pushing your standards and trying to always attain a higher level as a whole (in storytelling through action, story/character driven fighting, or even popcorn/entertainment stuff) is what true artists are consistently doing, no matter the industry or art. I definitely appreciate that people take the time to watch, but there is always new ground to break, and new things to experience. I think that is the biggest self motivator, at least for us.

Actor – Nate Hitpas

First of all, what martial arts do you train in mostly, whats your background and how long have you been training?

I’ve been training Shorei Ryu Karate for the past 5 years and am currently pursuing my black belt through Sharkey’s Karate in Naperville, IL. I’ve also taken up boxing and kickboxing through both my friend and mentor, Emmanuel Manzanares, and point fighting coach, Marquinn McDonald. Next to those, I am also an avid practitioner of Martial Arts Tricking and XMA (Extreme Martial Arts).

The stuff you guys did in dog fight was pretty intense, what kind of fitness routine do you guys have to keep in order keep going during the shoot?

Outside of training in martial arts, I also enjoy running and swimming as a means of keeping my cardio up. While I feel that helped out to an extent, most of what kept me going was the shooting itself. The more you do something, the more your body will adjust. That, above all else, is what I feel helped me deliver as a performer.

How many short films have you been in and which ones are your favorite?

– Dogfight was my first major short film (and definitely my favorite). But I’ve also starred in Beatdown Bibimbap (which I shot fellow team member, Brendon Huor) as well as a number of other test fights and mini projects through LBP.

Is there anything or anyone in particular that motivates you to do these kinds of short films?

As cheesy as this may sound, my primary source of motivation definitely comes from all of my friends on the Lazy Brown Productions Stunt Team. Their guidance has not only made me a better martial artist and stunt performer, but an overall better human being. They each have something special that gives them their own unique identity, and it has been an honor to study and train under their tutelage. Being the youngest one on the team, I can definitely say they are the older brothers I never had. Thank you guys for everything!

Actor – Jessie Bayani

First of all, what martial arts do you train in mostly, whats your background and how long have you been training?

My main martial art right now is Wushu, been at it for 7 yrs now. When I was younger I started with Shotokan Karate and stuck with it for about 6 yrs.

The stuff you guys did in dog fight was pretty intense, what kind of fitness routine do you guys have to keep in order keep going during the shoot?

We each have our own regimens as far as training but for me it was just Training in Wushu and training a specific move or technique on days when we weren’t filming. Were martial artists right? We better be in shape for filming

How many short films have you been in and which ones are your favorite?

I think 4. I have minor roles in 2 of the 4. One was called Magnetic, which was definitely out of my comfort zone. Things just didn’t click right away. I didn’t feel to hot about it when we finished but I feel much better about it now. I learned a lot from that shoot. Each short film has its own memories and lessons learned but hands down Dogfight I’m the most proud of. It was just a great experience from start to finish. The enthusiasm from everyone was contagious and we used it to keep pushing ourselves. Never worked so hard on stunt/film fighting before.

Is there anything or anyone in particular that motivates you to do these kinds of short films?

Everyone in LBP basically. Everyone in LBP works their asses off and is so much more talented than I. LBP has a bright future I can see it. Seeing that makes me want to be better. If I can improve just a little bit then thats motivation enough for me.

Actor – Shawn Bernal

First of all, what martial arts do you train in mostly, whats your background and how long have you been training?

I first started Karate and TaeKwonDo in my first decade of martial arts training. When I moved a little closer to Chicago for college, I started taking Northern Shaolin Tai Praying Mantis KungFu. I eventually got my Sifu rank and then I later started learning Wing Chun. I have been training for over 20 years now. If I give you the exact number, you’ll realize that I’m an old man. So shhhhh..

The stuff you guys did in dog fight was pretty intense, what kind of fitness routine do you guys have to keep in order keep going during the shoot?

Since my old kungfu school is a bit of a commute and my private wing chun teacher moved out of state, I was fortunate enough to re-unite with an old college friend that runs a TaeKwonDo gym. So I train there once or twice a week to maintain and improve my kicking skills. Once a week, I also train with LBP Stunts Chicago at our gym where we practice falls/reactions, fight choreography, and various martial arts. Lastly, I train with my wife almost everyday in Les Mills Combat, which is a mixture of martial arts and high intensity interval training.

How many short films have you been in and which ones are your favorite?

I have done several test fights/short films since I joined LBP Stunts Chicago back in 2007.

My favorite ones include:

“Ruthless,” because that was the first film for LBP Stunts Chicago to gain recognition because we got 2nd place in the True to John Woo Short Film Contest that was judged by Woo himself.

“Flower Thieves” because it was the first time meeting and working with the very talented, Eric Jacobus of the The Stunt People.

“Yo Soy Un Hombre Loco,” because it was the first time meeting and working with the amazing director/choreographer, Vladislav Rimburg. I got to play a very unique character. And it was our first film we submitted to Action On Film International Film Festival in 2011 where we received a few awards and nominations.

And of course, “DogFight” because it is the first project we really took our time to put a lot of heart into it to make a more quality piece. It was by far the biggest challenge director, Emmanuel Manzanares has given me.

Is there anything or anyone in particular that motivates you to do these kinds of short films?

What motivates me the most is knowing that I will always have Emmanuel/LBP team and my loving wife, Pamela’s support to become the best performer I can be. I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today without them.

Check out Dogfight!

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If you enjoyed that don’t forget to check out the LBP Stunt Chicago Website, as well as their YouTube Channel for more awesome videos – including their impressive 2013 Showreel! Also last but not least their Facebook page!