Brett Donowho Directing Bruce Willis
The new film Acts of Violence, released to theaters on January 12, 2018 from Lionsgate, is an action-packed wild ride from start to finish. Starring longtime action-movie veterans Bruce Willis and Cole Hauser and directed by Brett Donowho, the film is about three ex-military brothers who join forces with a police officer to save a kidnapped family member from a sinister human trafficking scheme.
Most of the time, moviegoers probably don’t stop to think about how those action sequences came about. But the reality is, a talented team of people is required to plan everything down to the last detail. It’s a process that takes months of planning and designing before the actors can even carry out the sequences.
In this case, the man behind the action scenes was TJ White, Stunt Coordinator and 2nd Unit Director. TJ and his team at T Minus Productions designed every action sequence in the movie. Stunt coordinators have to create action scenes that are visually stunning, fit within the budget, time constraints and location constraints, and that are safe for the actors at the same time. It’s a big job, designing action sequences for an actor like Bruce Willis—but it’s a job that TJ White was happy to take on.
“Working with the actors is great, but one of the best parts of this project was that the movie was filmed in Cleveland, Ohio. I grew up in Ohio, so it was great to see my home state represented. Filming in Cleveland offered the perfect gritty backdrop for the film. –TJ White
White is also responsible for casting local Cleveland resident and UFC champion Stipe Miocic to fight Bruce Willis in the film. Miocic is a professional mixed martial artist who is the reigning champion in the UFC heavyweight division. He’s also a former Cleveland Golden Gloves boxing champion and a fantastic all-around athlete. If anyone is worthy of fighting Bruce Willis, it’s definitely this guy.
Another great Cleveland resident who assisted the film is Ivan Schwarz. Schwartz runs the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, a private non-profit that works to bring film industry jobs to Ohio. Working with the Greater Cleveland Film Commission allowed the film to make a positive impact on NE Ohio.
Those weren’t the only big advantages to working in White’s home state of Ohio. The state also offers a Motion Picture Tax Credit that gives a refundable, transferable tax credit of up to 30% on production cast and crew wages along with in-state expenditures. Designed to bring more Hollywood films to Ohio, this program has been very successful in creating jobs and helping the Ohio economy.
So if you’re looking for an action flick, you can now head to your local theater to watch it on the big screen. You can also purchase it on-demand. And while you’re watching, take a minute to think about the intense planning that went into designing action sequences, and the team of people who made them possible.
Stunt Coordinator TJ WHite warthog Bruce Willis, Tim James and Schyler White
Director Brett Donowho, UFC Campion Stipe Miocic and Stunt Coordinator TJ White
