Interview with DAVID NO (From Vengeance Magazin - 2004)

FEATURE ARTICLE: Vengeance Magazine
Spring 2004 (Apr-Jun) Vol. 1 No. 2

INTELLECTUAL ACTION

AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID NO

Up and coming UK Martial Arts Actor, Anthony Dawe goes one on one with Australian, Taekwondo expert, Action Star and Stunt Master, David No for an exclusive Vengeance interview!
(www.furiousfilms.com.au)

Anthony Dawe: David, how did you first get involved in the Martial Arts and Action movie industry?

David No: I was studying Physiotherapy when a friend introduced me to her neighbour who was at film school. We made a short film called The Huntsman, it was so much fun and so fascinating, I wanted to keep doing it.

AD: You made a trailer, along with Action Director, Brent Houghton called Huntsman 5.1 what was the idea behind that as I know you approached the American Film Market, to make a feature length movie in 2000?

DN: Huntsman 5.1 is a Sci-Fi Action Thriller we had written. It was our first feature screenplay. We shopped it in Australia, but the industry basically didn't have the confidence in investing into unknown territory. By this I mean Australia, (in recent years at least,) doesn't traditionally make genre based pictures. We made the 'H.5.1' trailer to show that it could be done. We turned a lot of heads and were suddenly taken very seriously, but still no one wanted to take a risk. So we shopped it at 'AFM'.
The trouble here is that 'AFM', (like most markets,) is mainly for finished films, not screenplays. The other thing about 'AFM', is that they are more interested about "how much" and "who's in it" rather than "is it a good film"!

AD: Furious Films, (a company formed between David No and Brent Houghton) have ideas for other movies to be produced such as Power Within, Blood Brothers and Skirmish. Can you tell our readers more about these projects?

DN: Power Within I wrote for myself. It is one of those projects that has a surprise ending; but let's just say it's a rite-of-passage drama set here and in Korea. I wrote Blood Brothers for a Korean company, it's an action drama centred around two Korean orphan brothers growing up on different sides of the law in Australia. Skirmish is an Oz - Philippine action drama co-production we wrote for another company. With all our scripts, we try to aim higher than the action video market. We work on intricate story lines, good character arcs, and infuse it with innovative action. Quite often the action is integral to the story telling, so the choreography is actually written into the script. The audience is so educated now, it's always a challenge to come up with something new and different, but that's the enjoyment of screenwriting!

AD: Your friend, Brent Houghton is a great all round director and you have a good working relationship with him, do you think that this is the key to your success on his movies?

DN: Sure, Brent and I have known each other for over ten years now. We have developed ideas together and have a great network of people to draw from. Good help is hard to find and we have been fortunate to have a lot of good people around us. This means that when it comes to shooting something, we move very quickly, it almost becomes an intuitive process. We are also very different which means that we challenge each other.

AD: With your talent, I'm surprised that you and Brent haven't stormed America. Is it the funding for your projects that is holding you back, if so how will you overcome this?

DN: Brent and I wanted to do something quite selfless. We are both passionate about the Australian film industry. Instead of running off to where the work is, we have opted to stay and work to make change in the industry. A lot of guys are trying to make similar movies, but only at an 'Indie' level. We have tackled the mainstream industry head on. We have attended the producer conferences and met with the big men of the industry, but the thinking in Australia remains quite conservative, although it is showing signs of change.
It is a sad story that most of Australia's talent needs to be validated outside the country before we consider them talent worth investing in. This is not just the film industry either. It is just basic mathematics, we have a small population on a huge isolated land mass. Even so, Australians constantly prove themselves internationally, for that I am very proud.

AD: Do you have any plans to break into the American Film market or maybe go to Hong Kong?

DN: Last year (2003) I decided that the stagnation in the Australian industry was only getting worse. So I made the difficult decision to check out overseas. In March, I visited Korea, with a mini stop in Hong Kong. Here I was offered a role on a Daniel Lee (Black Mask) movie, but 'SARS' had hit it's stride by then, so it didn't work out. I've had a lot to do with the Korean commercial industry, producing, acting, and doing stuntwork. I just got back from New Zealand where I featured in another one of their commercials. I visited LA last year, got myself a manager and attended the 'Reloaded' (Matrix) DVD launch party. Over summer, I decided to immerse myself in the acting world, so I did four weeks full time at NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Arts). Now it's time to get fit, cash up, and go back over to LA to capitalize on my representation over there.

AD: As this is the Vengeance, 'Jackie Chan Special', let's discuss Jackie for a moment. What was the Entrac TV commercial you did with Jackie in Thailand?

DN: Entrac is a car navigation system. I was asked by Basecamp Productions to produce the project. It was huge; car stunts, helicopters, explosions, hundreds of extras and of course Jackie Chan. In Thailand, they don't really have stunt co-ordinators, that's usually the first Assistant Director's job. There are some very experienced crews over there, but if they're busy, the depth of talent can quickly fall away. So I found myself taking on a lot more responsibility than usual, from co-ordinating car stunts to something as simple as getting the explosion the right size, shape and colour. At one stage I was working twenty hour days and had eaten only two meals in three days. When it came to Jackie, the director suggested that I take care of his performance, while he took care of the camera. On top of all this we shot in some of the busiest locations in Bangkok!

AD: You also worked with Jackie Chan on the movie, Mr. Nice Guy what was Jackie like to work with and what did you learn from him and the shoot?

DN: I've never been one to grow up with idols or heroes, but obviously you have to appreciate what this guy has done. I went from respecting the name Jackie Chan to respecting the person. This was again highlighted to me when we worked together on the Entrac commercial. Because of my rapport with Jackie, I ended up directing him. He was so easy to work with; he is so faithful to his JC Stunt Team; he is so giving to his fans; and yet he still has time to pick up the odd bit of rubbish off the street! What have I learnt from him ... that you can be so famous, yet so human at the same time.

AD: You worked on the Matrix sequels. What was that like and how did you get the role?

DN: The Matrix films were a little different to most films I've worked on. Usually a sense of family develops on a feature film, because you are working with the same people for so long. I had a small role on a huge film. The production was like its own city, and just like going to a new city you were meeting new people every day. I got the role through the usual auditioning process, although I may have got a nod from a stunt audition I had done a few weeks earlier. Everything was going swimmingly until my knee nearly turned inside out! This sort of brought a premature end to my involvement. I have no regrets though, its just part of the reality of what I do.

AD: What is your opinion of Keanu Reeves and the rest of the cast regarding the Martial Arts action?

DN: Keanu is a very committed individual. He hasn't done Martial Arts his whole life, but he works very hard at it. He is very self demanding and self critical. The fight in the Chateau was over a hundred and fifty moves long, and he learnt it all.
Laurence, (Fishburne) was relaxed and warm to everyone, a real fatherly figure. He organised a private screening of Apocalypse Redux and gave commentary all the way through, that was so cool. Carrie-Anne, (Moss) was a little harder to get to know, but once you did she was a lotta fun. I was disappointed when I saw Monica, (Bellucci) on screen, she is much more beautiful in real life. She definitely has depth behind those incredible eyes. Randall, (Duk Kim) was also a special person. I think that when you are able to cast all over the world, like Matrix did, you can't help but get some of the best of what the world has to offer.
Martial Arts? I sort of felt that the fight scenes were a little detached, they didn't relate back to the person in the way the first film did but 'Reloaded' did have the wow factor!

AD: You recently came back from a big tour in Asia (Korea) where you met up with Action Director Lee Eung-Jun. Is a Korean production in the works?

DN: Well I have Korean heritage, so I am naturally interested in what goes on there. For the past few years Korean cinema has been some of the most exciting in the world. Of course I would love to get involved in any worthy project anywhere in the world. But in terms of markets that would possibly want to use me, I'm thinking the US, Korea, and maybe Hong Kong would be high on the list. I told myself that I would take a working permit over next time I travel to Korea ... we'll see. I also met up with Director Kim Tae-Gyun (Volcano High) both in Korea and LA. It looks like we might be Line Producing a portion of his next feature in Australia!

AD: If you could work with anyone in the world who would it be and why?

DN: Basically anyone who inspires me as a human being and that I can learn from. Of course if they put me on the road to success, that would also be great. Not because I want to be famous, but more because I want to have the power to make the films I want to make, or have the money to make them myself.

AD: Finally David, what plans have you got for the near future?

DN: Keep spreading my wings, developing my skills and ideas, and probably look for work overseas. I've come this far, it would be silly not to see just how deep the rabbit hole goes!