Rigging in film (especially stunt rigging) requires unwavering attention to detail and focus. It can often be a matter of life and death.
With over two decades of adventure sports and climbing under his belt, Keir Beck is one of the most experienced and sought after Stunt Rigger/Stunt Coordinators on Earth.
OUR SELF-IMPOSED RULE IS: HOW CAN I DO THIS BETTER, OR WHAT HAVE I MISSED?
who are some of the most reliable names that service the industry in your opinion?
Beck: I would have to say Jack Rubin & Sons (Burbank, CA) are the most reliable and have the most comprehensive range of rigging and stunt rigging-related gear. And their customer service is unmatched. Personally, I mostly use Tech-12 or Dynex Tech— which has the best heat resistance, so it’s more film-set friendly with all the hot lights and special effects. With other gear, like stunt harnesses and vests, the go-to brand is Climbing Sutra—a Las Vegas-based manufacturer. I bought harnesses from them for Mad Max: Fury Road in Namibia—sometimes up to thirty at a time— and their delivery was spot on every time.
WRE: Your resume is saturated with huge projects. What’ve been some of your favorites, and why?
Beck: If I had to choose one film, it would be Mad Max: Fury Road. Everything about this film was epic—the locations in Namibia, the distance between sets, and the sheer scale of the production. Te crew was amazing and dedicated. I embraced the opportunity where there really were no limits to the scale at which creativity could be taken. Casino Royale was similar—and it must be said: to help create an opening sequence to a Bond film was truly an honor.
WRE: Everyone sees the “front end” of a movie, but what’s the back end like for someone in your position?
Beck: A stunt rigger’s job has two sides. Tere is the physical workspace side—planning and gathering production information and equipment for the job, and then actually doing the job—and there is the internal thinking side of the job—the idea development side. Everything is born from a thought. If there is one thing that I have learned about moving people around on the end of a piece of rope is: your one and only responsibility is to keep that person safe. Te more you can manage risk, the more elaborate you can be. But without managing that risk, you’re boxing yourself into some scary conditions.
WRE: What was it like trying to mange that risk on a film like Mad Max?
Beck: We were working six days a week—up to twelve or fourteen hours a day. Tere was never any instruction to go small or play it safe. What comes with this territory is a silent agreement and responsibility that you will go beyond what is normal and do more than what you’re getting paid to do in order to achieve the goal, but also manage the risk. On Mad Max, George Miller wanted a bike under a moving semi- trailer truck where Charlize Teron’s character would be grabbed by the legs as she climbed into the belly of the tanker. Tis stunt had to be rigged with virtually no margin for error,
as the truck was on the move. It was one of those moments in life where nothing else exists other than what is happening here and now. Sometimes, with great responsibly comes great pressure. I felt it that day. But, you must trust your intuition and follow what it tells you to do. It is a subtle and almost invisible thing.
WRE: What would you say is a pretty standard checklist for you and your team when considering not only the day-to-day rigging, but exotic rigging for an incredible scene?
Beck: Checklists allow you to work efficiently without missing critical steps. It also helps with time management—as everyone knows, time on set is costly. A pretty important checklist for me would look something like this:
• Am I following a safe work method set out for this job? • Is all the equipment required available and ready to go?
• Do I have the correct safety kit for myself to carry out work at height?
• Do we have our rigging plan in place?
• Have we informed the right people or departments of our work?
Tere are many more items to check, of course, but this would be a proper start. To conclude, I would have to say that even if you are the one coming up with the ideas, they’re worthless without the team to support you and help those ideas become a reality. We are, ultimately, that which surrounds us. y
— Learn more about Keir Beck, his incredible life, and his stunt rigging services at
www.inmotionrigging.com.
WIRE ROPE EXCHANGE JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2016 21
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