Interview with Tad Griffith, legendary trick rider and stuntman for The Mask of Zorro (1998)
Trade MoviesShow Notes
THIS WAS SO FUN!!! A DREAM COME TRUE! The Mask of Zorro is one of my VERY all-time favorite movies, so getting to talk to the guy who does, in my opinion, the COOLEST horse stunt in any movie...incredible. I can't thank Tad Griffith enough for taking the time to talk to me today. His bio is seriously nuts: Mad Max: Fury Road, Iron Man, Fast & Furious, The Magnificent Seven, Cowboys & Aliens, 22 Jump Street, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and so much more.
You can find Tad here and more information on doing actor training, stunt training, and anything horse-related:
I will be going there as soon as I can!
Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction to Tad Griffith 00:05:24 The Evolution of Trick Riding 00:16:49 The Future of Stunts and AI 00:26:47 The Role of AI in Animation and Stunts 00:33:30 Training Horses: Individuality and Trust 00:50:27 The Legacy of Film Craft and Animal Welfare 00:58:41 Training Actors for Stunts 01:04:20 Paths to Becoming a Stunt Performer 01:11:01 Certification for Animal Performers 01:17:07 The Mask of Zorro Play-By-Play 01:22:40 Leapkick at the Camera 01:25:57 The Iron Cross on a horse 01:30:11 Trick Saddles on Horses 01:32:29 The Coolest Horse Stunt in Movies 01:34:45 The Art of Roman Riding 01:39:49 Going over the camera while roman riding 01:40:53 Using the Steedycam to make a shot safer 01:46:50 Jumping over the tree 01:51:12 Casey taking a bump on the tree 01:52:52 Reflections on Risk and Performance 01:55:33 Switching horses for the finale 01:56:55 Shooting in Mexico 01:59:10 Training the Next Generation of Stunt Performers 02:04:22 Tad's innovations in filming with horses 02:10:57 The Future of Stunt Work and Filmmaking 02:17:00 The importance of ethical treatment of animals on set 02:21:35 Wrapping up and how well The Mask of Zorro has aged
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