[New Tang Dynasty News, Beijing time, December 29, 2023]
In order to pursue his Hollywood dream, Taiwanese action director Eddie Tsai, who has participated in martial arts films and drama performances, went to the United States in 2019. After surviving the impact of the pandemic, he has continued on the road to realizing his dream.
Having a good action director is important because they have the ability to take the audience on a journey with exciting fights and stunts which allows them to have their mood follow the plot.
Taiwanese action director and action stunt performer Eddie Tsai has been training in Chinese martial arts for more than 30 years since he was 13 years old. In addition to northern and southern style, he also learned various skills such as Taekwondo and close combat.
In 1999, he visited North America and other places with the "Chinese Taipei Martial Arts Troupe". After competing with overseas action stunt performers in 2016, Eddie said “I not only broadened my horizons, but also strengthened my desire to go to Hollywood to further my career. I hope to apply some better concepts, filming techniques, and methods in our Chinese speaking film industry. I really want to understand how they train and communicate with stunt performers.”
Eddie Tsai has worked in Taiwan for more than ten years and is well-known in the martial arts action community. However, in 2019, he decided to go to the United States to pursue his Hollywood dream.
The outbreak of the pandemic in early 2020 greatly affected the Hollywood film and television industry. Eddie Tsai did not give up easily. While understanding the European and American filming environment, he also worked hard to integrate the essence of Eastern and Western fighting and competition.
He realized that in Asia, martial arts stuntmen mostly work with stunt teams, and the threshold for being a stunt coordinator is relatively low. In Hollywood, no matter your ability, you must build trust and connections steadily in order to make a career.
Eddie Tsai: "I feel that here(Hollywood), safety is highly emphasized. Even for small details, communication needs to be very thorough. So, when people trust you, they will keep coming back to you. Whether it's within a small team, a department, or the entire industry as a whole, filmmaking must be a collaborative effort.”
Eddie Tsai, who is a martial arts stuntman and has been in the film and television industry for many years, decided to create his own action movies. In response to market demand, he also began to train action actors to hone his directing skills. He hopes to one day make a Taiwan-US joint action movie.
Eddie Tsai asks himself, ”In the past, I used to say that martial arts is my trunk, but what are my branches, what do I need to develop ? Does camera work, editing and wire stunts all make this tree grow? However, after coming to the United States, I realized it shouldn't be just that. I turned my trunk into an action film. For the sake of this action film, I should learn what is necessary. Similar to practicing martial arts, it's not an instant achievement; it's a step-by-step accumulation."
The experiences and opportunities in the United States have filled Eddie with gratitude. He believes that the sea of learning is boundless, and by persistently waiting for opportunities, one can get closer to their dreams.
Eddie Tsai stated, "I think enjoying the process is a wonderful thing. It's about what I gain in the moment and what I achieve in my short-term goals. Of course, once long-term goals and aspirations are set, the higher I climb, and the happier I am. When there are setbacks, at least I am doing what I set out to do. Personally, I feel grateful and fortunate. Sometimes, it's not just about how fast you get there; I believe it's about taking one step at a time, one stage at a time, while learning and enjoying the process of each part of the journey.”
After the pandemic subsided, Eddie received invitations for stunt coordinating and acting roles in films like "Kung Fu Games" and "The Invisible Fight." This encouragement has inspired him to continue progressing towards the path of action directing.
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