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Working: Fight Choreographers on the Artistry Behind Movie Martial Arts

Slate Culture Feed

Slate Podcasts

Music, Tv & Film, Arts

4.22K Ratings

🗓️ 4 September 2022

⏱️ 49 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Andy Le, Brian Le, and Daniel Mah, fight choreographers for the action comedy film Everything Everywhere All at Once. In the interview, Andy, Brian, and Daniel discuss the origins of their group Martial Club and explain how they learned to recreate fight sequences by watching lots and lots of martial arts movies. Then they talk about their work on Everything Everywhere All at Once and share what they’ve learned about working with big-time action stars like Michelle Yeoh.  After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss Martial Club’s rise to fame and their ability to learn from the films they admire.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Andy, Brian, and Daniel name some of their favorite martial arts movies.   Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. -- Link to Atlassian Work Check Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:43.0

Marshall Arts is a spiritual activity just as much as it is a physical activity. It hits you on a deeper level than just like what you're seeing, what you're taking in with your eyes.

1:03.0

You know that a deep conversation is being had and even though these two people are the only witnesses they're both being forever changed.

1:13.0

Welcome back to working. I'm your host, June Thomas.

1:16.0

And I'm your other host, Isaac Butler.

1:18.0

Isaac?

1:19.0

It's so nice to see you again. And I am super curious to know who you spoke with this week and whose voice we heard at the top of the show.

1:28.0

Yes, we heard the voice of one of our three guests. There's three guests talking once this week. That was the voice of Daniel Ma, who along with the other two guests of this week, Andy Lay and Brian Lay.

1:41.0

They're the three founders, filmmakers, members of Marshall Club, a Marshall Arts filmmaking group.

1:49.0

And they're best known for doing the choreography and for appearing in the new film, everything everywhere, all at once.

1:58.0

Oh, yeah, a little movie that made quite an impact this year.

2:01.0

And why exactly did you want to speak with Andy Brian and Daniel?

2:06.0

I mean, because they're fucking awesome, June, I mean, come on.

2:11.0

I loved everything everywhere, all at once. It's one of my favorite movies of the year.

2:14.0

And I think that the fight choreography is not only really wonderful and innovative and interesting ways.

2:21.0

But it's very key to the storytelling itself.

2:24.0

And so, and I had read somewhere that they're mostly self-taught. And I thought that was really fascinating.

2:31.0

And I just wanted to find out, you know, who are these guys and how do they do what they do?

...

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