Inside the Craft of Action With Emmy-Nominated Stunt Coordinator Victor Paguia

Emmy-nominated stunt coordinator and performer Victor Paguia joins No Film School’s GG Hawkins to explain how action sequences are designed around character, story, safety, and production realities. Drawing on more than two decades of experience—including his work on I Am Legend, Zombieland, and CBS’s FBI—Paguia discusses breaking into the stunt industry, developing distinct fighting styles for characters, creating ambitious television action on an eight-day prep schedule, and using previsualization to make sequences safer and more effective. He also shares practical advice for independent filmmakers staging action with limited time and resources.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Victor Paguia discuss...

How competitive diving prepared Paguia to perform under pressure

Crashing the callback that led to his first stunt job on I Am Legend

Why effective stunt work must serve the story rather than spectacle

Finding the line between exciting action and physically unbelievable action

Developing a shared movement language for zombies and other creatures

Why fast zombies are more intimidating—and more enjoyable to perform

Building action around the established strengths of a character

Giving the agents on FBI distinct fighting styles based on personality and physicality

Keeping fights, chases, and takedowns fresh across multiple seasons

The differences between preparing action for a feature film and a network television series