I first met Paradox Pollack while directing I Am Legend, where he was one of the stunt players and performance artists who portrayed the film’s creatures. On that show, we remixed familiar vampire and zombie lore to create a new kind of movie monster.
In 2018, I hired Paradox as the movement director for the first season of the AppleTV series See. He hired a team and coordinated research to design a training program for the entire cast (from leading roles to background extras) to embody a world where all humans had become blind, and nature has reclaimed civilization. Paradox has a special talent for taking ideas that seem esoteric, or bizarre on the page, and, with his expansive understanding of myth, ritual, tribal culture and traditions from around the world, communicating simple practices to create a shared vision to the acotrs and stunt performers.
Paradox’s work was instrumental in making the unique world of See feel grounded and familiar. He was able to create an atmosphere of respect and generosity with the cast and all of hte production department heads. As the head of the Movement Department, Paradox co-created the distinct cultural behavior for the tribes featured in the show. His work manifested as a rich tapestry of songs, games, navigation techniques and adaptive behaviors which made sight obsolete and yet honored the sensitive representation of the disabled in our world. He worked in close collaboration with our blind, low-vision cast members, including our blindness consultant. In his training program, Paradox and his team coached the actors and stunt team to convey the new senses which had evolved in a world without vision. The stunt players and fight choreographers were trained to think from a place of smell, touch, sound, and vibration and they included this awareness in every gesture of stealth and attack seen throughout the first season.
From my experience, I can confidently say that Paradox is an extremely skilled teacher and coach who can re-create and/or generate social behaviors from any given period in time. He strives to bring out the best in all of the performers he works with and I recommend him at the highest level.
FRANCIS LAWRENCE
