Try Tackling a Pterodactyl – Introduction by Rodney
G'day, my name's Rodney Cook. I'm a stunt performer and stunt coordinator.
I live in Wellington and get to play in all the big movies, and I also work overseas as well.
Writing is really important because it got me to where I am at the moment and today as a stunt coordinator and stunt performer.
I had to write myself a CV and a letter to get into the industry. And then when I finally got the chance to prove what I could do, I managed to sell it to the coordinator. So here I am now. But if I didn't write that letter first up – dude, I wouldn't be here today.
Writing is really important for what I do because now I'm the boss, and I teach all the other guys how to fall down and all that.
But before I have to do that I've got to write to all the producers and directors and all that, and send all these emails, and work out how we are going to survive a fall off a cliff, and how we are going to survive to roll a car down a building. So yeah, it's really important to express what I could actually see in my head.
I loved comic books and action books to the extent where my friends used to hide all the comic books under their bed when I came around, y'know. When I was reading all these comics I actually wanted to make my own comics and cartoons and all that. So I did a combination of writing and drawing and just came up with crazy little stories in my head, to the extent where I just used to make up little stories all the way through and used to almost believe them myself. (laughs)
[Text on screen - Rodney Cook's Story Starter].
“A giant zombie Pterodactyl has taken a liking to roosting on the rugby goalposts on the eve of the biggest match of the season. It’s up to team captain Rangi and his prop forwards to get rid of the giant beast. Yeah, baby!”