Meet Cory DeMeyers | Filmmaker & Stuntman

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cory DeMeyers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cory, looking back, what do you think was the most difficult decision you’ve had to make?
The most difficult decision for me was the choice to create my own company in the creative space of Filmmaking. This required me to step away from a level of job security in pursuit of my dreams. Pursuing your dreams should be exciting, but I’ll tell you it is also very daunting and can be very scary, especially in a subjective industry that has no guarantees.

Thankfully, this decision has made it easier for me down the line as I now can make decisions that seem just as big and daunting more quickly and with confidence as they arise.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Currently I am a creative in the Film & Television industry, but my journey didn’t start out with that as the aim. Over the years I followed things that interested me, sometimes my passions would shift, so I would recalibrate, re-align my goals and continue. Eventually this led me from being a Pro-Parkour Athlete, to a Stuntman, Stunt Coordinator and now I am developing/Producing & Directing Short films.

In 2010 I stumbled across the Sport & Art of Parkour/Freerunning. Being a lifelong martial artist and a self taught acrobat I was taken to this sport that allowed me to move in creative ways and express myself in the urban environment. Although there were no clear career paths and not much financial stability in that pursuit I ran down that path whole heartedly. During this part of my journey it allowed me to meet other ambitious athletes, travel & compete around the world and ultimately I became the 1st and still to this day the Only American Athlete to ever win the Red Bull Art Of Motion … The World Championship for the sport! (In Santorini Greece)

Around the same time I dove in head first, I was introduced and eventually became a member and partner in one of the most prolific Freerunning & Parkour Teams, Tempest Freerunning, based in Los Angeles. They were the Rock Stars of the Freerunning world and to be invited in was a badge of honor I still wear with pride today. The team consisted of top tier Athletes, many of which were making their living as Stunt Professionals in Film & Television in between competitions. I had started dabbling in Stunts just before meeting Tempest as that was the only way really to make money with Parkour besides teaching it. But once I joined the team, I had a new found confidence in my abilities and a supportive network of friends who became my LA Family that really allowed me to start my film career full heartedly.

In 2013 after 3 years of day-playing in Stunts, I landed a 5 week gig on the re-shoots of 300 Rise of an Empire and had the chance to work with a killer team of stunt performers. Not only did I make enough money in the 5 weeks to quit my day job and try to use this little nest egg to launch a full scale parkour and stunt assault on the industry, but I watched how closely Damon Caro, the 2nd Unit Director & Stunt Coordinator was working with Zac Snyder. They were creative collaborators when it came to the action. I had no Idea what a 2nd Unit Director was until then & I was Inspired. I knew that Stunt Coordinating was something I wanted to do down the line, but there was now another path that could be open to me if I wanted to pursue it.

Being in no rush, I went on with my then business collaborator and Tempest Teammate to shoot a feature length Documentary over that same summer. Our film chronicled our journey as Athletes around the world eventually landing us on the Podium of the largest competition together, it started as a YouTube series, but when we were all said and done we realized the power it had to inspire younger generations to follow their passions & we cut it into a feature. The film is titled, From Here To There: A Freerunning Documentary, we 4 walled it in theaters showing in 10 Countries and 25 Cities, it is still available today.

In 2016 I got married to my long time girlfriend and things felt like they were shifting in the parkour world and in the dynamic with my then collaborator. Feeling this shift and knowing the opportunities I had outside of Parkour I decided to put 100% of my focus into my stunt career, full disclosure until then I was 50% Parkour Athlete 50% Stuntman. I always gave my 100% but I was bouncing between the 2 worlds. This choice paid off more than I could ever imagine, I have since had the opportunity to work with some of my favorite Directors and it even led me to winning a Taurus World Stunt Award from my work on Once Upon A Time in Hollywood!

Through this, I met my mentor Kevin Scott, who is a top tier Stunt Coordinator & a Great 2nd Unit Director. He was the 1st person in the industry really willing to take me in with the sole purpose of helping cultivate my potential and allowing me to grow. He has been so important in my career since 2017 when we worked on Mile 22 together. He never treated me as just a stuntman, has always treated me as an equal & a Filmmaker.

Taking notes from so many greats along the way, when LA was locked down in 2020 & 2021 I decided I was going to shoot my first Narrative Film. As a Stunt Coordinator & Fight Coordinator I often design, shoot and edit Fights/Action Sequences, so I felt like I could handle action, but I wanted the challenge of shooting dialog and working with actors. I guess you could say I had something to prove. DANNY BOY was a film my friend Sammy Horowitz had written for me, so I could do just that, having started his own transition from Stunt Actor to Writer he was also eager to see his words as images. We made the decisions to shoot, inside 48hrs I pulled a 7 person team including actors together & we went out, just outside of ChinaTown and shot DANNY BOY in 1 night, 4 1/2 hrs to be exact.

This was hopefully to be our calling card, and man has it been a good year. Our film has played several festivals in Europe and I am currently Nominated for Best 1st time Filmmaker at the Birmingham Film Festival in England! We just played to a great reception at HollyShorts, Bushwick Film Festival, and we are set to play SoHo London International & the awesome South African Independent film festival!

So this is my new shift, I love performing & Stunt Coordinating, I will continue to pursue this as I genuinely love it, but I made a pact with myself that after every big show I have the opportunity to work on I have to shoot a short in order to continue growing as a Director & Producer. When my opportunity to step to that side comes, I want to be ready for it.

The journey has not been easy at all and there have been so many hurdles, and so many doubters, but I think it is important to stay the course, share your aspirations with your peers, if they can help they will help. Find others who are pursuing similar goals and align yourself with them, you can learn and grow together. If you’re on set working in any capacity, pay attention, listen and watch the other departments, learn their crafts and you will be better at yours. And lastly, interests shift as well as the things we are passionate about, don’t be afraid to shift your goals along with them. You do not have to be defined by 1 thing, you can change your mind and still flourish!

If there is one thing I want people to know about me is that I’m not just a Stuntman, I am a Filmmaker and Creative. Performing, Coordinating, Producing or Directing it is all an exercise in creativity for me and I approached them in a similar fashion as they are all apart of the Film process

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh man !

Los Angeles has so many great places, but ;

Breakfast – The Waffle in Hollywood, Breakfast by Salts Cure, Nats Early Bite in the Valley

Lunch – Sotta in Burbank & Tocaya (any location) … Great tacos and Drinks 

Dinner – Stella Barra in Hollywood, Spartina on Melrose & pretty much any Korean BBQ spot in K-Town

Drinks & Fun – Melrose Umbrella Company, Good Times & Dave’s Waynes, The Harvard & Stone

Activities – Hollywood Reservoir Hike w/views of the Hollywood Sign, Runyon Canyon Hike & I always love Will Rogers State beach just north of Santa Monica, especially during the week. It’s usually pretty chill with not to many people.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I absolutely would love to give a Shout-out to my amazing wife Jennay DeMeyers, when I came home inspired one day, 11 years ago and told her I wanted to pursue a life of creativity through sports (Parkour) & filmmaking she said, “ Well babe, If you think you can make a living out of that and it makes you happy, do it!” .

I also want to give a shout out to Kevin Scott, Stunt Coordinator & 2nd Unit Director who for the last 4 years has taken me in and mentored me as a Stuntman, Stunt-coordinator & Film Professional. He has always taken the time to teach and allow room for me to grow in many areas of this industry, for that I am forever grateful !

Website: www.dannyboytheshortfilm.com

Instagram: @CoryDeMeyers

Twitter: @CoryDeMeyers

Facebook: CoryDeMeyers

Other: www.imdb.me/CoryDeMeyers

Image Credits
Henry Joost BLVXMTH