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Sports Production Specialist, Scout, Coach + Trainer
June 29th, 2010, on the topic of Sports Commercials, Sports TV/Film, Stunts/Technical Advisors, Talent Features
Hernando Planells is one of the most-sought after sports production specialist in film, television and print. Hernando provides directors, producers and studios an answer to their sport specific needs.
Planells’ coaching career began at age 19; at 20, he became the nation’s youngest varsity basketball coach, at Immaculate Heart High in Arizona. Since then, he’s led high school, college and professional teams and conducted coaching clinics across the U.S. and abroad, most recently as head coach for the Ryukyu Golden Kings in Okinawa, Japan.
“I’ve played sports my whole life, and always loved it,” Planells said. “I always wanted to do something in sports.”
Along the way, he met “movie people” from the TV show SlamBall, in which full-contact basketball is played with trampolines. He was intrigued, and with no acting experience himself, embarked on a new phase of his career.
Now as coach, choreographer and even NBA scout, he’s expanded his niche in the field he loves.
Planells says training actors is not much different from students; on set, however, his “students” can include the likes of Toby Maguire and Channing Tatum.
And in The Longest Yard, Planells led actor Adam Sandler and real-life pro football player Michael Irvin in a convincingly fierce prison-yard basketball game.
The motivation? Authenticity.
“In any type of sports production, it’s authenticity — the actor wants it to look real and great; he wants to look like a pro athlete. It’s hard to hit the shot, remain in character, say your lines, and be believable.” It’s not all work, however.
“My all-time favorite was Robin Williams,” Planells said. “We spent two days together working on a basketball scene that was cut from License to Wed — but it was great fun, with him doing his comedy routines.”
Planells’ latest work includes C9 Champion sportswear print ads for Target, and upcoming films Grown Ups, starring Sandler, and Just Wright, starring Queen Latifah, both set for release this year.
To learn more about Hernando and services he offers, call Karen Osborn at 323.939.7852.
