The Study on the Possibility of Establishing the Stuntmen Network for the Film Industry and Tourism in Tha Phra Community, Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

The article entitled The Study on the Possibility of Establishing the Stuntmen Network for the Film Industry and Tourism in Tha Phra Community, Khon Kaen Province has the following objectives: 1. To study the history and background of the stuntmen group in Tha Phra Community, Khon Kaen Province, 2. To study the weaknesses and strengths of the stuntmen group in Tha Phra Community, Khon Kaen Province, and 3. To analyze the possibility of the development of a film tourism destination and establishment of the stuntmen group in Tha Phra Community, Khon Kaen Province. From the study of the history and background of the stuntmen group in Tha Phra community, Muang District, Khon Kaen Province, it was found that the history can be divided into three eras. In the Pioneering Era (1981-1984), Panna Rittikrai entered the film industry working as a stuntman and established his stunt team called Stuntman PPN. The Flourishing Era, the Stuntman PPN group’s first film called “Born to Fight”, was considered the golden era for the stuntman career. The Current Era (2013-Present), after Panna Rittikrai passed away, the stuntmen network began to scatter, leading to the lack of strength and negotiating power with the film producers. For the study of the possibility of establishing a stuntmen network for the film industry and tourism in Tha Phra Community, Khon Kaen Province, the researcher conducted a SWOT Analysis of people working as stuntmen in Tha Phra Community, Muang District, Khon Kaen Province, and found that the weaknesses started after the death of Panna Rittikrai. The stuntmen group started to scatter, leading to a lack of strength and the loss of opportunities. The strength is that the Stuntman PPN group still exists and Khon Kaen is still considered the center of Tourism in Isaan with various projects related to films, such as Khon Kaen Film City, Kaen International Film Festival, Film Camps, and Kaen Film Academy. For the analysis of the possibility of developing the area into a film tourism destination and establishing a Stuntmen Network in Tha Phra Community, Muang District, Khon Kaen Province, the result shows that it is possible to establish the Stuntmen Network since Tha Phra Sub-district, Muang District, Khon Kaen Province, is ready in terms of the potential since it had been used as a location in over 30 films, the center of film producers, and a training site for quality stuntmen. If the network is created, the stuntmen group will gain strength and can support the area in being established as a film industry zone or film city. However, to succeed, there needs to be collaboration from all related parties which will help provide support for community tourism and attract the audiences to be part of the film tourism aspect that will help generate income for the country or the film locations, as well as becoming a film tourism destination and a place that produces stuntmen for the global film industry.