FERRARI Behind the Scenes: Stunt Coordinator Robert Nagle

Robert Nagle is a veteran Hollywood stunt coordinator and driver whose film work includes John Wick, Baby Driver, Gran Turismo, Ford v Ferrari and many more.
His latest role was as the Stunt Coordinator for Michael Mann's FERRARI- the story of Enzo Ferrari's battle to save his family and his company as his cars compete in the 1957 Mille Miglia, the spectacular and deadly Italian road race.
FERRARI stars Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari, Penelope Cruz as his wife Laura, and Patrick Dempsey as Piero Taruffi.
FERRARI footage and stills courtesy NEON Rated, LLC
Biscuit Jr. clips courtesy Allan Padelford and Robert Nagle
Music Credits:
"Echoes Of War" by MusicLFiles
filmmusic.io/song/11091-echoe...
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: filmmusic.io/standard-license

[@gentnextdoor]

Watched it last night, wow... one of the best films I've watched in a while. The car scenes were perfectly judged, nothing lke the over-dramatised rubbish ala Fast & Furious etc.. what really stood out was the camera work and the acting. Driver was amazing..if Penelope Cruz is not up for an Oscar well, it sums up that institution. Forza Ferrari

[@shankarbalan3813]

Thank heavens they cut down the CGI and did good cars driven fast for real

[@chickenringNYC]

They didn't cut down the CGI. This movie is sopping wet with CGI.

[@dongrossinger2682]

😊😊😊😊❤​@@chickenringNYC

[@evanstewartryker3505]

@@chickenringNYC Did you not just watch the video, son?

[@its_clean]

​​@@chickenringNYCThis is a tired argument. Yes, technically, pretty much any movie over $50m is going to have wall-to-wall digital effects throughout the picture. But there's a difference between digital color grading, background extension and crowd fill etc, vs full digital sets or entirely CG sequences with no photographed elements. The fact that this movie has a few scenes with VFX cars and a bunch of digital color grading does not in any way make a fair comparison to a Marvel project, which is pretty much what you're trying to imply with the phrase "sopping wet". If anything, the few instances where the CGI stands out as obviously bad- like the Guidizzolo crash- highlight just how good and subtle the rest of the VFX are.

[@waltlynch7619]

Bravo Mr. Nagle, Michael Mann and the entire cast and crew. A deeply moving and unforgettable work of cinema.

[@tanushkar4444]

Would the movie be acceptable for a 12yo?

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

@@tanushkar4444 No. Adult themes and language, sex, etc.

[@jamesdellaneve9005]

I saw it today. It was excellent. Penelope stole the show in my opinion. Adam was a close second. Not just a guy movie. It was about Ferrari and his wife and consort and son.

[@jpkatz1435]

Love a deeper dive on the building of the movie cars.

[@DominicGuitarist]

I'm very grateful to have seen this in theatres, on its Christmas release date no less. The acting was great and the racing scenes were terrific. The lack of CGI made it feel genuine. I haven't seen a racing movie this good since Ford v Ferrari.

[@panamafloyd1469]

"The Harlem Globetrotters never won an NBA Championship..but you don't hear many people saying they can't play basketball." -Patrick Bedard, Car and Driver magazine, column about 'stunt driving' in movies. Mid 1970s, IIRC. So stoked for this thing, Mr. Nagle. Looks like your work on this thing will shine.

[@swordmonkey6635]

Saw the movie. Great stuff. The scene where the driver goes for a 200 foot ballistic arc to land on the track was when I thought "yeah. They know what they're doing." The crowd accident was brutal and well done. So tragic and filmed perfectly.

[@bastianogr4960]

Another Ronin fan here. To me, Ronin set the standard for car stunts. After having suffered through all the Fast & Furious movies and the likes, I will never forget my first time seeing Baby Driver. There it was again, that unique Ronin thrill. I‘m not surprised to find out, that the same people are behind Le Mans and Ferrari. Unparalleled craftsmanship in creating these driving scenes. Both beautiful and excruciatingly intense. Bravo!!!

[@tiffsaver]

This was a GREAT movie, the most brilliant combination of great acting and driving I've ever seen. Totally engrossing, a modern classic!!

[@brendankeenanFF]

Great Q&A. Love that it’s mostly been shoot in camera and not created in a computer.

[@SILVERGOLDWING72051]

Maurice, wonderful interview. Robert seems like such a down to earth guy... So nice for the Dr. to loan you the "set"....

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

Thanks! Couldn't ask for a better location. The cave effect gave us some audio challenges but it's all good!

[@UberLummox]

@@horsepowerheritage8030 GREAT interview!!!

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

@@UberLummox Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@anthonygray333]

Great flick! Awesome acting of course and the car scenes were breathtaking. A wonderful way to spend the evening. The wife loved it too!

[@stevenmorley1639]

A movie being released on Christmas day, that's rare 😮.

[@yellowquantum4240]

Saw the movie last week in the Daytona theaters, glad i did!! Beautiful scenes amazing Ferrari drama really needed to see the famous crash which was amazingly done . A Michael Mann moment into life and death. Ferrari the man is a very layered old school Italian , reminded me of my grandfather never took his dark lenses off and stoic 1000% Alpha archetype. I miss that !! I am a Alfaholic still have and drive my Sergio Pininfarina Alfa Romeo spider veloce 1976. My terrible joy !!!❤❤❤❤

[@user-xr9df4kt7p]

Great job with the movie and great interview.❤ Debra Sanchez

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

Thank you, Debra!

[@Thomas-ul3uy]

Excellent movie, just saw it today. One of the best Micheal Mann movies. Great driving scenes. There are some reviews that aren't kind, but from a car, car history, old racing fan, it was worth seeing. Also, a person depicted in the movie that is alive today, stated the movie was factual and true. I may go see it again. I have my car movie collection and it includes others mentioned in this video, Ronin, Ford vs Ferrari and Grand Prix and look forward to adding this one. Glad to see this was totally filmed on location, a rare feat in the movie world today. I hope they include the feature with the 4K/Blu-Ray/DVD release.

[@tanushkar4444]

Suitable for a 12yo to watch? Considering taking my son...

[@crankyoldguy2]

@@tanushkar4444 You got your answer the last time you asked the question.

[@mamavswild]

I also love Rush. A classic racing car film

[@Triumphs1962]

For the longest time the movie Grand Prix was my favorite auto racing movie. Just saw this movie on Christmas and it blew me away. The acting, the storyline and of course the beautiful cars of that era. Not to mention the beautiful cinematography and it was filmed entirely in Italy! Not too many films go all out like this one anymore. Can’t wait to own a copy when it comes out.

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

"Grand Prix" has been a favorite of mine as well. John Frankenheimer wrote the book on camera mounts and in-car cinematography with that film. Thanks for your comment!

[@maximilian3004]

this reminded me a lot of grand prix. very similar feel in the car sequences, which no doubt has much to do with mr. nagle and the commitment to practical effects. i'd also argue this is a better, more coherent film; grand prix suffers outside of the GPs. the only thing it has that this film lacks is jessica walter.

[@its_clean]

The last third of the movie just felt like Michael Mann squeezing every penny he could out of all the money they spent doing it for real in Italy. I've never seen anyone make cypress trees look so iconic and dramatic. Dude really knows how to create visual drama with a minimum of photographic tricks, just great blocking and framing in front of a clean wide lens.

[@charleswinter1335]

The movie is awesome, great to hear some background info.

[@UberLummox]

Crazy sh!t, mang. Haven't seen it but has to be one of the most epic & heroic car movies ever! And great interview!

[@joefaraci8575]

Excellent clip, if you like this you will really enjoy the movie. Saw it last night and going tomorrow with friends. The start of the MM almost brought me to tears. Great work all around.

[@drdetroitwheels]

I hung out with Carroll Shelby for the last 24 years of his life he was like a grandfather to me Sam is a friend of mine so it's Ben like to see how accurate the movie is see if they have people like engineer figari

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

Hi Dr. Detroitwheels, the film is set in the summer of '57, so a few years before Mauro Forghieri joined Ferrari. But he's definitely a pivotal figure in the company's history. Thanks for watching and Happy New Year!

[@crankyoldguy2]

(you really need to study punctuation. Periods are your friend,,,,,

[@AJDerzie]

I'll add that Spencer Bucknum (son of Jeff and Grandson of Ronnie Bucknum) was the kid that was "too good". He's no longer the kid I watched grow up from a young teenager but is now a pro championship winning driver for Honda and and an instructor at Radford racing schools. Barely old enough to drink or shave, keep your eye out for this 3rd generation talent.

[@lancraft]

Great movie, great interview. Talking about things that didn’t happen; you can’t “put the roof up” on a teatarossa, and I’d be shocked to know there were reflectors on the road surface in 1957 😁

[@johnbarnes7716]

I caught that also ;^)

[@pez_xsm]

Supposedly, for years those reflectors (which somehow are called "occhi di gatto", "cats' eyes" in english) have been told to be the culprit of the tire explosion on DePortago's car, even back in the 50's. If I remember correctly this detail is well explained in the Enzo Ferrari biography written by Luca Dal Monte (among other sources).

[@leemorris2127]

I have yet to see this. But as a big racing fan, I will. Up to now my favorite racing film hands down is Steve McQueen's 'Le Mans'. By far the most intensely realistic film involving cars and drivers at speed - and I thought it superior to Ford vs Ferrari. I hope Ferrari does not disappoint. Judging from some of the scenes shown here, it could be good.

[@derrickgreen9020]

I agree with your choice of films and hope you weren’t disappointed Lee, because I was🤷🏻. I think the film should have been called just ‘Enzo’. One third in to the film before you get to see a Ferrari. I won’t say any more except, much more use could have been made of all that technological effort to produce reality by Nyman….just sayin’. Most underwhelmed.

[@denniswhite9721]

Terrific vid, excellent Q&A. Thanks so much!

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@RichardWarner-df7dz]

Amazing and amazing movie.

[@Toni62R]

Great video and driving experience!

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

Thanks Toni, more great vids to come!

[@jimwolfe4286]

Terrific interview !.....Thank you very much, I just sub'd your channel...Merry Christmas !

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

Thank you, Jim! More good stuff to come. Happy New Year!

[@uncleyoto8205]

Outstanding Questions

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

Thanks! We had a very tight schedule but made the most of it. Thanks for watching!

[@amandareviewscars]

Wow, very cool! Excellent video!

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

Thank you very much, Amanda!

[@michaeltorpy3366]

Wow how Interesting give me a job with them looks brilliant 😊😊

[@drdetroitwheels]

Sammy and and Ben also knew Carol shall be very very well so far I haven't heard whether they mentioned Shelby ferruccio Lamborghini is two arch nemesis

[@Eric_Gilbert]

Want to see this

[@brettrobinson6056]

I hope they do a making of book about this film

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

That would be cool. The script is base on a book by the late Brock Yates entitled "Enzo Ferrari: The Man and the Machine"- which I recommend. Thanks for watching!

[@smalltownboy3117]

They need to make a Need for Speed Ferrari Challenge game likewise the Porsche Challenge that came out many years ago, that was a brilliant game and I still play it, if just to hear the engine sounds echoing off the tunnel in Monaco

[@gtracer6629]

I recall a Bob Nagel racing at Marlboro Speedway in Maryland back when I raced there in the 1960s. I wonder if this is the same Bob Nagel I remember from those days?

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

Hi there- This is a different Mr. Nagle. Thanks for watching!

[@jeffhildreth9244]

Excellent interview. Did I miss who the interviewer is?

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

Hi Jeff, thank you. It's me (Maurice Merrick) doing the interview. Horsepower Heritage is my YT channel- and there's also a podcast of the same name with over 100 episodes if you're interested. Happy New Year.

[@jeffhildreth9244]

@@horsepowerheritage8030 Again, well done. Liked and subscribed and.. yes will check out previous woks. PS.. I did not care for the film "FERRARI."

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

@@jeffhildreth9244 Thanks, Jeff! All the best.

[@kcgilford518]

Anybody know anything about the Ferrari in the background with the arrow symbol in the Colorado flag motif and 115, a reference to the highway from Colorado Springs to Florence? Great movie btw!

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

It's a 1958 250 Tour de France with Scaglietti coachwork. The emblem you see is the logo for the Colorado Grand, in which this car participated. Thanks for watching!

[@BobGeogeo]

Great interview, but the host's audio was a bit hot.

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

Hi Bob- yes, we had a few audio issues, but still glad you enjoyed the video. All the best to you!

[@chetcarman3530]

Looks like they've finally succeeded in making reality look like video gaming. 🎉

[@irvhh143]

These are kit cars with ladder frames and fibreglas shells? What are they using for drivetrain? I m guessing light pickups.

[@misigis]

The chassis were built by Auto Action Developments in the U.K., while the bodies-four aluminum and five fiberglass-were fashioned by Campana, a carrozzeria in Modena. The drivetrains, cannibalized from Caterham 620s, featured supercharged 2.0-liter Duratecs rated at 310 horsepower, mated to five-speed manuals or six-speed sequentials. Despite the aerodynamically challenged bodywork, the replicas could exceed 140 miles per hour.

[@johnbarnes7716]

Myself and my Daughter saw it yesterday and realized we wanted more. The flying cars were a bit too much tho'.

[@tomstevens7452]

Well the Mille Miglia crash was what happened.

[@jamesdellaneve9005]

Yes. The CGI was my only criticism.

[@its_clean]

If the two scenes with flying cars (which did actually happen, the VFX just looked goofy) prevented you from enjoying an otherwise beautifully shot film with amazing driving and beautiful cars and an astonishing performance from Penelope Cruz, I'd encourage you to try not being a one-issue voter when it comes to movies. Don't let one weak element prevent you from seeing all the other good things that might be in a movie, whether it's this one or any other.

[@lawrencegatt4515]

Who build the car’s ? What engine’s did you use?

[@AJDerzie]

I believe the engine and chassis were produced by Caterham.

[@DSW964]

Hopefully they got the one thing right all other recent movies got wrong- A proper heal-toe with any footwell shot. Without that, in-car shots will be just as cringe worthy as F vs F and H vs L.

[@its_clean]

They showed plenty of normal-looking upshifts, but I don't recall seeing any heel-toe or even a single downshift from inside the car. If that's your criteria for a good car movie, then this might pass merely by omitting the possibility of a mistake lol.

[@yallowrosa]

not an easy film for the local and shy character of Ferrari but Rush (2013) and LeMans (2019) seem B-movies with respect to this film in 2016 Bale was heard for acting as Enzo but he next gave up Driver is better in the shy role of Ferrari

[@BobGeogeo]

For 2019, do you mean Ford vs Ferrari (US) or Le Mans '66 (some other markets)?

[@Bassmanbbn4]

He starts off by saying the rare and expensive cars had to be ‘driven to the edge but looked after’ then goes on to describe how every single Ferrari we saw being driven was fibreglass/aluminium remake - from the ground up. The only originals were parked up in the background. What does he mean?

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

He was speaking generally about how to carefully handle "real" cars as a film driver/stunt professional. not just for this film.

[@auchenshoogle7233]

Less CGI more GoPro. Watch Kenny Brack with an early GT40

[@jamesdellaneve9005]

Just 2 scenes that didn’t look quite right.

[@DavidM-mb1vx]

Now do Alfa Romeo

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

Would love to do an historic Alfa video. Tazio Nuvolari was the greatest!

[@DavidM-mb1vx]

I have a 69 spider and a friend has gtv6. We can add some footage if need be.

[@matthew-jy5jp]

I hope in this conversation that we're having about mister Ferrari we all talk about the drivers who died one right after another and Ferrari didn't give a 💩 about. Enzo Ferrari was arrogant and it was his own undoing. Because pride always comes right before the fall

[@stevemowat4294]

If you think the Bullit chase is real, watch it again and count the number of wheel caps the black car loses during the chase yet still has two when it crashes. That said, I am really looking to seeing this movie here in NZ.

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

You're right, there are a number of continuity errors in Bullitt, like the VW Beetle and the hubcaps as you said. But overall, the stunts were convincing. Much better than most films of the time. The 007 films, for example, were awful.

[@its_clean]

If I have to say "forest for the trees" one more time here in the comments I might lose my mind. Continuity errors abound in almost every movie- it's just the nature of filmmaking. If you care more about counting lost hubcaps than enjoying the experience of real cars being driven by real drivers on real roads at real speeds...what are you even watching? You might like to know that CGI-fests like Star Wars and Marvel have many fewer continuity errors, because it's easy to make sure everything lines up when you've got six months and 300 people making the whole movie in a computer. Do you think that makes a better movie? Or can you accept that minor continuity errors are the cost of doing business when you're doing things for real, sometimes with no opportunity for retakes or reshoots?

[@davidwilburn6314]

Haven't seen Ferrari, but I earnestly hope that the buffoonery that was presented on F vs F isn't once again repeated here; specifically the sequences where the car is redlined in top gear (camera on the tach) and suddenly the driver drops into a LOWER gear and the tach somehow reads a LOWER rpm. Utter stupidity!

[@greg-warsaw4708]

For us who respect and discern real driving, mistakes here are aplenty. To name just one: look at 1:04 through 06 at an absurd angle Moss' Maserati develops as it begins to overtake Collins' Ferrari. It gets almost transverse, as if maneuvering into a parking lot. At speed! Not even mentioning that Moss, having started 3 minutes after Collins, never managed to catch him (his car suffered terminal defect soon after the start).

[@davidbarber9621]

Unfortunately FERRARI the movie had very little to do with Ferrari the car manufacturer, and racing. Instead, the movie was way too focused on Enzo's love triangle which nobody, except maybe Piero, cares to know. So much was focused on Piero's mother that I have to wonder if that was his decision because he wanted his story told, rather than tell the story of Ferrari's racing history.

[@larryt.atcycleitalia5786]

Dunno if I can sit though all the fake Italian accented English in this film! AAAGGHHHH! Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll be a version dubbed into Italian with English subtitles?

[@its_clean]

Penelope Cruz sounded great. Adam Driver was sort of ok. Shailene Woodley was atrocious. Thankfully Patrick Dempsey didn't have to talk that much. Most of the other supporting actors were real Italians. It was a pretty mixed bag, but if you can get past the anglocentric casting and the apparent total absence of dialect coaches on set, there was really a lot to enjoy about this movie.

[@amraceway]

Why did they get the numbers on the cars so wrong? Poor research.

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

Which cars specifically do you mean?

[@amraceway]

@@horsepowerheritage8030 A feature of the Mille Miglia were the numbers hand painted on the cars that denoted when they were to leave. The numbers had a particular style unlike those on the movie cars. This video illustrates it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmTbn4dqr8R4iKssi=B9czngmf2xnf0bA1&t=86. You would think that a multi million dollar production would get one of the more eye catching features of the Mille Miglia correct. Also the model Ferrari racing car was period incorrect too.

[@horsepowerheritage8030]

​@@amraceway Yes, I know the history of the numbering. However, I think if you look more closely, you'll see that although the privateers were painted by the Auto Club Brescia staff, the factory entries were painted by their respective teams- with a bit more flourish- bigger, fatter, and sometimes, with serifs. The cars in the film match the real thing. Looks at Taruffi's no. 535 Ferrari, for example, or the no. 537 Maserati of Stirling Moss. I have no idea why you think the cars in the film were not period correct. They were absolutely correct. Ferrari Classiche assisted with the film and the bodies were built to original drawings by a carrozzeria in Italy.

[@amraceway]

@@horsepowerheritage8030 I beg to differ.The factory cars were hand painted. The numbers on the movie cars were too neat. Ferrari Storica denied Chitti modified cars as authentic Ferrari's so I would not place much faith in them.

[@its_clean]

@@amraceway Even if you're right about the numbers being too neat (you're not, the numbers are quite close to how they looked on the actual cars), if you're willing to let a few overly-neat painted numbers detract from what has otherwise been universally acknowledged by car enthusiasts, film critics, motorsport historians, and automotive journalists as one of the most technically accurate car movies ever made...well, I suppose there are also people like you who would turn down a delicious slice of chocolate cake because you think the icing was piped in the wrong pattern. Forest for the trees, my friend.

[@kallesundqvist2582]

IF YOU NOT RESPEKT A FERRARI YOU NOT LIKE ANY CAR AND OWN LOCK HEAD FACTORY IN USA

[@bowelrupture]

😂😂😂

[@ExSheriffFattyBoySkinnyArms]

Whose idea was it to interview the stunt coordinator and not the director?

[@davidpalk5010]

Silly film. True story. Only the facts have been changed.

[@stephencurry8552]

Shame that enzo was a liar, an adulterer, and truly horrible to work for. enzo was also not anywhere near the sharp end in terms of technology. enzo built the f-40, a crude, simplistic car. Porsche released the 959. No comparison.

[@spice3767]

Watched this last night…..unfortunately it was awful….what a disappointment

[@V8Deuce]

A lame reaction to Ford Vs. Ferrari . This movie wasn't worth a dime. A total waste of 2 hours and 11 minutes!

[@chetcarman3530]

Yep. Another bad-looking car racing movie that looks just like all the others since LeMans.😢