Water skiing, building climbing, fighting or karate are all cool and pretty amazing for them, but imagine these thrilling stunts becoming part of your career. Cool, right? If so, then maybe you want to be the perfect stunt double. However, being a stunt double isn't about taking risks and living on a cliff - it's about managing risks, living physically fit, and well, do your job.
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Part 1 of 3: Developing Skills
Step 1. Develop agility skill levels
Especially can definitely help you put on a show -- if you're a martial artist, gymnast, or rock climber, that's great. But what you have to understand better is how to do it, moreover you will be a cool stunt coordinator and become a perfect role that requires a lot of skills. If you want to be a stunt double, then when the opportunity comes, you have experience in a field or two. These are the most common skills stunt performers can possess:
- “Fighting”: Skill level in boxing, combat, or the arts of war.
- "Fall": The ability to drop from a height, some more than 3 levels high, and the ability to use a trampoline.
- “Motorcycle and driving”: A high level of skill such as an accurate driver of a car or motorbike, or an expert in horsemanship.
- “Agility and strength”: High level of gymnast or rock climbing skills.
- “Water Proficiency”: Highly skilled in scuba diving, underwater stunts, or swimming.
- “Variety of sports:” High level of ability in rolling, fencing, or walking on wires.
Step 2. Understand the language
If you want to appear to understand what you're talking about when you start out as a stunt double, then you have to know how it relates to your career. If the stunt lead starts talking about walking on the wire and you have a blank look on your face, don't think too far. Here are the things you should know:
- “Wirework”: The ability of rigging, parachuting, and vest to perform acrobatics that include flying or falling repeatedly.
- “Tumbling”: Performing gymnastics safely without using special equipment. This includes front and back roller movements, somersaults, rolls, break falls, dive rolls, back and forth somersaults, and wheeling.
- "Fall from a height": The ability to fall from 3 levels or more, when landing on a mat or air bag, without injuring yourself. You should be familiar with the types of falls, such as twisty falls, tumbles and step outs.
- "Swordplay": Skilled with swordsmanship, swordplay, swordplay during war. This includes fencing or fighting scenes.
- Horsework”: The ability to ride a horse properly and safely when stunts act out scenes such as falling, jumping onto another horse, and charming swordplay while riding a horse.
- Air ram”: A device that uses a compressor and hydraulics to launch a stunt double into the air. It is often used to create an explosive effect, propelling a stunt double into the air such as him flying forwards, backwards, or somersaults.
Step 3. Consider going to a specialized training school
While you don't need a college degree or formal training in the arena to be a stunt double, rest assured it can't be painful. You may be ready in a particular area from motorcycle racing to becoming a black belt karateka, but if you want to improve your skills, then you should find a reputable school in your area, such as Rick Seaman's driving school, that can give you a path.
These programs won't guarantee you a job and may pay you a few pennies, but if you need to hone your skills, this may be the safest way to go
Step 4. Have an advisor
While going to school to relearn your skills or to acquire new skills is a great way to improve your skills and make yourself marketable and an attractive stunt double, other ways to increase your chances are from renting out to finding advisors.. If there's a stunt double that you admire, like a stunt driver like Steve Kelso or Andy Gill or a stunt leader like Spiro Razatos, then you can have the very privilege of being able to supervise him.
This doesn't mean you have to bother with famous stunt doubles, but if you're around them or looking for a way to get to know them, it's worth asking them for input on improving your skills. Often, this part can come later, after you have had the chance; You won't have much luck finding advisors in the stunt business if you don't have that kind of experience, unless you have some very strong relationships
Part 2 of 3: Getting the job done
Step 1. Get a passport photo
If you are serious about becoming a pro, you will need an 8 x 10 inch black and white photograph. You will need a professional photographer you can trust to get the right photo with your camera. You won't be taken seriously if you only have one passport photo, so be sure to follow this section. A good passport-sized photo can help you look like a pro and can help stunt coordinators or producers see if you fit their criteria.
A passport photo is like your identification as a stunt double; If you don't have ID, then how will your business associates remember you?
Step 2. Create your CV
You may think that you don't need a CV to be a stunt double because this job only requires physicality, but that's not the case. You should treat your career like any other, where a CV is very important to help people who want to hire you and tell you if you are a good fit for the part. The most important thing to remember is that you have to be honest. Don't try to impress people by saying that you're not very capable, or you'll be in trouble -- and even in danger -- if you're in a role. Here are the elements you should include on your CV:
- Height, weight, shoe size, and other physical measurements.
- Relationships in your union (latest).
- Movies and TV shows (if you have them).
- List special skills or abilities such as rock climbing, scuba diving, boxing, or the arts of war.
Step 3. Join the union
If you want to work as a stunt double, then you have to join a union, so you can be legally hired to appear in films, music videos, or television. The two major unions in America are the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) or the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. In the UK, you will be required to join the Join Industry Stunt Committee's Stunt Register (JISC); Join unions in your country if these unions are not interested in you.
- Joining a union takes hard work. When you can join, if you're lucky, it can be a problem if a stunt coordinator can't find someone with a combination of skills and can show you what you need to do on the job (eg four foot five and being able to climb mountains).
- Another way to join is to try to get a job at SAG or another film union as 3 different days extra work can help a bit. Get an extra voucher every day and enter all three vouchers to qualify yourself to join the union -- although this does not guarantee that you will be able to join.
Step 4. Show your first appearance
If you're lucky, you may present yourself with a great photo op and a cool CV on a non-union project. However, if you want to master the major languages and find work on a union project, then you should get a production list of the unions you join; it will contain all local union productions that are currently sourcing around you; You should send a photo, CV, and general letter to the stunt coorfinator, and hope to be accepted.
- Should you not be selected, the coordinator will have your CV for future opportunities.
- While you are waiting for a call, you should try to get a lot of experience on (union), to get a feel for what the job is like.
Step 5. Be patient
You may not be able to put on your first performance successfully or you'll get lucky and get your first gig, then months without a job before you're called back by the producers. That's a natural thing. This type of business is hard to get into, especially if you don't have any channels or insiders, and are waiting to be part of the game. Even if you have to continue working outside of it, you should be prepared to find another job, and keep the spirit for success, in case you don't get your first appearance.
Step 6. Consider other careers in your field
Being a stunt double is an amazing job, but you can't possibly do it forever, because you get hurt easily, get older, or just don't want to take the risk of being professional. If you're tired of being a stunt double or driver but at least you've gained a lot of experience, then you don't have to leave your field; instead, you can find a way to land a suitable role while still surviving in the stunt world. There are several roles you can take on:
- “Stunt rigger”: To become a stunt rigger, you not only have to be experienced as a stunt rigger, but you also have to understand the mechanics of equipment for stunt riggers. You should have safety as your top priority, and will be showing a variety of scenes, from installing and disassembling the equipment in its designated place to landing on a fall and properly positioning the cables and vest.
- “Stunt coordinator”: A stunt double who works with the director to create sequences of scenes in films, or provides screenplay input for stunts when needed. A stunt coordinator is in charge of building stunts desire, paying stunts, managing finances, and making sure all stunts play safely.
- “Second Unit Director”: A person in charge of filming stunt scenes, as opposed to stunt coordinators, who are responsible for setting up actual stunt scenes. As the director of the second unit, you will film the stunt doubles as well as take out the outside of the scene that can be used in the production section. While these directors may have experience in stunts, they must also have experience in film and directing.
Part 3 of 3: Succeeding Your Career
Step 1. Follow the instructions
You might think that your best chance of success comes from showing off, trying to impress the film crew, and acting with all your skills. When you've become a seasoned stunt double, believe me you'll have plenty of extra time, and you may be the place to be consulted by a stunt coordinator or producer, but when you give it a go, it becomes essential for fun possibilities.
- You want to be remembered as someone who is easy to work with. Why? So you can be rented back.
- When you follow directions, it is very important to be polite and reasonable when you interact with the crew. If you have questions about how stunts act, ask, but don't always ask about whatever is going on or slowing down the process.
Step 2. Be prepared for a long time
Being a stunt double doesn't mean falling out of a helicopter for three shots and then acting all day. That can mean more than 14 hours on a scene, working nights, and being mentally and physically prepared throughout the process. It's a time-consuming job, and once you've shown your skills, you'll need to do it a number of times to get the scene right. At first, you may be juggled with other jobs along with stunt work, but once you've mastered the major languages you should be prepared to use them all.
This means that you will need endurance to be successful at work. If you're out of breath after an hour of fighting or need a break after a long day of rock climbing, then you need to restore your mental and physical strength
Step 3. Get ready to travel
If you're a real stunt double, then you're not going to spend your film life just being within a 30-mile radius of your home, not if you live in Hollywood, CA, you're going to be traveling to the Caribbean for a jet-skiing scene. You may be in Peru to shoot rock climbing. You might as well be in Germany for the high-speed car chase scene. This means a long time on the plane, and requires preparation before doing the jet-ski scenes. Trust me, it's going to be amazing, nerve-wracking, but you're not going to set it all up yourself.
As you get older, all traveling may become more difficult because you have to find time for your family, even if it's a little
Step 4. Keep your physique strong
Many stunt performers are at the peak of their careers between the ages of 20-40, which means you need to stay at your best during these ages. This means taking no risks, whether you're at work or hanging out with friends, and avoiding being too busy with food and drink that can depress your body and make you feel scared when you do your job. Eat a healthy diet, get enough rest, and exercise as often as you can, doing a mix of cardiovascular and strength training, so you're healthy enough to work out
- Another way to stay strong is to continue practicing your skills, both karate and swimming.
- If you want to be physically strong, then you must also keep your mind strong. You won't let the dangers of work come your way and you have to stay focused and think positive if you want to be successful for a long time.
Step 5. Become an expert at managing risk
Being a stunt double doesn't mean recklessly jumping from a high window, playing with fire, or crashing a motorcycle into a tree because you're not careful. The stunt doubles have amazing families, vehicles, and careers, which means they love what they do and want to stay alive to keep things going. When you get training on how to fall without hurting yourself, drive without crashing, and swim without drowning, etc., you should remember these words carefully, and don't do anything to show off if it means putting your life in danger.
- A study led by the University of Illinois at Chicago showed that there were 37 deaths in film or TV programs between 1980-1989 from male and female stunt doubles; a study from the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) shows 4,998 members were injured in 1982-1986, due to stunt work. This is an occupational hazard, and you have to think rationally and focus if you don't want to be a statistician.
- Even if you don't get hurt when you exhibit reckless behavior, you won't want to earn a reputation as reckless, or no one will want to work with you. Does the producer want to gain the reputation that a stunt double dies or falls and gets injured in a scene?
