Stunt doubles can use a postsecondary education to their advantage. If you want to work in the entertainment business, consider getting an associate or bachelor's degree in a subject related to the industry. Some of the most popular majors are theatre arts, communication and rhetoric, and dance and film studies. An acting major may also help you learn the skills necessary to become a successful stunt double.
Stunt doubles may speak with one another in various ways, depending on the context and type of training session. You may come across industry lingo while completing training programs and working with other stunt doubles. Studying this jargon can boost professionalism and help you get familiar with various roles. The following keywords:
Tumbling: It's one of the most popular and common types of gymnastics. It is defined as a movement in which a person performs various gymnastic acts, such as shoulder rolls, somersaults, and back handsprings, without the aid of specialized equipment.
High fall occurs when a stunt double drops from three stories or higher and lands safely on a box catcher or airbag.
Air ram: By shooting an actor through a system of pipes and compressed air, this is a machine that simulates the impact of an explosion.
Wirework: Professionals frequently use wirework or the usage of harnesses, vests, and rigs for aerial acts in falls or flying sequences. Amateurs also use wires to make many creative things possible - see below.
Stunt doubles have a demanding job that requires them to be in great form. Adhering to a healthy diet and strict exercise regimen can help you become fitter. Some stunt doubles train independently. Working with a nutritionist or fitness trainer might be beneficial. These experts can assist you in developing a physique that will allow you to perform your job better.
You may apply for more jobs by improving your abilities. For example, your excellent rock-climbing and swimming abilities might allow you to fill in for an actor in a wilderness film. To maintain realism in fight sequences, you could take lessons in boxing or martial arts. Many movie and TV characters engage in sports activities like horseback riding, skiing, and skateboarding. If you want to double for these roles, consider taking lessons in the desired action. You might also find work as a safety specialist onset if you have experience in first aid and CPR.
Obtaining a mentor might assist beginner stunt doubles in improving their abilities and finding jobs. Consider asking them for guidance if you meet an experienced stunt double at your training facility or gym. You may question them about their meal plan and exercise program, or you could inquire how they decided on their profession. When you develop connections with these professionals, they might be more likely to offer you roles in upcoming projects.
Stunt doubles start their careers working on low-budget movies and television shows. These roles will allow you to collaborate with experienced professionals and learn the ropes of the business. You must understand the many types of stunt doubles.
Stunt doubles are not only vital in the entertainment industry, but they can also help you build your resume. Looking for double stunt roles in the film business may be an excellent approach to use your connections and online job boards to discover. What might find stunt doubles at movie theaters and amusement parks that offer performance-based jobs?
If you've built up some experience, consider joining the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Union membership allows you to seek work with a union and receive higher pay for more well-known productions. Because the league has rigorous safety standards, members enjoy greater job security.
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Disney's involvement in the entertainment industry extends beyond creating movies and TV shows. The Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development has invested in technology that can alter actors' facial expressions in post-production, and now Disney has created a flying robot stunt double.
A new report from TechCrunch reveals the company's advances in animatronics. These are future robots designed to entertain crowds at Disney theme parks and resorts. But, a new generation of animatronics is pushing the limits of engineering and could replace stunt doubles with robots. Following the company's Stickman project, Disney's engineer is now building humanoid robots designed to take part in aerial stunts. Advances in technology have allowed robots to adjust their positions in mid-air, nailing perfect superhero flight poses.
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They’d get a junk car, promising to dispose of it properly. He’d ask his brother to drive the car past him a few times until he was happy with the speed. Then his brother would hit him.
“You use common sense,” he said. “You figure out where the hard parts of the car are. You don’t want to get hit by the bumper or the front end of the car. You also don’t want to get hit by the windshield frame.”
But the windshield itself is actually quite soft, he said. If you can jump high enough, so that just as the car hits you, you land on the windshield and roll onto the hood, the forward momentum will spin you up.
“The only thing you have to worry about is landing,” he said. “And as long as you don’t land on your head, you’re typically fine.”
It’s safer to practice this with professional — or at least adult — supervision. But growing up in Germany and Suriname and enamored with westerns and action flicks, Sturz put on his elbow and knee pads and hoped for the best.
“If you want to break our industry down really, really simply into one sentence, we get paid to take a beating,” said Banzai Vitale, veteran stunt professional who runs Stunt Performers Academy in Los Angeles. “Our job is to hit the ground and take a beating, so the actor doesn’t have to. And that requires a level of physical training.”
“If you want to break our industry down really, really simply into one sentence, we get paid to take a beating,” said Banzai Vitale, veteran stunt professional who runs Stunt Performers Academy in Los Angeles. “Our job is to hit the ground and take a beating, so the actor doesn’t have to. And that requires a level of physical training.”
There are stunts in almost every film, said Mallory Thompson, who worked on “Top Gun: Maverick,” the upcoming “Avatar” films, and doubled Zendaya for “K.C. Undercover.”
Some are flashier — people flying around on wires or getting set on fire. Some are quieter or more intimate; for example, a drowning or domestic violence scene. Some are funny — people often trip or fall off things in comedies.
The Times talked to Sturz (“Captain Marvel,” “Eternals”), Thompson, Vitale (“True Blood,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) and fellow stunt professionals Alex Daniels (“Bosch,” “Veronica Mars”), Alfred Hsing (“The Watchers, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”), Katie Rowe (“Will & Grace,” “American Horror Story”) and Noah Garret (“Ms. Marvel,” “The Mandalorian”) for advice on how to get into the industry.
Do you have big Hollywood dreams? This article is part of a series on starting and building entertainment industry careers. Read on.
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Stunt performers need a strong athletic background. Think gymnastics, martial arts, diving or motocross — sports in which you develop body awareness, timing, coordination and discipline.
Daniels, veteran stunt coordinator and a board member of the Stuntmen’s Assn., was a cheerleader. Garret has done martial arts since he was 2. Hsing won the first American gold the 2009 World Wushu Championships. Vitale did martial arts and pole vaulting. Thompson was a pole vaulter and gymnast. Rowe started out as a swimmer, and she is often called upon for water stunts.
A person who pursues stunts has to have an adrenaline-seeking personality, but it’s not the wild ones who succeed, the experts said.
“People think that I’m a daredevil, and that’s not true,” Sturz said. “I’d bungee jump if you paid me, but I wouldn’t do it for fun.”
