Requirements to Be a Stunt Person
Becoming a stunt person requires a lack of fear in the face of high speeds and accepting the risk of accidental death. Not just anyone can become a stunt person. It requires several years of training and scrutiny by the Joint Industry Stunt Committee.
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Registration
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Becoming a stunt person requires that you register with the Joint Industry Stunt Committee and become a probationary member. A probationary member is someone who can work in the stunt industry, but only under the direction of a full member of the committee. This probationary period is much like an apprenticeship in other professions. Stunt persons must serve as probationary members for three years. The Joint Industry Stunt Committee grades the work of apprentices until the committee deems the work good enough for the members to work as intermediate members. That means they can work on their own but cannot train others. After two more years of graded work, the intermediate member becomes a full member and can train others and become a stunt coordinator.
Specializations
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You must have a background in an area recognized by the Joint Industry Stunt Committee as an area of specialization. The committee recognizes five areas: fighting stunts performed by those with a martial arts background, swimming stunts, stunts that involve falling from a height, stunts involving riding horses and driving stunts, and lastly those involving feats of strength or agility like gymnastics.
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Skills
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You must possess a certain skill set as well. Stunt persons generally need to be agile and have both strength and stamina. Stunt persons need to think quickly on their feet and make split-second decisions. They also need excellent interpersonal communication skills because stunt persons often work as part of a team and must be able to coordinate movements and stunts with other team members.
Safety
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One of the most important requirements to be a stunt person is the knowledge of the production process and the impact that it has in preserving the health and safety of all involved in the completion of stunts. Stunt people must also be familiar with all rules and safety regulations in the stunt industry.
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References
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