Specially trained performer for dangerous sequences — doubles for lead actors in jumps, fights, or driving stunts.
Technical Details
Stunt performers specialize in defined categories: High Falls (falls from a height of 4.5 meters), Precision Driving (vehicle stunts at speeds over 80 km/h), Fire Burns (fire stunts with temperatures up to 800°C), Fight Choreography, and Wire Work. Protective equipment includes fire-resistant Nomex suits, spinal protectors with 15mm padding, and special crash mats with a 30cm foam core. Wire rigs operate with steel cables of 3-6mm diameter and tensile forces up to 2000 Newtons.
History & Development
The first documented stuntman was Frank Hanaway, who fell from a horse for 5 dollars in "The Great Train Robbery" in 1903. Yakima Canutt revolutionized vehicle stunts between 1930 and 1950 and developed standardized safety protocols. The Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures was founded in 1961, followed by the first female stunt organization in 1973. Since the 1990s, CGI techniques have supplemented practical stunts but rarely replaced them entirely.
Practical Application in Film
In "Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015), Guy Norris' team performed over 80% of the stunts practically, including 150 vehicle maneuvers at speeds up to 100 km/h. "John Wick" (2014) set new standards for close-quarters combat choreography with 87North, requiring 6-8 weeks of pre-training for the stunt doubles. Modern productions budget for 1-3 stunt performers per lead actor; in action films, this ratio increases to 5-8 specialists per protagonist.
Comparison & Alternatives
Stunt Coordinators plan and supervise all dangerous scenes, while Stunt Doubles exclusively perform for specific actors. Motion capture technology has increasingly replaced wire work for supernatural movements since 2010, but practical stunts remain indispensable for realistic action sequences. Virtual stunts using volumetric capture cost 50,000-200,000 Euros per sequence, while practical stunts are budgeted at 5,000-25,000 Euros per day.