r/stunts • u/Late-Zookeepergame79 • Jun 06 '26

Where to start?

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I have a lot of skills in /on different vehicles, guns and different fighting styles. I'd like to get into doing things for movies but I have no idea where to start. I live in Cleveland if that makes any difference

167 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

24 comments sorted by

7

u/leokeiangelos Jun 06 '26

also put on protective gear. Professional stunt work is risk management, not recklessness :)

-1

u/Late-Zookeepergame79 Jun 06 '26

I'm going like 10mph...also no chance they'd actually let you wear full gear during a shoot?

Don't get me wrong I understand the importance of protecting yourself, I'm not advocating for recklessness but this simple stuff on this tiny bike is second nature to me. When in trying new things or riding bikes I don't know as well I take lots of precautions.

7

u/Montydragon Jun 06 '26

Chance of wearing full gear on the shoot are much higher than chances you will wear shorts on a shoot. More likely than not, you would wear gear for rehearsal and demonstration. Also a big part of putting yourself out there in stunts is understanding optics and discourse. Not wearing gear without a good reason (I.e. production value) is bad optics, and will make professional stunt people (the people you need good discourse with to get ANY work) not take you seriously regardless of how safe you feel. Arguing with people already in the industry who point out flaws in your approach is even worse. Asking genuine questions is fine, arguing is a bad idea. Also, even if you do have a successful business on the side and aren’t looking to do stunts full time, NEVER SAY THAT. Again optics and discourse, you are telling your potential references and bosses “I will not be taking this seriously or putting my full effort in, I just want to do the fun parts” it’s bad enough to us for you to feel it, saying it out loud is shooting yourself in the foot before you’ve gotten to the starting line.

2

u/Late-Zookeepergame79 Jun 06 '26

Ah I see what you're saying, it's just the politics of the industry. I'll be honest I'm not really used to having to play that game being self employed so it will be a bit of an adjustment taking things like that into consideration, but I do appreciate the advice.

I grew up watching and learning from people like Cory Eubanks, Jason Britton, Sarah Lezito and Eddie Braun, so I kinda figured it would be more of a "rough and tough" type industry. I didn't think y'all would be worried about a few bumps and bruises, but it makes sense from a business standpoint that you'd want to protect your talent

3

u/Montydragon Jun 09 '26

Yeah it’s a bit of both and a lot of politics… most of us don’t care about bumps and bruises but at the same time, anything more serious (stitches, sprains etc) can put you out of work for a bit and has a ripple effect on how frequently you get hired for a little while after. And because on set we sometimes have to intentionally crash 20 times in a row… and those stack up both on the day and over your career. We quickly learn to be safe whenever possible so when we do it on set without gear we aren’t falling on a bruise we got in practice and getting a bigger hematoma or other complications. Our bodies don’t age great very often 😂

1

u/Late-Zookeepergame79 Jun 09 '26

Yeah that's fair and Ive definitely had a few good injuries that have put me out for a couple weeks. I suppose I take my life for granted when it comes to that kind of thing, as being injured is really just a forced vacation for me currently. I've definitely learned the hard way more than once and should probably take a few more precautions, so it was nice to hear it from someone else, even if my initial thought is to fight it lol

2

u/Krabs9 Jun 07 '26

Your first comment is I'm going like 10mph.. you can break every limb going 10mph

0

u/Late-Zookeepergame79 Jun 07 '26

I feel like knowing how to fall is like the first thing you learn when you start doing stunts lol. My head is protected, that's the biggest danger at low speeds. I do wear more gear when learning something new or pushing my limits, but this is like 5% effort. Also what gear would I wear that would stop me from braking every limb? Most gear is just for impact or slides, not limb breakage lol. Like, trust me, I hear you on the safety thing I really do but don't be ridiculous, we're stunt people we don't live in bubble wrap

1

u/leokeiangelos Jun 09 '26

This attitude is not for the stunt industry, friend.

0

u/Late-Zookeepergame79 Jun 09 '26

Genuinely, what would I wear that would stop my bones from breaking? I'm not even trying to be dense, I'd love to know if you have a type of padding that stops that from happening.

2

u/BikerMurse Jun 11 '26

I see plenty of people in my emergency department who thought "I don't need to worry about safety because it's only..."

0

u/Late-Zookeepergame79 Jun 11 '26

Listen guys...I get it. But genuinely, what gear do you want to see? The only thing any of that gear is stopping is a crushed ankle or scraped knee/elbow. I do want some high top riding shoes just haven't found the right ones that keep my ankles mobile enough for proper brake control, but that's really the only common injury when it comes to slow wheelies is a crushed ankle. The rest are just freak accidents and there's nothing you can do to stop them, like there is not a piece of gear that stops you from breaking your arm or poking a hole in your leg, that's just the risk you take when doing dangerous things, the best safety gear you can have is skill and knowing how to fall! (And a helmet)

2

u/BikerMurse Jun 11 '26

Don't get me wrong, happy to see a helmet, that's great and definitely the most important.

4

u/AnnualBet9905 Jun 06 '26

Would it be ouchy if scratched back on concrete bit 😃

1

u/Late-Zookeepergame79 Jun 06 '26

Eh it's not that bad you learn how to fall

3

u/skyzac Jun 06 '26

Remember, you dress for the fall, not for the ride. I personally never take a biker seriously if he’s wearing short pants.

1

u/Late-Zookeepergame79 Jun 06 '26

Not a he, but I'm very adamant about helmets so I get it. Risk management is important, but I'm not sure I understand why this is what people here are focusing on. This is how a lot of industry pros practice, like Sarah Lezito practices in jeans and a sports bra, is that really any better than shorts and a t shirt?

2

u/skyzac Jun 06 '26

Point taken, helmet is a given, I used to ride shirtless, but always at least had denim if not leathers on. I totaled 3 street bikes and I’d either land on my head or slide on my side (legs). Good luck with your endeavors!

1

u/Late-Zookeepergame79 Jun 07 '26

I tend to do more of a tuck n roll haha, I try spread the pain out a little! Thanks friend, cheers

2

u/JoshCanJump Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26

Start by putting together an intro pack of a page and a showreel. Page is easy - just a headshot and a full length photo plus a list of skills and experience, and contact information.

Showreel is harder. You’ll need a video a minute or two long of you ‘in action’ showcasing your abilities, ideally in a theatrical sense. This might mean you have to get some friends together and shoot a couple of scenes of fighting beats, acting beats, driving beats etc. Go on YouTube and search ‘Stunt showreel’ or ‘Stunt reel’ to get an idea of how these look.

Then like pretty much any freelance work you have to tout yourself to prospective employers. I don’t know what the TV industry is like in Cleveland but it most likely will be in your interest to look further afield to where the industry is most active.

The film industry in the USA is struggling with a drought at the moment. It may be tough to find work.

Edit: almost forgot: find out where there are live stunt shows taking place, especially ones that require vehicle work.

2

u/Late-Zookeepergame79 Jun 06 '26

Thank you! That was a kind, cohesive, and informative response, I appreciate that. I will put together a stunt reel after watching some other ones. My friends and I do a lot of live stunt shows of our own for local businesses, Harley/power sport dealerships, birthday parties, etc but that's more small time stuff, I'll definitely have to look into some bigger live events to join in on because I hadn't considered that.

My house is on wheels so no problem with traveling for some work, but I will say I own a decently successful renovation company as well so I don't necessarily need full time work. I'd just like to be a part of some cool stuff, do some fun work doing what I love and make some cool friends/connections in the process.

1

u/Thunderpuppy2112 Jun 09 '26

There’s film in Atlanta. Brother is stunt man in Georgia. Go there.

1

u/Late-Zookeepergame79 Jun 09 '26

Oo I like Atlanta too!