How to Film Stunts Safely – with Stunt Coordinator America Young

MZed Education

by Mascha DeikovaAugust 25^th, 2023

Who doesn’t like an epic on-screen fight, an intense car chase, or a superhero jumping off a skyscraper? As we know, such scenes usually require various experts on set with specific knowledge (for example, for wire work), a huge budget, and massive preparation in advance. Yet, even if you’re shooting on a smaller scale, and your stunts might seem simple at first glance, it’s imperative to approach them with care and professionalism. That’s what the new exclusive MZed course “Selling The Punch” is all about – how to film stunts safely and make them look good at the same time. Ever written a scene where someone falls or gets slapped in the face? Then this is definitely worth a read for you!

Safety on set is written in all capitals, regardless of how big the project you’re working on is. That is also the reason MZed launched the new course “Selling The Punch” in the first place. Held by seasoned stunt coordinator and director America Young, together with cinematographer and CineD contributor Graham Ehlers Sheldon, this course doesn’t give any hints on how to become the next Michelle Yeoh. Instead, the creators share their filmmaking experience and offer the basic knowledge to approach combats and other stunts, while keeping your team and cast safe.

Disclaimer: This article, as well as the course itself, are no substitute for a fight choreographer, a stunt coordinator, a professional rigger, a medic, trained stunt professionals, or any other experts you might need for your specific production.

Create the right environment on set – step one to film stunts safely

So, you want to perform a cool stunt that also tells a story – where do you start? America Young believes, that the very first step, regardless of what the kind of video project, is to create an environment on set, where your crew members can speak up. This should not only apply to the actors and performers fighting in front of the camera and being in immediate danger of injury but to literally anyone on set, as they should have the possibility to say: “Wait! I don’t think, that’s a good idea.”

According to America, the biggest mistake is to rush through the shooting day and not question decisions you have a bad gut feeling about. Remember, the members of your team, who’ve had long careers have seen plenty of things go wrong. Let them come to you when something worries them. At the same time, if you’re part of a crew and your doubts and questions are left unheard, or worse, dismissed, that’s a huge red flag.

That’s an essential tip to remember, especially if the production includes weapons on set. Every team member – no matter on or behind the camera – should have the right to come and check, whether the gun really is airsoft (or not loaded, if it’s real).

America Young (from “Selling The Punch” on MZed.com)

Even more, America encourages you to do so, just to be completely sure and eliminate any human errors. It’s not about trust issues and you don’t have to be provocative. Just come to the armorer/props department and ask politely: “I want to take a look at it, do you mind?” If they say no, you should probably leave that set. As the saying goes: better safe than sorry.

Why and when do you need a stunt coordinator?

The rule of thumb here is, that if your film story requires any form of physical conflict or stunt, you should collaborate with a trained and qualified stunt coordinator. Even small things matter. In fact, America Young’s experience shows, that a lot of injuries happen during simple stunts. When filming a scene with huge fires and explosions, everyone is extremely focused on getting a smooth outcome. After such a scene is successfully in the bag, the team relaxes, and a simple slap can lead to a bleeding ear. So, it’s good to have an expert on set, whose sole responsibility is to watch out for such things and keep everyone involved dialed in.

A stunt coordinator is also the head of the department, and similar to camera or production design, will bring in the experts, required specifically for your film. Whether it’s a fire specialist, underwater coordinator, or riggers, who set up the shots with wires – stunt coordinators can’t do everything by themselves, so, they’ll collaborate with people, who are specialized in one area.

In case you don’t have the budget for a stunt coordinator, a good idea would be to let them at least read your script. They can ask the right questions and help you understand, what can realistically be achieved on your own and what is not safe and/or doable. Also, remember, that if you plan a combat, hiring a fight coordinator will save you money in the end, rather than waste it. They can help construct your fight much quicker so that it looks powerful and serves the story.

The takeaway here? Whenever in doubt, hire a stunt coordinator.

Approaching the script and analyzing the stunts

Let’s imagine, you’re a director with a finished script, containing many difficult impactful scenes. The first thing you and your stunt coordinator do is read the script and highlight all the scenes, that include a stunt. After that, it’s important to communicate your vision. How do you see this particular story bit? Is this character’s fall onto the ground a pivotal point, or is it rather something unimportant, happening off-camera? Intended framing is also of huge importance as it influences, how you execute the stunt so that it remains safe for the performer.

Such a breakdown also helps to see the possibilities for a future dialog with the cinematographer. In the example above, America and Graham defined the exact moment the camera style should change from smooth tension-building movement to handheld and rushed motion.

Working with camera and other departments

A director is not the only person on set, who a stunt coordinator collaborates with. They also discuss angles with the cinematographer, gather information on what the location looks like, and listen to the requirements from the VFX department. Even the costumes come into question, because they define, how much padding you can put on your stunt performers. Not to mention the props, if they are to be used in a fight scene, for example.

Filmmaking is a collaborative process. For stunt coordinators, however, it’s imperative to have these discussions prior to filming, and as soon as possible. As America Young says, anything that happens “last minute” leads to injury. You don’t want anyone hurt, do you? Then take the time to plan every single bit of your production in advance.

Casting the stunt people

What also falls under the responsibilities of a stunt coordinator is to find the right stunt people. It’s not like every stunt double does everything. For example, for “Spider-Man” they needed four stunt doubles to get the job done: one was great at parkour, another was an expert in wire work, and so on. To look for such talents, America uses her connections and stuntphone.com as her main sources. There, you see exactly, what a stunt person specializes in, as well as their resumes, photos, and filmography.

For America, the perfect match should have the required talent, but that’s not all. She also looks at the soft skills. It’s important that your performers are kind and respectful to each other, especially if you’re about to choreograph a fight. In this case, they will immediately stop the scene whenever they or their partner feels unsafe, and check in with each other. “Am I grabbing you too hard? Is it okay like this? How far can I bend your hand?” Such a careful approach immensely helps to create a safe stunt.

Rehearsing is an essential part of filming stunts safely

So, you hired a stunt coordinator, defined the stunts, found perfect experts for them, and also cast your performers. What’s next? Rehearsals, of course. A huge part of the MZed course “Selling The Punch” is dedicated to this part of preproduction. Firstly, you need to go through the choreography with your cast and in some cases help them hone their skills. As you probably know, even something as simple as running can ruin the scene, if it looks awkward and doesn’t fit the character. Does your story follow a professional spy? Then probably, they should run like Tom Cruise:

The same applies to the stunts and combats. It’s important, that the overall performance feels authentic to your characters: how they move, how they fight, how they react.

Another reason to do extensive rehearsals is the possibility of adjusting your choreography. Sometimes, we think of ideas in advance, that seem cool. Yet, in the preparation, your performer can have a better suggestion, based on the instinct they have in that moment. It might happen, that an entirely different movement makes more sense and creates a greater impact.

America also recommends taking the DP or the camera operator to your stunt rehearsals. Not only to try out different angles but also because they will be aware of what is going to happen on the actual shooting day. The more you rehearse, the faster and safer you can film a scene afterward. If you have the possibility to make all these preparations on location – even better.

On a side note, please remember, that every impact during the stunt matters. Even if you hire a stunt professional, who knows how to fall down, America Young asks you not to make them do it a million times just because that’s their job.

Other knowledge you will gain from attending the “Selling the Punch” course

Hopefully, this article gave you some insights on how to create a safe stunt and approach this task in the first place. I also hope, you’ll remember the red flags, you should pay attention to when it comes to safety on set in general.

In our MZed-course “Selling The Punch” America Young and Graham Ehlers Sheldon also take you through the choreography of a fight scene. They talk about different angles; show, where NOT to put the camera; explain, how to avoid the phrase “We’ll fix it in the post”; and dive into different frame rates.

If you want to watch it, now is the best time, as the course has a special introductory price of $29 until strikes are resolved. Head over to MZed.com and stay safe, everybody!

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Have you had projects with stunts? How was your experience? Is there anything else you would add on safety precautions and tips to consider? Share it with us in the comments below!

Feature image source: MZed