# Stunts

Source: https://storiara.com/glossary/stunts
Last updated: 2026-09-14
Author: Nick Harty, Storiara

> Stunts are any on-camera actions that carry a meaningful risk of injury, such as falls, fights, precision driving, being hit, or fire work, and are planned by a stunt coordinator and performed by stunt performers or doubles. In a script breakdown, stunts are marked orange and flagged early because they affect safety, schedule, and cost.

## Finding stunts in plain language

Writers rarely write "STUNT." They write verbs. Here is a passage and what a breakdown pulls out of it:

```
64  EXT. PARKING GARAGE - LEVEL 3 - NIGHT

    Ana shoves Cole into a pillar. He swings, misses,
    and she sweeps his legs. Cole hits the concrete.
    Headlights. A sedan screeches around the ramp and
    Ana rolls across its hood as it brakes.
```

| Action | Tag | Who is involved |
|---|---|---|
| Shove into pillar | Stunt (fight) | Actors with coordinator, pads on pillar |
| Leg sweep, fall to concrete | Stunt | Stunt double for Cole, pads/mat |
| Car brakes near performer | Stunt driving | Stunt driver, [picture vehicle](https://storiara.com/glossary/picture-vehicle) |
| Roll across hood | Stunt | Stunt double for Ana, hood padding |

Four stunt items in five lines, 3/8 of a page. On the [stripboard](https://storiara.com/glossary/stripboard) that scene looks tiny, which is exactly why the breakdown has to flag it. A car hit might need a half day of rehearsal and several resets, and garages often restrict hours.

## What the stunt coordinator adds

Once scenes are tagged orange, the [stunt coordinator](https://storiara.com/roles/stunt-coordinator) reads every one and turns them into a stunt breakdown: which performers, how many doubles, rigging (pads, air rams, wires, ratchets), rehearsal time, and a per-scene cost estimate. That list goes into the budget and changes the schedule, since stunt days get lighter page counts and rehearsal time in prep.

The coordinator also decides what's a stunt and what isn't. An actor running down stairs might be fine for three takes and a safety problem for fifteen. Tag it and ask.

## Safety and paperwork

Stunt scenes bring a [safety meeting](https://storiara.com/glossary/safety-meeting) on the day, usually right before the rehearsal, and the relevant [safety bulletins](https://storiara.com/glossary/safety-bulletin) from the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee get attached to the call sheet. Scenes with gunfire, cars, or fire combine stunts with [special effects](https://storiara.com/glossary/special-effects) and need both departments at the table in prep.

On union shows, stunt performers and coordinators work under SAG-AFTRA contract terms of their own, and a background actor who does an identifiable stunt is upgraded. That's another reason to put stunts in the breakdown, where the producer sees the cost before the shoot day.

## Common mistakes

Missing implied stunts is the big one: "he's thrown out of the bar" gets tagged as background because the bouncers are extras. Another is breaking down only the stunt and forgetting the knock-on elements: duplicate [wardrobe](https://storiara.com/glossary/wardrobe) for the double, matching wigs, pads under costume, [hair and makeup](https://storiara.com/glossary/hair-and-makeup) for cuts and bruises after the fight. Our post on [breaking down stunts, SFX, and VFX](https://storiara.com/blog/breaking-down-stunts-sfx-and-vfx) goes through a full action sequence.

## Frequently asked questions

### What counts as a stunt in a script?

Anything where a performer could get hurt if it went wrong: falls, fights, slips, being knocked down, jumping, running on uneven or wet surfaces, stunt driving or being near a moving vehicle, fire, water work, and wire work. When in doubt, tag it and let the stunt coordinator decide.

### Does a slap or a shove need a stunt coordinator?

It should get one on any professional set. Even simple physical contact benefits from rehearsal and a coordinator's eye, and on SAG-AFTRA productions stunt work has specific requirements for who performs and supervises it.

### What is the difference between stunts and special effects?

Stunts are what a performer's body does. Special effects are the physical rigs and effects around them, like a breakaway window, a squib, or a fire bar. A man crashing through a window is a stunt; the candy glass window is the SFX department's.