# Stunt Coordinator

Source: https://storiara.com/roles/stunt-coordinator
Last updated: 2026-09-14
Author: Spencer Kaufman, Storiara

> A stunt coordinator plans and supervises all stunt work on a production: fights, falls, car hits, wire work, and anything else that puts a performer at physical risk. They break down the script for stunts, hire and rehearse stunt performers and doubles, choose safety equipment, and have authority over how each stunt is performed. Stunt coordinators are covered by SAG-AFTRA.

The stunt coordinator is the person on set whose job is to say how a stunt will be done, and whether it can be done today. Safety Bulletin #4 from the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee states it directly: the stunt coordinator "is in charge of all aspects of the proposed stunt activities, including script review, planning, site selection, preparation, testing, rehearsal, modification, and recommendation of the qualified personnel and equipment."

## Prep: from the script to a stunt plan

The coordinator reads the script looking for anything physical. Some items are obvious ("Joe is thrown through the bar window"). Others hide in action lines ("Maya runs down the stairs and out into traffic") and still need a double, a rehearsal, or traffic control. Every one goes onto the [breakdown sheet](https://storiara.com/glossary/breakdown-sheet) under [stunts](https://storiara.com/glossary/stunts), and the coordinator's list becomes the basis for the stunt budget and schedule. Our post on [breaking down stunts, SFX, and VFX](https://storiara.com/blog/breaking-down-stunts-sfx-and-vfx) walks through how those elements get tagged.

For each stunt the coordinator then works out:

- Who performs it: the actor, a stunt double, or a stunt performer playing a separate character
- What equipment it needs, such as air bags, pads, wire rigs, ratchets, or a [picture vehicle](https://storiara.com/glossary/picture-vehicle) prepared for a hit
- Which other departments are involved, especially [special effects](https://storiara.com/roles/special-effects-supervisor) for breakaways, fire, or explosions
- How much rehearsal and training time is needed
- Where cameras and crew can safely stand

Bulletin #4 tells production management to "allow enough time for rehearsals, training, equipment preparations, and inspections," so a coordinator who needs two rehearsal days for a fight should say so early, while the 1st AD can still schedule them.

## Safety responsibilities on the day

Bulletin #4 (revised March 27, 2025) sets out what should happen around every stunt sequence. The coordinator's part includes:

1. Determining who is excluded from the stunt area and maintaining perimeter control, including where cameras and operators go.
2. Being present whenever a stunt is being planned or performed.
3. Approving all rigging equipment and making sure it was inspected; defective equipment comes out of service.
4. Deciding what personal protective equipment is worn, after consulting the performer. The bulletin says no one in production management should pressure the performer or coordinator to scale back protective equipment.
5. Giving final safety approval on wardrobe, wigs, lenses, or prosthetics the stunt person has to wear.
6. Explaining escape routes, safety buffers, the intended action, possible deviations, and the authority to abort.
7. Confirming with the AD and production that the performer is comfortable before the stunt is executed.

The [safety meeting](https://storiara.com/glossary/safety-meeting) itself is held by the [first assistant director](https://storiara.com/roles/first-assistant-director) with the coordinator and everyone near the action, and should include a walk-through or dry run. If a substantive change is needed before cameras roll, the 1st AD calls a new meeting. The bulletin also says personnel qualified to give emergency medical care shall be present or readily available at all rehearsals and stunt performances, which is why a [set medic](https://storiara.com/roles/set-medic) is booked on stunt days.

Specific activities have their own bulletins: Addendum 4A (Specialized Activities), #18 for stunt air bags, #20 for motorcycles, and #16 for pyrotechnics. When a stunt involves an explosion, Bulletin #16 requires the safety orientation meeting to include the pyrotechnic operator and the stunt coordinator, and no performer can be rigged with a pyrotechnic device without their consent.

## A stunt day on a feature

Car knockdown on EXT. PARKING GARAGE - NIGHT, general crew call 4:00 PM:

| Time | Stunt department activity |
|---|---|
| 1:00 PM | Coordinator and riggers arrive; inspect pads, vehicle, and garage surface |
| 2:30 PM | Stunt performer and driver walk the path at speed markers |
| 4:00 PM | Crew call; coordinator reviews camera positions with DP and 1st AD |
| 6:30 PM | Half-speed rehearsal with PPE and wardrobe on |
| 7:30 PM | 1st AD holds safety meeting: sequence, abort signal, radio channel, medic location |
| 8:00 PM | First take; coordinator calls cut and checks the performer |
| 8:15 PM | Re-inspect vehicle and pads before take 2 |
| 10:00 PM | Stunt wraps; "all clear" before crew re-enters the area |

## Rates under SAG-AFTRA

Stunt coordinators and stunt performers work under the SAG-AFTRA agreements. For theatrical work from July 1, 2026:

| Classification | Day | Week |
|---|---|---|
| Stunt coordinator, flat deal | $1,996 | $7,872 |
| Stunt coordinator, less than flat deal | $1,283 | $4,785 |
| Stunt performer | $1,283 | $4,785 |

A budgeting check: a flat-deal coordinator needed four days in one week costs 4 x $1,996 = $7,984 at day rates, more than the $7,872 weekly minimum, so booking the week is cheaper. Six stunt performers for one day of that garage sequence start at 6 x $1,283 = $7,698, before stunt adjustments, overtime, and fringes. Stunt performers go on the [Exhibit G](https://storiara.com/glossary/exhibit-g) like any other performer.

## How coordinators get there

Stunt coordinators almost always come from years of stunt performing, usually with a specialty such as driving, high falls, fight choreography, or horse work. They build a reputation doubling actors and working on teams under other coordinators, then take smaller coordinating jobs. Many coordinators also direct [second unit](https://storiara.com/glossary/second-unit) action.

## Paperwork

Stunt breakdowns and budgets, rehearsal schedules, equipment lists and inspection records, performer contracts and adjustment notes, and the stunt notes on the [call sheet](https://storiara.com/templates/call-sheet) so every department knows which scenes carry stunt work. In Storiara, stunts can be pulled from the script in the Music & Effects module and logged early so the coordinator starts prep with a list.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does a stunt coordinator get paid?

Under the 2026 to 2030 SAG-AFTRA wage tables, a theatrical stunt coordinator on a flat deal earns at least $7,872 per week or $1,996 per day from July 1, 2026. A coordinator employed at less than a flat deal earns at least $4,785 weekly or $1,283 daily. Television has its own flat deal rates.

### Who is responsible for stunt safety on set?

Several people. Safety Bulletin #4 puts production management in charge of making sure its procedures are followed, and puts the stunt coordinator in charge of all aspects of the stunt, including personal protective equipment. The 1st AD runs the safety meeting before each stunt.

### Can an actor refuse to do their own stunt?

Yes. Safety Bulletin #4 says a cast member who does not agree to perform a stunt sequence may always request a double. The coordinator is supposed to explain what the sequence involves before anyone agrees to it.

### Does a low-budget film need a stunt coordinator?

If a scene has a fight, a fall, a car gag, or anything with real physical risk, yes. Bulletin #4 says production management should require a qualified person to be engaged and present on set whenever there is a stunt sequence. The bulletin makes no exception for small productions.

### What is a flat deal for a stunt coordinator?

It's a minimum salary level set in Schedule K-III of the SAG-AFTRA agreement. Coordinators paid at or above it are treated differently from coordinators employed at the lower day or weekly performer rates, whose terms track Schedules K-I and K-II.

## Sources

- [CSATF Safety Bulletin #4: Stunts (revised March 27, 2025)](https://www.csatf.org/04_safety_bltn_stunts/)
- [CSATF Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Bulletins index](https://www.csatf.org/production-affairs-safety/safety-bulletins/)
- [2026-30 SAG-AFTRA Agreement Wage Tables (AMPTP)](https://amptp.org/wp-content/themes/amptp/assets/pdf/SAG-AFTRA/2026-30%20SAG-AFTRA%20Rates_2026-05-27%204931-9242-3576%20v.4.pdf)
- [CSATF Safety Bulletin #16: Pyrotechnic Special Effects](https://www.csatf.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/16PYROTECHNIC.pdf)