Stunt Coordinator Eligibility Process

The National Stunt Committee recognizes that safety is the first priority when engaging in stunt activity in the motion picture industry. To ensure that safe practices are a priority, “when a producer requires script or non-script stunts or stunt-related activity of a performer, an individual qualified by training and/or experience in the planning, setting up and/or performance of the type of stunt involved shall be engaged and present on the set” (Producer SAG-AFTRA Codified Basic Agreement of 2017, (28) B.1). This individual by custom and practice, as well as by the Codified Basic Agreement between the Producers and SAG-AFTRA, is known as the “stunt coordinator.”

Many changes have evolved in the motion picture industry specifically related to stunt activity. The evolution includes more complex and dangerous stunt activity as productions seek high volume action sequences often filmed in remote and environmentally hostile areas of the planet. As approved by the National Board in October 2018, SAG-AFTRA has implemented the Stunt Coordinator Minimum General Standards Eligibility Process to assure that those presenting themselves as stunt coordinators have met minimum standards in their craft.

This process is intended to increase the safety for all performers and crew involved in stunt activity on a production; having minimum guidelines for stunt coordinators to achieve grants and maintains integrity and confidence that minimum standards exist for this category of performer work.

Eligibility Process

The Minimum General Standards Eligibility Process is for a stunt performer that desires to be on a career track to become a stunt coordinator. The guideline sets a minimum general standard and is not intended to state or verify the level of competency of an individual completing the process or that of a particular specialty that an individual claims to possess, e.g. high falls, body burns etc. Stunt performers and coordinators who complete the Minimum General Standards Eligibility Process will be added to the SAG-AFTRA Stunt Coordinator Roster. The first roster will be released in March 2020 and made available to employers. 

Qualifying Days

In order for a performer to present themself as a stunt coordinator that has completed the eligibility process, he or she must first achieve 500 working days as a stunt performer or stunt coordinator. An eligible day is a day that a performer is engaged as a stunt performer or a stunt coordinator on a SAG-AFTRA covered production. The day of the stunt and any subsequent days of stunt work on that production count as eligible days. The stunt must be supervised by a recognized stunt coordinator under contract with the production, the stunt coordinator must be on set and coordinate the stunt. A principal performer that has been asked to do a stunt(s) will have a different process; please contact the Stunt & Safety Department for details. The average amount of time to achieve 500 working days as a stunt performer is approximately 5 years, whereby, a working stunt performer would gain the general minimum amount of experience to present themselves as a stunt coordinator having completed the eligibility process.

Tracking Methodology

The aspiring stunt coordinator is responsible for obtaining the appropriate and verifiable documentation of covered worked days, such as earnings report or payroll register, stunt contract and exhibit G sheet. SAG-AFTRA has developed an online tracking system to track work submitted by the stunt performer. The stunt performer will log into sagaftra.org and follow instructions to access an option to request payroll verification, as well as the tracking system for entering manual or automated submissions.

Volunteer Mentor Program After 250 Eligible Days

Once a stunt performer has achieved 250 eligible days, he or she is eligible to participate in a volunteer mentor program to gain experience as well as additional eligible days. Experienced stunt coordinators, having achieved 500 days as verified by the Stunt & Safety Department, volunteer to mentor at no cost to the stunt performer. The stunt performer will have access to the list of mentors and request volunteer days to be mentored at no cost to the production. SAG-AFTRA will maintain the list of volunteer stunt coordinators and hours as part of the online tracking system. The Volunteer Mentor days are unpaid and there is a maximum of 25 volunteer mentor days that count towards the minimum standard of 500 days.

Apprentice Coordinator After 350 Eligible Days

Once a stunt performer has achieved 350 eligible days, verified by the Stunt & Safety Department, he or she meets the benchmark to serve as an apprentice coordinator. Service as an apprentice coordinator will be allowed when multiple coordinators are needed on one show and there is a stunt coordinator serving as the department head and who is also on the insurance certificate. These apprentice coordinator days can be paid days, also count toward the 500 days and are not capped at a maximum.

Stunt Coordinator Status After 500 Eligible Days

Congratulations! Once a stunt performer or coordinator has achieved 500 eligible days, verified by the Stunt & Safety Department, he or she meets the benchmark to be considered having met the minimum general standards and can present themselves as a stunt coordinator. The stunt performer or coordinator’s name will be added to the SAG-AFTRA Stunt Coordinator Roster available to employers. There will not be any grandfathering or exemptions.

Frequently Asked Questions