STUNT DRIVER

There are many schools that teach race and stunt driving, but the best known is perhaps Bobby Ore's Motion Picture Stunt Driving School in California. It's a two-day program, as most are, and should be seen as the beginning of a long road toward making it in this profession. You need to log many hours of practice time, and you will be charged hourly fees to attain access to the closed courses. Ore writes on his Web site, “Any stunt performer will tell you that it is a constant training and learning process.”

Once you gain the confidence required to be a stunt driver, you will then need to find people willing to work with novices. Television commercials may be the easiest access to this business, and commercial coordinators are the people to approach. Since most filmmaking is done in the Los Angeles area, it would be wise to relocate there so you can be closer to the opportunities. L.A.'s mild climate also allows you year-round access to driving courses. When you're not working, you can sharpen your skills.

To be considered for such work, you will need to join the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). The guild has strict rules about membership. This means you will first need to get some work in order to build up your credits so that you will be eligible to join the union. Once there, you will find resources to direct you to additional opportunities. Additionally, SAG works with state governments to ensure that whatever stunts are performed do not violate the law. The driver's safety is of the utmost concern, and if the driver does not feel the stunt called for is safe, he or she can refuse to perform.