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Producers: 5 Stunt Coordinator Requirements To Demand Before Signing

Producers: 5 Stunt Coordinator Requirements To Demand Before Signing

Before any contract is signed, a producer should require five things without exception: a sequence-specific written stunt plan, the coordinator’s direct participation in the production risk assessment, explicit authority to halt or abort action, written confirmation that insurers have seen the plan, and enough scheduled time for a genuine rehearsal. These are not gestures of caution. They are the operational skeleton that keeps a stunt sequence, and everyone near it, safe and accountable.

TL;DR:

  • Producers should require a sequence-specific stunt plan, signed by the coordinator and insurer, covering hazards, controls, protective gear, and emergency procedures before filming begins.
  • A final on-site briefing, perimeter enforcement, verified communication, and unilateral stop authority are essential safety controls that the stunt coordinator must own during filming.
  • The producer remains responsible for risk management and must include clauses in the contract for active insurance confirmation, fixed rehearsal hours, and plan revisions when conditions change.
  • Request a detailed stunt plan or hazard assessment specific to the stunt type to verify the coordinator’s competence, rather than relying solely on a general reel or portfolio.
  • Engaging the stunt coordinator early in pre-production allows hazard mitigation during planning, reducing hazards that would otherwise need to be patched into the schedule later.
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Table of Contents

Documentation and deliverables to require in the brief and contract

Safety on a stunt sequence lives in paperwork long before it lives on set. A producer’s brief should demand a written stunt plan for every distinct sequence, not a general safety statement covering the whole shoot. Ontario’s production safety guidelines describe exactly this structure: a plan retained by production, shared with insurers and unions where relevant, and organized around hazards, controls, protective equipment, and emergency arrangements, as detailed in Ontario’s stunt plan review guidance.

The plan should specify, in writing:

  • Identified hazards for the sequence, with the controls chosen to reduce each one.
  • A full equipment and protective gear list, treated as a last line of defense rather than the primary safety measure.
  • Emergency procedures, including abort actions and an evacuation route.
  • Signed acceptance lines for both the stunt coordinator and the producer, with copies retained for the insurer.

Rehearsal scheduling belongs in the same document, tied to actual production dates rather than left as a vague promise. Equipment inspection logs, armorer or special-effects sign-offs, and confirmed bookings for a medic, fire officer, or traffic controller should sit alongside the plan as a single package, reviewed before the sequence is greenlit. Producers who need a working framework for briefs and documentation standards can look to casting brief templates for the kind of specificity that translates well into stunt documentation.

Pro Tip: Ask for the stunt plan before you ask for a rate card. A coordinator who cannot produce sequence-specific documentation on request is not ready to be booked.

Coordinator inspecting stunt harness connection

Operational on-site controls the coordinator must own

Once the crew arrives, the stunt coordinator’s job shifts from planning to command. Certain controls need to happen in a fixed order, every time, regardless of how familiar the sequence feels.

  1. Run a final on-site briefing and full dry run before cameras roll or the action goes live, repeating it whenever the plan changes.
  2. Establish and enforce a perimeter or exclusion zone that keeps crew, cast, and bystanders out of the hazard area, with camera and crew positions confirmed in advance.
  3. Verify communications between all key positions and confirm the abort signal works before anyone commits to the take.
  4. Reserve the authority to stop action unilaterally if any condition changes, without needing sign-off from the director or producer in the moment.
  5. Coordinate directly with the safety supervisor, medic, fire services, special-effects team, and traffic control so each specialist knows their trigger point.

Industry guidance is consistent on this sequencing: a maintained perimeter, verified communications, and unambiguous stop authority are not optional extras but the baseline expected of any competent coordinator, according to the Industry Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee’s stunt safety bulletin. For branded events and public activations, add venue approval, crowd barriers, and audience sightline management to this list, since the public becomes part of the hazard picture the moment a stunt happens near them, as outlined in Australia’s National Guidelines for Screen Safety.

Contract, insurance and scheduling clauses to insist on

Hiring a stunt coordinator does not transfer a producer’s underlying duty to plan, assess, and control risk. California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health frames this clearly: the producer retains overall responsibility for documenting risk assessments even when a specialist is brought in to execute the technical work, per its motion picture safety guidance. The UK’s HSE and JACE guidance takes the same position, treating stunt safety as an ongoing management process rather than a box ticked once a coordinator is on the payroll, as set out in HSE’s guidance on hazardous production activities.

The contract itself should lock in:

  • Written confirmation that production and public liability insurance is active and that the insurer has received a copy of the stunt plan.
  • Minimum rehearsal and setup time, stated as fixed hours rather than left to whatever remains in the shooting schedule.
  • Formal notice periods for any change to location, cast, equipment, or weather conditions affecting the sequence.
  • A requirement that the stunt plan be revised and re-signed whenever a substantive change occurs, per Ontario’s stunt plan guidelines.
  • Contingency allowances covering aborts, weather delays, and re-rehearsal, so a stop-work decision does not become a budget argument.

Producers reviewing booking terms before signing should also check standard cancellation and payment clauses, since a late change to a stunt day can trigger the same scheduling penalties as any other booking, detailed on ANT MANAGEMENT’s booking terms.

Concrete hiring evidence: what to ask for to verify competence

A reel shows what a coordinator has filmed. It does not show whether they can plan, document, and manage a hazard specific to your sequence. The stronger evidence request is a sequence-specific stunt plan or hazard assessment, produced on demand, that mirrors what they would deliver for your actual shoot.

  • Ask for a written plan or hazard assessment tailored to the stunt type you need, not a portfolio of past highlights.
  • Request demonstrated experience in the specific specialty required, since competence in vehicle work does not establish competence in fire, high falls, or water work.
  • Where relevant, ask for documented working days or verifiable references tied to that specialty, following the logic behind SAG-AFTRA’s stunt coordinator eligibility process, which ties eligibility to verified experience rather than reputation alone.
  • Verify equipment and rigging inspection logs and confirm a plan for coordinating specialists like medics, fire officers, and traffic control.

Pro Tip: Treat documentation as the audition. A coordinator who hands over a clean, sequence-specific plan without prompting has already shown you how they will run your set.

ANT Management perspective: booking early changes the risk profile

The earlier a stunt coordinator enters pre-production, the more their risk assessment can shape the concept itself rather than being bolted onto a locked shoot. ANT MANAGEMENT recommends bringing a coordinator in while location, equipment, and schedule are still open to change, so hazards get designed out rather than patched around. In practice, this means curating talent against the specialty required, requiring a sequence-specific plan before booking is confirmed, and linking rehearsal time directly to the specialists it depends on, from medics to fire services to traffic control. Producers who set these deliverables into the brief early tend to spend less time renegotiating safety on the day.

— ANT

How ANT MANAGEMENT can help with stunt booking and coordination

The agency books stunt coordinators and stunt talent across multiple locations and international productions, working from documentation standards similar to those outlined above. When you enquire, ask for a sample stunt plan and proposed timeline so you can see how a sequence gets scoped before it reaches your set.

ANT Management

  • Send a script excerpt, the location, and your proposed stunt sequence so we can scope a sequence-specific plan.
  • We coordinate the insurance check and specialist bookings, from medics to fire services, alongside the plan.
  • Review our current stunt talent for booking to see specialties available for your production.

Start by browsing our stunts booking page and send us your sequence details to get a scoped plan and timeline back.

Sources

FAQ

Does hiring a stunt coordinator remove the producer’s safety responsibility?

No. Regulatory guidance in California and the UK is explicit that the producer retains overall responsibility for planning, documenting, and controlling risk, even after a coordinator is engaged, according to California’s safety guidance. The coordinator brings specialist planning and on-site authority, but accountability for the production stays with the producer.

What must a written stunt plan include?

A stunt plan should cover the hazards specific to that sequence, the controls chosen for each, the protective equipment list, and emergency and abort procedures. Ontario’s guidelines require the plan to be retained by production and shared with insurers where relevant.

Who has the authority to stop a stunt once filming begins?

The stunt coordinator must hold explicit, unilateral authority to halt or abort action if conditions change, without waiting for director or producer approval in the moment. This authority is treated as a baseline requirement in the Industry Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee’s stunt bulletin.

How much rehearsal time should be contracted for a stunt sequence?

There is no fixed universal figure, since rehearsal needs depend on the stunt type and complexity, but guidance consistently treats adequate dedicated rehearsal and setup time as a contractual requirement rather than a schedule flexibility item. Building this buffer into your production timeline before locking the shoot schedule avoids compressing it later.

What experience should a stunt coordinator show for a specific stunt type?

Ask for evidence tied to the exact specialty you need, such as vehicle work, high falls, fire, or water, since competence in one area does not establish competence in another. A sequence-specific stunt plan or hazard assessment, rather than a general reel, is the clearer evidence of readiness.

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