Your Expert Guide to Britain’s Stunt Industry

Lights, camera, action…..stunts can be found everywhere from Hollywood movies to everyday television soaps. Explosions, high falls, precision driving, hand-to-hand combat, on screen, these moments unfold in seconds. Behind the camera however, they are the result of meticulous planning, technical expertise and years of specialist training to ensure they look authentic whilst being carefully managed to greatly reduce the risk level. The UK’s film and television industry is internationally recognised for the quality of its stunt work and much of that reputation is upheld by one organisation: the British Stunt Register (www.bsr.co).

With its roots founded in 1973 as The Stunt Register to elevate stunt performance as a profession, the British Stunt Register (BSR) now acts as both a pathway and a safeguard. It exists not only to showcase talent but to guarantee that every member involved in high-risk action work meets strict safety and competency requirements. For production companies, working with BSR-registered performers and coordinators provides reassurance that stunts will be executed to the highest professional standard.  In an industry where the illusion of danger must never become reality, this balance is critical.

What is Stunt Work?

At its simplest, a stunt is any action that carries risk and requires specialist training to perform safely. This could range from something subtle like an actor needing to slap another actor to large-scale sequences involving cars, fire and wire work.

Stunt work is about artistic deception. A punch that looks brutal never lands. A high fall that looks gravity defying is precisely calculated with specialist rigging designed to absorb impact and protect the performer. Fire burns which are some of the most visually terrifying stunts are executed under strict conditions using protective gels, specialist clothing and exact timing. Stunt work is never luck – every moment is engineered to ensure safety and repeatability. Stunt coordinators plan each beat in detail, rehearsing and figuring out what can safely be done by actors or background artists and what requires a stunt performer. Stunt work rarely happens in isolation but often requires collaboration between many departments to create the perfect deception. What appears dangerous and spontaneous is in fact tightly controlled precision disguised as chaos.

The Making of a Stunt Professional

Stunt performers are highly trained professionals who combine athleticism, technical knowledge and creative performance. They must understand timing, spatial awareness, and how movements translate on camera. There are many routes into the stunt industry. The BSR offers a structured pathway where members are assessed at the highest level ensuring the BSR remains the gold standard for elite professional stunt performers entering a competitive and thriving UK industry. 

Entry to the BSR is deliberately demanding. Stunt work requires proven competence across multiple physical domains. Prospective members must demonstrate high-level proficiency in 6 different disciplines from a large list ranging from martial arts to horse riding and precision driving to gymnastics. This breadth reflects the unpredictable nature of stunt work itself. A single production may require performers to transition from underwater sequences to fight choreography or wire-assisted aerial work. The training process is therefore less about specialisation and more about adaptability. More information on joining the BSR can be found at www.bsr.co.

Once a member, the BSR offers the only structured grading scheme in the UK for stunt professionals.  With safety at the heart, the scheme gives performers a proven pathway to becoming stunt coordinators establishing clear distinctions between levels, providing both members and productions with a transparent understanding of capability and experience. Each stage builds upon the foundations of previous development, with a continued emphasis on stunt-specific health and safety knowledge, practical experience and professional standards. For production, this offers something crucial: trust. Hiring BSR-registered performers and coordinators means working with individuals who have been independently assessed, graded and trained to operate in high-risk environments.

The role of the stunt coordinator

Every stunt sequence should be overseen by a stunt coordinator. They are responsible for designing action that minimise risk while maximising visual impact. They work closely with directors to achieve the desired shot without compromising safety. Every sequence begins with an assessment: identifying hazards, determining control measures and establishing clear lines of responsibility. Equipment is tested, rehearsals are conducted and contingency plans are put in place. To ensure the safety of both performers and crew during a stunt, stunt coordinators are often required to work alongside every department on set, for example:

Directors to help build their vision for the shot.

Actors training them to do as much action as they are willing to do and to help create the illusion of realism.

Production to budget and schedule complex sequences.

Camera to align movement with coverage ensuring punches ‘hit’ and enhance the action.

Special Effects (SFX) for explosions, fire and mechanical rigs ensuring alignment when performers are working close to these, keeping everyone safe.

Costume and Make-up to integrate protective pads or harnesses invisibly

Set design to adapt sets for safe execution, helping hide safety mats seamlessly into set

For those outside the stunt department, early communication is key. Action sequences often require additional prep time, specialist equipment, and physical modifications to sets or locations. Ensuring a competent stunt coordinator is hired is crucial, ensuring that safety is embedded at every level of production where action is concerned, and supports directors and producers in achieving complex action sequences with confidence. The BSR ensures all its stunt coordinators have not only reached coordinator level through their grading system but also have up to date health and safety certification.  A full list of BSR qualified stunt coordinators can be found here www.bsr.co/members/search

Safety isn’t the opposite of creativity

There is a common misconception that safety limits what can be achieved on screen. In reality, the opposite is true. The more controlled and understood a stunt is, the more ambitious it can become. When risk is carefully managed productions gain the confidence to push scale, complexity and performance further than would otherwise be possible.

Modern stunt work builds on a foundation of traditional skills, falls, fights and physical performance enhanced by evolving technology. Digital tools can be used to enhance or extend action, but they still rely on a strong physical base to feel believable.

This is where the BSR plays a key role. By setting rigorous entry standards and ensuring performers are trained across multiple disciplines, it creates a consistent level of skill and safety across the industry. For productions, by hiring BSR members means they can have confidence, knowing the stunt coordinators and performers involved have the experience and technical understanding to execute complex sequences reliably.

Why it matters to every department

Even if you never step onto a stunt mat or wear a harness, stunt work will affect your department. It may influence how a set is built, how a costume is designed, or how a scene is scheduled.

Understanding the basics of how stunts are planned, who is responsible and why safety protocols exist makes collaboration smoother and productions more efficient.  Because ultimately, what appears on screen as chaos is anything but. It is a system designed, tested and executed by professionals, where every risk is accounted for and every movement has a purpose.

Lights camera, BSR Excellence in Action.

To explore the standards and pathways that shape the UK’s stunt industry please visit the official British Stunt Register website: www.bsr.co and follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/britishstuntregister/

Many thanks to Nikita Mitchell on behalf of the BSR for compiling this guide for The Knowledge