Great stunt driving tips and advice

Stunt driving is a challenging pursuit, combining a number of specialist driving skills and challenges that the driver must handle. More than just having the ability to drive with precision and skill, the stunt driver needs to be creative and capable of producing the stunt that the stunt manager or director have requested.

A key element in stunt driving is timing. The stunt driver must be able to not only carry out skilled, accurate driving - they also must ensure the actions take place at the correct time as well. Enthusiasm for the task at hand, plus the flexibility to meet new challenges with excitement and passion for driving is a must!

Here's a good story to illustrate what is really needed for stunt driving. A friend of mine was working on a car commercial. The shot they wanted was that of a car driving through a torrential downpour at a high speed.

To achieve the effect of a heavy rainfall, they mounted a jet engine in the back of a truck, along with a big water tank (only in film could anyone think that up!) To film the scene, my buddy had to drive one foot behind this thing, in a convertible, with the top down, without using his windshield wipers! He couldn't see a thing! On top of having water sprayed into his face, the jet engines fumes were brutal on his eyes.

Though I have dozens of stunt driving stories, this one illustrates some of the crazy things stunt drivers are expected to handle. In one of the scenes of My Boss's Daughter, I was driving a BMW when an owl flew in through the passenger side window, knocked the passenger's head into my lap, and then hovered right in front of my eyes, flapping its wings.