How to Work with a Stunt Coordinator and Safely Create Stunts for Your Independent Project

For independent projects with limited budgets, stunts can often fall by the wayside, and producers may forego bringing on a stunt coordinator in order to save the money for other areas. This can be at the film’s own peril for a couple of big reasons. One is that poorly executed stunts, those that look fake or sloppy, stand out in a BIG way to the audience. Without the proper expertise to arrange action in a way that is smooth and sophisticated, your project can lose the authenticity you’re going for. Moreover, without a stunt coordinator, it’s harder to ensure the safety of the cast, crew, and equipment while filming action. Stunts that may result in damage, injury or worse can stop a film in its tracks before it’s even finished.

The good news is that it’s easier and more possible than you think to bring on a stunt coordinator to your project, especially if you understand the landscape.

Manny Siverio is an experienced and sought after stunt coordinator and stunt performer with more than 640 films and television shows to his name, including some of the biggest action movies of all time, like Christopher Nolan’s THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, Stephen Spielberg’s WAR OF THE WORLDS and HANCOCK with Will Smith. Over his 25 years in the industry, he has coordinated stunts for countless films and series of all levels, from ultra-low budget independent features to studio blockbusters. Raised in Puerto Rico and now based in New York, Manny has a deep martial arts background which he has drawn from to create effective and memorable stunts through his career. Manny has deep and varied experience in the world of stunts and understands better than most how to put safe and effective stunts together for any type project.

Exclusively for Stage 32, Manny will break down the role of a stunt coordinator and show you the best way to find and work with one for your own independent project, even if you have limited resources available, so you ensure you have effective, memorable and safe stunts in your film or series. He’ll begin by discussing the extensive role of a stunt coordinator on a production and explain why it’s so crucial to have a coordinator on your team. He’ll teach you how to find the right stunt coordinator for your project and red flags to watch out for in the process. He’ll delve into process of planning stunts during pre-production, including breaking down the script, and will discuss how stunts work on set and how to stay safe throughout. Manny will even discuss how you can break in as a stunt performer if you're interested in pursuing that as a career.