When Stunt Players first originated over 20 years ago - we produced a hardcopy book as an answer to the very difficult process of promoting one's self as a stunt performer. The old school way of connecting with stunt coordinator's required driving across town and crashing film sets in hopes to meet a coordinator and sell yourself as a stunt performer in hopes of landing a job. The Stunt Players Directory was then created as a promotional tool to help facilitate advertising one's self to increase the odds of getting more work. While signing up has never promised a stunt performer work, it has been widely used by many industry coordinators to discover new talent. We are beyond thankful and pleased to know that the Stunt Players Directory has helped link many coordinators with incredible new talent and has produced thousands of jobs over the years.

Today hardcopy books have become a thing of the past as the directory has moved online. There are also a handful of other directories now for stunt people to choose from. We believe that they are all good tools and all provide their own great value to the stunt performer. Coordinators use each and every one of them! As a family run business we try to respond to all comments and suggestions from the stunt community to try and make the service the very best it can be. At Stunt Players we want to maximize the value our members get for their $100 annual subscription fee (or $8.33 a month).

A common question asked regarding stunt advertising directories is: "well how do I know coordinators are really looking at my profile?" We spent a lot of time thinking about this and came up with what we thought would be an interesting solution. Around five years ago we started hosting Stunt Hustles as an added complimentary perk to being a Stunt Player. This way members could meet a group of the top industry coordinators who indeed are looking at their profiles - and meet them face-to-face, shake their hands, and leave a lasting impression on them. We have strived to promote an environment where it's okay to 'hustle' and have worked to put together a group of coordinators who are prepared to give kind advice and pointers on moving forward with stunt work. All of the coordinators who have volunteered their time over the years have been so thrilled and have given such incredible feedback about everyone they have met at these networking events.

Our goal with Stunt Players is to provide our members with as many opportunities to help promote everyone with a variety of different ways from the online directory to in-person meet and greets to mixers and parties thrown throughout the year. As a small family run business we love and value this wonderful community and will do absolutely anything we can to help grant stunt performers more exposure as the hardest working individuals in the film industry.

-Hunter R. Crowder

---------------------------------

Furthermore, here is some constructive advice given by stunt coordinator Eddie Conna who consistently frequents our Stunt Hustles.

"Thank you Wally for having me as one of your coordinators last night. It was great meeting all of you.
For those of you looking to get hired, here is some free advice, if you wish, in the hopes it helps each and every one of you.

Headshots:
You HAVE TO HAVE them at an event like this. Period. Showing up without them is like showing up to work without your stunt bag and pads. PLAN AHEAD. We all knew this event was happening, and we had weeks to prepare. Like a stunt, you prepare for events an opportunities to hustle and get your name and resume out there, and having a headshot and resume is part of that.

NOT being prepared sends a bad message. It says "I'm not prepared" and "I don't take my career seriously"

If you were one of the ones who didn't bring a headshot, don't worry, because odds are, most of us have forgotten who you are. Why? because we never got your headshot!

Headshots should have a 3/4 body shot. This is because you will likely be considered to double someone, and a coordinator needs to see your general build and body type. Super close headshots don't work for stunts.

Your headshot should be a FULL PAGE PHOTO. Not a tiny thumbnail on the resume itself where it's hard to see what you look like. Some of us are old and our eyesight isn't great. Our "zoom feature" doesn't work.

Resumes:

Again, some of us are old. We can't read super small type. Make sure the type and font you use is large enough to actually read.

What should be on a resume?

Name. Union affiliation. Contact info, including phone number, email, website, and link to a reel, or a scan code.

Your sizes. ALL of them. height, weight, shirt, pant, shoe, etc. This way, a coordinator can see if you are a good match for someone WITHOUT having to call and ask your sizes. The LESS someone has to do to see if you will fit as a double, the greater the odds you will get the job.

Scan Codes:

Only TWO resumes I saw last night had a scan code that could be used to view a demo reel. These two people have the RIGHT approach. The EASIER it is for a coordinator to look up your reel, the better YOUR chances of getting hired.

Your experience. It's fine if you're starting out, we all started somewhere. Put whatever you've done on there, and BE CLEAR if it's NOT stunt related. BG work is fine to have on a resume if you're just starting. It shows a coordinator you understand how a set works. Just be clear it was BG work.

Training: List where and whom you've trained with.

References: This one is KEY. If I'm going to hire someone I don't know, i'd like to be able to call a coordinator I DO know who knows you and can give you a reference. Make SURE you get PERMISSION to put someone on as a reference BEFORE you list them.

Please, don't be upset if you see you made one of the mistakes I listed above. We ALL have made many of these mistakes ourselves. I'm listing them so YOU can learn from the mistake WE have made so you don't have to.

Hope my list helps, and if theres interest in more "free advice on hustling and the biz" post below, let me know and I'll post some more when I have time.

Again, great meeting you all last night, and I wish each and every one of you the best of luck in the pursuit of your careers."