Stunt Players Directory

Overview

Stunt Players Directory (stuntplayers.com) is a paid online database that connects stunt performers with stunt coordinators, second unit directors, and casting directors for film, television, and commercial work. Founded in 1993 by Wally Crowder, it has operated for over 20 years as the primary searchable directory in the US stunt industry. Membership costs $100/year, billed automatically to a credit card.

Stunt coordinators use the database to find qualified performers by physical specialty: martial artists and combat, precision drivers, waterworks and SCUBA, gymnasts and freerunners, motorcyclists, horse work specialists, and weapon specialists. The directory is not a union. Stunt performers working on union productions are covered as performers under SAG-AFTRA agreements, with a base rate of $1,246/day for the 2025-2026 contract period.

The directory allows both union and non-union performers to sign up, though member profiles are moderated to verify SAG-AFTRA status. Additional listing options include a Featured Stunt Player placement ($50) and Impacted Category listings ($25 each) for specific skill areas.

History

Wally Crowder, a stunt director and coordinator with over 40 years of experience, founded the Stunt Players Directory in 1993. It originated as a hardcopy publication and became the primary way for stunt performers to find work in film, television, and commercials. Before the directory, stunt coordinators relied on personal networks, phone calls, and physical headshots to find performers for specific physical requirements.

The directory transitioned to an online database as the internet grew, formalizing the process with searchable profiles. The broader US stunt profession organized under SAG-AFTRA coverage, with stunt performers classified as principal performers under the same base rate structure as speaking cast. The 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike brought attention to stunt performer compensation issues, particularly residuals for off-camera stunt work. The 2026 TV/Theatrical Agreement addresses this through a newly formed committee.

Notable Members and Leadership

Founder: Wally Crowder, a stunt director and coordinator with over 40 years of experience in the film and television industry.

The Stunt Players Directory is a private directory service, not a union or guild. It does not have traditional guild leadership or a council of management. Notable members include:

• Kathy Jarvis: Stunt Coordinator, DGA Director, Pro Car Racer, with abilities including car specialization, motorcycles, professional skiing, fights, and falls
• Chris Nielsen: Stunt Coordinator with abilities including stunt driving, fire burns, fights, snow and water skiing, all boat work, and motorcycles
• Elisabeth Carpenter: Stunt Coordinator working across film and television

The directory lists performers with their SAG-AFTRA registration status, physical specs, reels, and specialty abilities.

Membership Requirements

Fees

Prerequisite Work History

No specific prerequisite work history is required to create a profile. Both union and non-union performers can sign up. However, member profiles are moderated to verify SAG-AFTRA registration status. Most working coordinators hire union performers for union productions, so SAG-AFTRA membership is effectively a prerequisite for working on union jobs found through the directory.

How Initiation / Eligibility Actually Works in Practice

Performers sign up at stuntplayers.com/sign-up. They create a profile with photos, reels, and physical specifications. The directory moderates profiles to verify SAG-AFTRA status. Once listed, industry coordinators and second unit directors can find performers by searching the database by stats and abilities.

The directory is actively used by working coordinators to cast action sequences. Networking events included with membership provide face-to-face access to working coordinators. Performers can add Impacted Category listings to appear in categorical searches for specific skill areas like martial arts, driving, or water work.

Benefits Breakdown

• Searchable profile: Photos, reels, and physical specs visible to working coordinators
• Categorical search placement: Appear in searches for specific stunt specialties
• Featured placement: Optional upgraded visibility in the directory
• Networking events: Face-to-face access to working stunt coordinators
• Industry visibility: Placement in the database that working coordinators actively use to cast action sequences
• SAG-AFTRA verification: Profiles display union registration status, signaling professional standing to coordinators

Contracts and Tiers

The directory operates on a flat membership model with optional add-ons. There are no membership tiers or contracts beyond the annual $100 subscription. SAG-AFTRA stunt rates are separate from directory membership and apply to all union productions.

SAG-AFTRA Stunt Rates (2025-2026 Contract Period)

Stunt adjustments are negotiated on top of the base day rate when a performer executes a stunt beyond the originally negotiated scope. Once agreed, the adjustment flows into overtime, sixth-day premiums, seventh-day premiums, and holiday pay calculations.

The 2026 TV/Theatrical Agreement includes a committee to discuss residuals for off-camera stunt performers, general increases to schedule break amounts, and increased overtime money breaks. For stunt coordinators, the agreement allows a multiple picture/episode contract with minimum compensation equal to the applicable theatrical flat deal minimum.

For full current rate sheets and contract documents, visit the SAG-AFTRA production center.

Stunt Safety Protocols

Stunt safety is the central professional concern of the stunt community. Detailed protocols govern how stunts are planned and executed:

• Pre-rigging inspections: All rigging equipment is inspected before each stunt
• Rehearsal requirements: Stunts are rehearsed before execution, with incremental build-up of complexity
• Medical standby: Emergency medical personnel are present on set for high-risk stunts
• Communication procedures: Clear signals between the stunt coordinator, performers, and crew
• Safety meetings: Mandatory briefings before any action sequence involving the full crew

A stunt coordinator's safety assessment is not optional pre-production overhead. It is the professional judgment that determines whether planned action is achievable safely within the production's schedule and budget.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For directors planning action sequences, involve the stunt coordinator from the script development stage. A coordinator who reviews the action script can identify safety concerns, suggest practical alternatives, and provide budget guidance. Stunt coordinator prep time at $1,246/day is billable and should be budgeted. For line producers and UPMs, budget stunt performers at $1,246/day base, plus negotiated stunt adjustments, plus 21% SAG-AFTRA pension and health contributions on all gross wages. A 5-day action sequence with 3 stunt performers and a coordinator can exceed $40,000 in performer wages alone before adjustments and fringes. For stunt performers, a directory profile at $100/year is the baseline marketing cost for working in the US stunt industry. SAG-AFTRA membership is not required to join, but most working coordinators hire union performers for union productions.

Watch

See Also

For the SAG-AFTRA performer agreements that cover stunt workers, see SAG-AFTRA in this directory. For the Taurus World Stunt Awards recognizing stunt achievement, see the Film Awards Directory. For estimating production budgets with action sequences, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator.