| When we watch movies, there always seems to be | | | | dangerous things safely. One of the more famous |
| some awesome car chase scene where you are | | | | stunt driving academies is the Motorsports Driving |
| forced to sit on the edge of your seat as people | | | | Academy. The purpose of driving academies like this |
| weave in and out of rush hour traffic all on the big | | | | one is to give the driver not only a more solid |
| screen. Sometimes, stunt driving takes place in real | | | | background in driving, but also to inform them as to |
| life with police chases and drunk drivers as well as | | | | how the stunt driving industry works. Contrary to |
| aggressive drivers. However, there are a lot of | | | | popular belief, simply attending an academy like this |
| hidden dangers when it comes to stunt drivers. The | | | | one will not get you placed in a job, although it would |
| trick is making it look easy. | | | | certainly look better than not having any sort of |
| So, you've finally decided to go and see that new | | | | background. |
| James Bond movie. When the movie begins, the first | | | | People who are interested in stunt driving usually |
| twenty minutes is nothing but stunts: people driving | | | | (though not always) land roles in TV shows, |
| erratically, falling off the sides of building, blowing | | | | commercials, factory demo teams as well as factory |
| stuff up, getting blown up....you get the idea. Do you | | | | safety test drivers. They may also appear as stunt |
| ever wonder about the people that do all of those | | | | drivers in major motion pictures; after all, we don't |
| stunts, especially the stunts that involve driving? | | | | really want to see our favorite actor/actress getting |
| Technology has certainly evolved today where we | | | | hurt, now do we? Another benefit to being a stunt |
| can't even tell half the time whether someone is | | | | driver is that it typically makes that person a better |
| actually driving a car fifty feet through the air or | | | | driver! Who would've guessed that?! You'd think that |
| whether it's been digitally enhanced to look that way. | | | | putting your life on the line every day would mean |
| Well, regardless, there are still plenty of stunt drivers | | | | that you would automatically get paid a lot of |
| out there who are putting their lives at risk every | | | | money, right? Well, as it turns out, what stunt drivers |
| day. | | | | get paid really depends on whatever budget the |
| So, how does one become involved as a stunt | | | | movie/TV show, etc. is working with. For example, |
| driver? There are some people, believe it or not, who | | | | low budget movies don't pay a lot of money, if any. |
| decide that they want to do stunt driving for a living. | | | | Stunt drivers would be lucky to earn $100/day on |
| Crazy, I know. For these people, you are not born a | | | | these types of movies. However, if the movie is |
| stunt driver; rather, you have to attend a driving | | | | higher budget, stunt drivers can expect to get paid |
| academy. It's like going to school to learn how to do | | | | upwards of $600/day. |