Rocky Mountain Stunts is Colorado’s premier resource for all things action. Our team of professional stunt coordinators, fight choreographers, stunt performers and practical effects specialists provide film and television productions with a wide range of services. We are independent film friendly and are capable of working with budgets of any size. If you have a project that requires action support, please CONTACT US or call 720-560-0981.
Our group of incredible Stunt Coordinators represent work from over one thousand four hundred feature film and television productions. We bring this extensive knowledge with us to every set so you can be certain we will deliver safe and exciting action to your project. If you would like to talk about the action in your project, drop us a line at RMStunts@aol.com
James Lew has fought just about everyone. Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Steven Seagal, Jean Claude Van Damme, Mel Gibson, Brad Pitt, Ashton Kutcher, Tom Cruise, Dwayne Johnson, David Carradine, Chuck Norris, Kurt Russell, Madonna, Charlie Sheen, Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Lee, and the list goes on and on. James won the 2017 Emmy Award for his Stunt and Fight Coordination on the Netflix series "Luke Cage".
Rick Avery is a stuntman, stunt coordinator, actor, director, helicopter pilot, and aerial coordinator with over 600 fearture film, television, and commercial credits. He won the Screen Actors Cast Award for "Traffic", the Best Stunt Ensemble Award for "Batman Dark Knight", and the 2009 Taurus World Stunt Award for Best Vehicular Work in "Batman Dark Knight". He is also the recipient of the 2016 Action Icon Award at the Action on Film Festival.
Carl Ciarfalio beat Tom Cruise to a pulp, manhandled Brad Pitt, was shot point blank by Kiefer Sutherland, and had his head crush in a vice by Joe Pesci. He's been a Star Trek alien, a comic book hero, a prisoner, prison guard, thug, sailor, soldier, and spy. He's crashed cars and motorcycles, been set on fire, drowned in the ocean, and thrown off cliffs and buildings. Even though he's been killed a hundred times... he keeps coming back for more.
Chuck Borden has appeared and performed in almost 400 productions. He has coordinated big stars such as Val Kilmer, Will Ferrell, Dustin Hoffman, Ewan McGregor, and many, many more. He also is one of the only stuntmen to be featured on a Star Trek collectors card. He has recently been nominated for a 2019 Emmy Award for his Stunt Coordination on the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House.
Mark Steven Grove has served as an Actor, Stuntman, Fight Choreographer, Stunt Coordinator, Firearms Handler, Pyrotechnician, Special FX Supervisor, Writer, Producer, Historical Consultant, and Director who has utilized his skills on over 150 feature film and television projects. He has also served on the Screen Actors Guild Stunt Safety Committee and ran the Colorado Branch Screen Actors Guild Conservatory.
Our team of Stunt Performers can deliver refined fight choreography, ground pounding falls, harness pulls, fire gags, acrobatics, high falls, wire flying, gun-play, breakaways, or any other action required for your project. If you need stunt doubles or have roles requiring action related skills, we have performers of all shapes and sizes to meet your needs.
Not all stunt teams have a Practical Effects division... but we do! We have a wide variety of prop and blank fire Theatrical Firearms. We have multiple sets of S.W.A.T. and F.B.I. Garb. We have rubber, plastic, and foam Prop Weapons. We have a full pneumatics kit with air delivery guns and air mortars that can simulate Bullet Effects and Explosions. We have a wireless Detonation System that can be pre-programmed to ignite 32 separate explosions. We have a Wire FX kit that includes flying gear, jerk harnesses, pulleys, and quick releases. We can provide Breakaway Glassware, Tables, Chairs, or anything else that needs breaking. We design, sculpt, cast, and apply full blown Creature Creations using latex, synthetic polymers, silicone, foam, and many other materials.
The ROCKY MOUNTAIN STUNTS TEAM train together in classical Japanese martial arts to build a solid foundation for their action career. In these ongoing classes, team members learn real skills and tactics as well as the ability to adapt them to film in complex fight choreography sets. This is important because the majority of stunt jobs involve physical conflict between one or more people. Our goal is to build a unified team with real world fighting skills, refined action choreography skills, and advanced stunt skills that fully prepare them to face the potential dangers they may encounter while performing action in feature film & television productions.
Now you can be a part of this action packed industry! Check out our FAQ to see if this is a lifestyle for you!
ADAPTING TO THE PANDEMIC
We are adapting to the Covid-19 pandemic by focusing our training schedule entirely on swordsmanship at this time. This allows our stunt team to remain a safe distance apart, stay in shape, and practice choreography in preparation for the extensive sword fighting sequences that will be in two of the upcoming feature projects being produced by Fusion Factory Films.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Wednesdays 7:00pm to 9:00pm and Sundays 11:00am to 1:00pm.
LOCATION
DOJO SOURCE
8031 Wadsworth Blvd A-4
Arvada, Colorado 80003
COST
$175.00 a month.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN STUNTS offers workshops on fundamental stunt skills, genre focused fight choreography, the use of theatrical firearms, bullet hit special effects, and advanced workshops focused on high falls, fire burns, and wire skills.
Working with fire and pyrotechnics requires strict set of rules and our stunt performers are taught the proper etiquette, safety, setup, and use of chemicals and fire gear.
JANUARY
Member Cost: $50.00
Non-Members Cost: $150.00
(plus materials costs)
Being able to simulate aggressive action with an opponent seems simple, but the dynamics involved are extremely intricate. We will teach you all aspects of communicating with physical dialogue.
FEBRUARY
Member Cost: $25.00
Non-Members Cost: $75.00
Falling and basic acrobatics are important because a stunt performer hits the ground... a lot. We will teach you a variety of breakfalls, rolls, leaping, as well as more advanced skills such as falling down stairs and over objects.
MARCH
Member Cost: $25.00
Non-Members Cost: $75.00
You are a character from the Old West. You will fight with rugged conviction in a no nonsense fashion, throwing haymakers that deliver jaw-breaking power in the name of frontier justice.
APRIL
Member Cost: $25.00
Non-Members Cost: $75.00
When falling from heights higher than 20' we use specialized techniques. performers are taught the proper way to construct and fall into box rigs and various methods of falling into airbags.
MAY
Member Cost: $50.00
Non-Members Cost: $150.00
(plus materials costs)
You are a character from the Far East.
You will fight with technical precision, delivering offensive and defensive maneuvers with stylized movements that reflect both grace and focused energy.
JUNE
Member Cost: $25.00
Non-Members Cost: $75.00
You are a character from a fantasy world. You wield swords, staves, daggers, and a variety of other exotic weapons on your quest to vanquish evil creatures and defend the realm.
JULY
Member Cost: $25.00
Non-Members Cost: $75.00
You are a character from the mean streets. You mix hybrid martial arts with a bit of dirty fighting in a no rules mentality where quick thinking is the only way to survive in a city plagued with violence.
AUGUST
Member Cost: $25.00
Non-Members Cost: $75.00
Wire stunts are often used to create powerful action. We teach our performers how to use rigging and harnesses to levitate, execute assisted jumps, fly, and receive powerful pulls.
SEPTEMBER
Member Cost: $50.00
Non-Members Cost: $150.00
(plus materials costs)
Learning the safe use of theatrical firearms as well as understanding proper tactical skills is important. We will teach you how to handle and use both prop and blank-fire weapons.
OCTOBER
Member Cost: $25.00
Non-Members Cost: $75.00
Learning to take a bullet, a hurled dagger, or a flying arrow is an art form. Whether its via camera trick, a wire guided projectile, or a pneumatic effect, the performer must learn to sell the hit.
NOVEMBER
Member Cost: $25.00
Non-Members Cost: $75.00
You are a modern action hero character who is armed and dangerous. You will fire, reload, move, and disarm opponents with a flair reminiscent of one who serves on her Majesty's secret service.
DECEMBER
Member Cost: $25.00
Non-Members Cost: $75.00
WHAT IS A STUNT PERFORMER?
Stunt Performers are individuals who put themselves in while performing stunts or doubling actors on film & television productions. Imagine fighting off zombies in a post-apocalyptic future, falling from a stagecoach in the old west, flying through the air on wires like a superhero, clashing steel with knights on a medieval battlefield, or having a laser battle against alien creatures on an abandoned space station... These are the things that happen in the exciting life of a professional stunt performer!
WHAT TYPE OF PERSON MAKES A GOOD STUNT PERFORMER?
Active people with strong body awareness make the best stunt performers. These people come from physical lifestyles that involve things like gymnastics, martial arts, extreme sports, and even dancing because these skills have a fluid dynamic that translates very well to film.
WHAT TYPE OF PERSON DOESN'T MAKE A GOOD STUNT PERFORMER?
Thrill-seekers and daredevils with no regard for their own safety. Stunt performers need to be focused and disciplined with the knowledge that they are expected to approach an action sequence in a safe and professional manner rather than an arrogant attitude more interested in the adrenaline rush than the project.
CAN STUNT PERFORMERS ALSO BE ACTORS?
Stunt performers are actors. They mostly deliver physical dialogue rather than words. Most the time stunt performers are cast as street thugs, police officers, military personnel, or an average person walking on the street who has to jump out of the way of a speeding car. That said, stunt performers who are also trained as actors are more prepared to play characters that have more than one or two lines. At the end of the day acting is another valuable tool in the overall arsenal.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A STUNT PERFORMER AND A STUNT DOUBLE?
A stunt performer is a general term for someone who executes a difficult action that involves a dangerous element. A stunt double takes the place of an actor in a scene requiring action by dressing in duplicate clothing and performing the dangerous part of the scene. The actor is brought back in when the stunt is complete. If a stunt person is lucky, they will find a high profile actor who they work with all the time.
IS IT EASY TO BECOME A FULL TIME STUNT PERFORMER?
Of course not, if it were easy everyone would do it. However, if you have the drive and tenacity to train hard, do the work, get the gear, and build your promotional materials, you have a much better chance to succeed. The concept of FULL TIME work is not something that really applies to the film industry. You will likely have gaps in work based on the time of year, what productions are starting up, how connected you are, and if you have the right look and skills needed for a show. The life of an artist!
WHAT GEAR DO I NEED?
Well, stunt performers usually have a "stunt bag" with all the basic safety gear they may need on set. These include hard and soft knee and elbow pads, shin and forearm protection, tailbone pad, rib protector, back pad, mouth guard, black non-descript shoes, thin leather gloves, and other items like these that are valuable in many situations. Beyond that, there are a variety of specialized items that can be added. Flame retardant clothing, custom wire harnesses, rappelling gear, or any other items that go along with your personal repertoire of skills.
ARE STUNT PERFORMERS PART OF THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD?
Yes. Any on-screen performer is part of SAG-AFTRA, the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. However, when you start out you will be non-union and your goal is to get into the union in order to have guaranteed industry standard pay rates for your work. Until then you will negotiate your rate on non-union shows that will range from free work for experience to whatever you can convince them you are worth.
HOW DO I GET IN THE UNION?
The best way into the Union is to get what is called a Taft-Hartley contract. This is when a Casting Director or Stunt Coordinator chooses to hire you, a non-union performer, to play a principle role or perform dangerous stunts. They must file a form explaining to the union why they chose to hire you instead of one of the 120,000+ members who are already part of the union. The best way to do this is to be an exceptional actor or a highly skilled action performer with special talent or ability.
WHAT IS A TYPICAL RATE FOR A STUNT PERFORMER?
The current union scale day-rate is $906.00. However, there are a variety of low budget and ultra-low budget contracts that SAG-AFTRA offers producers to make professional performers available to smaller productions. So, depending on the type of contract, that rate can fluctuate.
WHAT IS A STUNT ADJUSTMENT?
The terms "stunt adjustment" refers to an extra amount of money given to a stunt performer doing more difficult stunts. Full body burns, high falls, car rolls, or other such gags typically get higher bumps in pay. Sometimes the budget allows for small adjustments for simpler stunts as well, all depends on the size of the show.
DO STUNT PERFORMERS GET RESIDUALS?
Yes, every time a show airs on television, cable, a premium channel, VOD, etc, the performer can earn a small percentage that is gathered by the union and paid via check or direct deposit various times throughout the year. The more successful the show, the higher the residuals.
DO I NEED A HEADSHOT AND/OR DEMO REEL?
Yes, but unlike the recent past where you had to mail these items to a production office, they are more often delivered digitally online. A good headshot, a resume detailing your personal attributes, credits, special skills, and training, and a well edited reel showing brief clips showing your physical abilities are a huge key to your success. That said, showing the same type of skill over and over in different settings is not variety, make sure you show a diverse range of abilities.
WHAT IF I DON'T LIVE NEAR A PRODUCTION HUB LIKE LA OR NEW YORK?
There are places around the country that have larger film communities for sure, but filmmakers are everywhere. Creativity is not isolated to a location. Starting out in a smaller market to gain a bit of experience can be beneficial before trying to move to one of these locations. Or if you are happy where you are, just thrive in your local film community.
SHOULD I WORK ON LOW/NO BUDGET FILMS TO GET FOOTAGE FOR MY REEL?
The general answer is yes, but make sure you don't advocate unsafe practices by doing stunts you are not trained to do. Make sure there is insurance that covers the stunts and a qualified stunt coordinator on board to ensure your safety and protection. To be clear, by qualified, I mean a person who has extensive credits on real productions doing stunts, not a parkour instructor, a martial arts black belt, or someone who has served in the military or law enforcement. All these are respected professions, but they do not qualify someone to be a stunt coordinator. Lastly, never ever offer to BE the stunt coordinator if there isn't one on the show. Don't let ego guide you down this rabbit hole of liability and danger. No show is worth risking anyone's safety and if the production can't "afford" to do it correctly, they should not be making an action picture. Stay safe, stay working.
Our team has worked with top film studios, game developers, and many amazing brands.