Stunt performers in movies and television use their athletic ability to bring pulse-racing action to the screen. This book introduces readers to the thrilling world of stunt work, revealing how these daring acts are safely carried out for the screen. Readers learn about the technical aspects of the work, such as the equipment performers use, as well as their workout regimens to stay in shape for their physically demanding jobs. Readers also learn about the precautions taken to keep everyone safe on the set. This book will thrill anyone interested in what goes on behind the action scenes.

Some people do their jobs in Arctic blizzards or fierce storms on the high seas. For some people, crawling through dark caves, climbing into sewers, searching through animal droppings, or even driving a car off a cliff is all in a day's work. Who does jobs like these, why do they do them, and how do they stay safe doing them? You'll find out in Dirty and Dangerous Jobs. The men and women who drive race cars get a lot of attention. But behind the scenes, all of these people have a pit crew that helps them win races. Pit crew workers must change tires, add fuel, and make repairs at lightning speed during every race. It's greasy, smelly, often dangerous work-and they wouldn't have it any other way. Book jacket.

Stunts, Scenes and Safety introduces readers to the concepts of stuntwork. The book builds a learning path for readers who are planning to create action scenes for their home videos featuring, for instance, skating, parkour, BMX biking, or similar activity. Practically anyone with a modern camera can learn the basic skills of creating action-packed movie scenes. The book explains the concepts of timing, camera awareness, shot size, rhythm and camera angles. When these elements are combined with aspiring stunt person’s own creativity, physical fitness, talent in front of the camera, and video editing competence, the results are ready for YouTube. The book describes how professional stuntmen prepare for action scenes, how they rehearse, what kind of technical equipment they use, and how they plan their performance before stepping in front of a movie camera. Anyone who is hoping to find a career in stunt business will get valuable tips from the book. Moviegoers can get unique behind-the-scenes insight on movie making and stunt work. Large selection of photographs, video segments, sample scripts, camera maps and other practical material make it easy to adapt the information into personal video projects. The book also features tips for experiental learning and adventure education practice sessions. The author, stuntman and stunt coordinator H-P Virkki, has performed in many movies and he has trained actors, athletes and stuntmen at dedicated courses, universities and theaters.

You may not know it, but you've seen Vic Armstrong's work in countless movies. From performing stunts in the James Bond movie You Only Live Twice to directing the actions scenes for recent blockbusters The Green Hornet and Thor, the Academy Award-winning Vic Armstrong has been a legend in the movie industry for over 40 years. Along the way he's been the stunt double for a whole host of iconic heroes, including 007, Superman, and most memorably, Indiana Jones - as Harrison Ford once joked to him, "If you learn to talk I'm in deep trouble." As a stunt co-ordinator and second unit director, Vic is behind the creation of such movies as Total Recall, The Mission, Dune, Rambo III, Terminator 2, Charlie's Angels, Gangs of New York, War of the Worlds, I Am Legend and Mission: Impossible III, to name but a few, as well as several Bond films. He's got a lot of amazing stories to tell, and they're all here in this hugely entertaining movie memoir, which also features exclusive contributions from many of Vic's colleagues and friends, including Harrison Ford, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Pierce Brosnan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Angelina Jolie, Kenneth Branagh and Sir Christopher Lee. With an introduction by Steven Spielberg, and over 100 previously unpublished on-set photos from Vic's own collection.

Describes why so many people choose to work in occupations that put their lives on the line.

The classic no-holds-barred memoir from Hollywood's most legendary stuntman -- an inspiration for Brad Pitt's character Cliff Booth in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood -- is "full of incredible stories as told by a real man of action" (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Yep that's me, Hal Needham, on the cover doing a fire stunt. When you're on fire you don't dare breathe because if you do, you'll suck those flames right down your throat. I was Hollywood's highest paid stuntman so I should know. I wrecked hundreds of cars, fell from tall buildings, got blown up, was dragged by horses, and along the way broke 56 bones, my back twice, punctured a lung and knocked out a few teeth...I hung upside down by my ankles under a bi-plane in The Spirit of St. Louis, jumped between galloping horses in Little Big Man, set a world record for a boat stunt on Gator, jumped a rocket powered pick-up truck across a canal for a GM commercial, was the first human to test the car airbag-and taught John Wayne how to really throw a movie punch. Life also got exciting outside of the movie business. I had my Ferrari stolen right from under my nose, flew in a twin-engine Cessna with a passed out pilot, rescued the cast and crew from a Russian invasion in Czechoslovakia, and once took six flight attendants on a date. I owned the Skoal-Bandit NASCAR race team, the sound-barrier breaking Budweiser Rocket Car and drove a souped-up, fake ambulance in a "little" cross-country race called The Cannonball Run, which became the movie I directed by the same name. Oh yeah, I also directed Smokey and the Bandit, Hooper and several other action/comedy movies that I liked a bunch. I was a sharecropper's son from the hills of Arkansas who became a Hollywood stuntman. That journey was a tough row to hoe. I continually risked my life but that was the career I chose. I was never late to the set and did whatever I had to do to get the job done. Hollywood's not all sunglasses and autographs. Let me tell you a few stories...

This title introduces readers to the job of stunt performer. A short history of the profession is included, and readers will learn about the different types of "gags" such as precision driving, high falls, fire stunts, crashing through glass, and taking a punch. Equipment needed to do the job right and to stay safe is discussed, such as helmets, harnesses, protective jackets, gloves, boots, PortaPits, gel and Nomex suits. The education and training needed to become a stunt performer is examined, such as the International Stunt School and membership in the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Xtreme facts provide additional information on this exciting job. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. A&D Xtreme is an imprint of Abdo Publishing Company, a division of ABDO.