5 Movie Stunt Driver Techniques

A stunt driver is any individual who gets paid to operate any number of vehicles on a movie set or in a film. Most people are familiar with stunt drivers thanks to movies like Gone in 60 Seconds, The Fast and The Furious, Baby Driver, or any of the other hundreds of high-octane films with dangerous stunts and stunning car chase scenes. Our grip electric experts explain the most common stunt driving techniques you must master to drive your way onto the silver screen.

Drifting/over-steer

Most people are familiar with drifting's basic concept after the popularity of The Fast and Furious franchise from the mid-2000s. The over-steer concept is a simple one. It is when a vehicle steers more than the driver commands it to. The over-steer will be different in every car, so the driver will need to practice with the model they are using to perfect the stunt before filming begins.

Generally, drifting is when a driver over-steers intentionally while attacking a corner, resulting in their rear wheels losing traction while the driver maintains vehicle control. Again, every model is different, so a stunt driver will need to practice with the car before filming starts.

Handbrake turns

A handbrake turn looks very similar to drifting but uses a different technique. It can be used to negotiate tight corners, just like drifting can. A driver transfers the weight of a car to the outside tires and uses the handbrake for locking the rear tires. Then the driver releases the handbrake at the perfect moment to accelerate out of the dramatic turn.

Skiing

Driving on two wheels is featured in a plethora of hit films, and we have all seen it at some point. This requires a driver to tip a car and drive only on two wheels. The most common way to master this stunt is through driving one side of a vehicle up a ramp, helping to lift that side up while the driver continues moving forward using the steering wheel to keep the car balanced. In many cases, vehicles with high centers of gravity are used in this stunt because even a sharp turn can cause them to tip on their side, achieving the effect desired. It is also common to let some air out of the tires on the side being lifted to make it lighter on that side of the car.

Barrel rolls and flips

While many flips are achieved with a machine that tosses the car and film footage is edited to make it seem flawless, drivers are still used in many situations to flip the vehicle independently. This is achieved by performing the skiing technique but letting the car flip all the way over instead of balancing on two wheels.

J turns

This stunt is achieved by turning a vehicle 180 degrees while maintaining forward movement and

direction. The most challenging part of this stunt is knowing the exact moment when you should shift a car into reverse from drive. This stunt requires lots of practice and experience to pull off successfully.

These are some of the most common stunts that stunt drivers use to add thrill and excitement to film productions. Tiki Grip Electric has you covered if you need grip equipment, grip trucks, or grip electric for your next production. Call us today for more information.