At 7 a.m. you're in a horrible car crash.
At 1 p.m.
you're beaten up
and thrown down the stairs.
And at 5 p.m.
you're on fire.
Literally.
For most people,
that would be the worst day of their lives,
but for some,
this is just another day at work.
A stuntperson, or stunt performer,
is someone who doubles for an actor
during the filming of stunts
and dangerous scenes.
And although it might seem like fun,
this is not a job for everyone.
Not only is it physically grueling,
but if you're not careful,
the stunts can also go horribly wrong.
On the set of the 2002 film, "XXX,"
stuntman Harry O'Connor
was killed instantly while shooting
an aerial stunt.
The plan was for him to rappel down
a parasailing line
and land on a submarine,
but instead,
he hit a bridge
while going down at high-speed.
This tragedy is just one
in a long list of people who have died
or been seriously injured
while performing stunts.
And if you're not careful,
you could follow in their footsteps.
This profession is literally
the art of surviving.
And if you want to succeed in it,
there's something more important
than being an adrenaline junkie
or looking like a movie star.
If you really want to live through this,
you need to learn the craft.
Besides great driving skills,
you'll need a car with specific
safety equipment like roll cages,
fire extinguishers
and camera rigs.
And make sure there's nothing loose
in the car so that nothing flies at you.
One way to flip a car
is by using something called a pipe ramp.
These ramps give the effect of a
vehicle colliding with a fixed object.
If you're using a pipe ramp,
it's important to hit it at the right spot
and the right speed,
so that the car can flip.
You might also use a pneumatic cannon
system with compressed air,
levers and hydraulic arms
to help flip the car.
And you'll have to wear protective gear
including a helmet and head restraints,
then activate the system
when you reach the desired speed.
But even with all these precautions,
some bruises and pain
are almost guaranteed.
Fortunately, real ammunition is not used
in the filming process.
The guns are just props
or they're loaded with blanks.
But blanks can be dangerous
since they fire compressed gas
or pieces of metal.
Small explosive charges called squibs
will be attached to your body
with a bag of fake blood on top of them.
There is also a metal plate
that will protect you from the charge
and forces the explosion outwards.
A remote initiates the charge,
which rips through any clothing
while spurting theatre blood
and creating a fake wound.
You will have to learn how to hold
the gun as if it was real,
and move accordingly when you shoot.
Then, when you do get shot,
you'll need to fall onto the ground
so it looks real.
Try to roll your body in ways that lessens
the impact to avoid injuries.
If you need to fall from a high place,
you'll need to make sure
you don't land on anything hard.
Depending on the height of the fall
and your weight,
you can fall fast,
or really fast.
Your goal is to stop that velocity.
And the most common way
to do it nowadays is with airbags.
In the film Assassin’s Creed,
the stuntperson, Damien Walters,
fell 38 m (125 ft) onto an airbag.
And for this scene,
Walters had to hold his shape
for as long as he could
before rolling onto his back.
Damien used some techniques
to land safely.
He had to spread his weight out
as much as possible
because there was a lot of speed
that he had to stop almost instantly.
He also had to land
perfectly flat on his back
to avoid whiplash or injuries.
Before being set on fire,
you'll need to wear
several layers of clothing that include
fire resistant materials,
like Kevlar or Nomex.
They're what many firefighters wear.
Then you'll be coated with flammable gel.
Several people will be ready
to extinguish the flames
and paramedics are always on the set too.
And sometimes there's a backup plan
with a wet furniture pad
for you to fall down on while the flames
are being extinguished.
When the scene is finished,
the goal is to get all those layers
of clothing off you
so they don’t keep burning.
A crew will be there to help you.
But regardless of how quick
the scene is
and how efficiently the crew
puts out the fire,
you will still feel pain.
When you’re punching,
you'll punch at the target
without touching the actor.
To do this,
stay a certain distance from them.
This requires specific choreography
and camera angles to make it look
like you are hitting the person.
These “hits” are paired with sound effects
to make it sound real.
When you're tossing someone,
it's crucial that the person being tossed
controls their fall.
And the person who tosses them
should guide them.
And when you add props
like beer bottles or chairs,
the key is using breakaway objects.
On chairs,
the screws are replaced
with glue and toothpicks.
And resin or sugar glass
replaces real glass.
This makes it easier to break on contact
and reduces injury.
Before and after a hard day of stunts,
it's imperative to stretch properly.
This, and eating right,
are the keys to a fast recovery,
according to Marvel's stuntperson
Khalil Pickett.
Now that you know
how to survive these dangerous stunts,
are you ready to face
the top five action movie deaths?
We've got that video for you,
right here.