How do you become a stunt female car driver?

Becoming a stunt driver is widely regarded as one of the most trying tasks in the world. Unlike a ton of other professions, you can’t just go to school, get a certificate and go looking for a job as a female stunt car driver. For example, being fit is one of the crucial requirements and that takes quite some time.

Besides, stunt drivers earn a relatively handsome salary, especially once they make it to the top brass. There are a lot of differences between how men and women approach becoming a stunt driver. Most of these involve different training regimes, different diets and different approaches to exercise. So, what path does a woman with ambitions of becoming a stunt driver follow?

Get the necessary skills

The first and most obvious step towards becoming a professional stunt driver is knowing how to drive. But it’s not just about driving by itself – you need to attend a driving school and take classes made specifically meant for. These classes teach you things like how to do j-turns, controlled oversteer and oversteer and those cool-looking handbrake turns. Don’t expect to get to the fun stuff right away, though. Before you get to the awesome-looking drifts, one of the very first things you’re going to be introduced to is safety.

At this point, what’s left to do is practice, practice and practice some more.

Put yourself out there

As cool as it sounds, no job is magically going to fly into your lap. Once you have some experience with driving stunt cars, it’s time to hit the road and network. Market yourself to local filming crews to see if they have any openings, or find an agent to work with. The latter option makes it much easier to get a job as an extra on TV because they are probably well-connected and know who’s who in the industry.

Practice and diversify

Most stunt drivers get the job because they have a diverse skill set rather than having a single skill. For example, casting directors would prefer a stuntwoman that can drive different cars and do physical tricks. If you only drive cars, or worse, only specialize in a single-car, you’ll have a hard time getting jobs. Create a resume and send it to directors, producers and any other industry professionals you can get your hands on.