The flawless, high-speed slide of a car coming to a perfect stop in a commercial is the work of a professional driver. This role, more accurately called “precision driving,” involves executing complex and repeatable vehicle maneuvers for the camera. In this specialized field, drivers are performers who use cars as their instruments to bring a director’s vision to life. This career is less about speed and more about control.
Essential Skills and Basic Requirements
A valid driver’s license and a spotless driving record are the minimum requirements. Production companies and their insurers will scrutinize your history for any infractions, as safety and liability are important on a film set. A history of responsible driving is your first resume.
This career also demands a highly developed sense of car control that goes far beyond daily driving. A precision driver must have a deep understanding of vehicle dynamics—how a car reacts to subtle inputs of steering, braking, and acceleration on different surfaces. This includes excellent spatial awareness and the ability to judge distances and speeds with accuracy on all sides of the vehicle.
This feel for a vehicle’s behavior, like its weight transfer during a turn or how traction changes under hard braking, is a core skill. While a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) may be required for jobs involving large trucks, it is not a primary requirement for most commercial work featuring cars.
Pursuing Specialized Training
Being a “good driver” is not enough for a career in precision driving; professional, specialized training is necessary. Attending a reputable stunt driving school is a required step for safety and for learning the techniques of on-set performance. These schools are where you unlearn bad habits and build the muscle memory for the job.
The curriculum focuses on maneuvers standard in film and commercial production. Students learn fundamental skills like hitting a specific mark on the ground at a designated speed. Training progresses to more dynamic actions, including:
- Forward and reverse 180-degree turns (J-turns).
- 90-degree slides into a parking spot.
- Controlled fishtails.
- Threshold braking to stop just short of a camera or actor.
Instructors, often veteran stunt coordinators, teach students how to work with the demands of a film set. This includes driving near camera cars, understanding lens perspectives to adjust driving lines, and repeating a maneuver identically for multiple takes. This formal education provides the credibility and skills that stunt coordinators look for.
Building Your Professional Toolkit
After completing specialized training, you need to assemble professional materials to market yourself to stunt coordinators. The first component is a driving resume, which is different from a standard corporate resume. It should feature your training, listing the schools attended and skills mastered. It should also detail the vehicle types you are proficient with and any on-set experience.
A professional headshot is another required item. While most of your work is unseen, a driver’s face might be partially visible, or you may double for an actor. A professional photo helps coordinators consider you for roles where physical resemblance is a factor.
The most powerful part of your toolkit is the demo reel, a short video of 60-90 seconds showcasing your driving abilities. Your initial reel can feature footage from your stunt driving school. It should be a concise montage of your best maneuvers, as this visual proof of skill is often the deciding factor for a stunt coordinator.
Understanding Unions and On-Set Work
Professional commercial driving involves understanding industry structures like the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Most legitimate commercial shoots operate under union contracts, and precision drivers are required to be members. Even when a driver’s face is not on screen, they are considered a performer executing a stunt and are paid at union-negotiated rates.
A day on set for a precision driver often involves more waiting than driving. The day begins with a safety briefing led by the stunt coordinator, where every detail of the driving sequence is discussed, including vehicle paths and camera positions. You will work closely with the director to understand the desired shot and with the stunt coordinator to ensure it can be done safely.
The driving itself involves a high degree of repetition. You might perform the same maneuver dozens of times to capture it from different angles, requiring focus and the ability to deliver an identical performance repeatedly.
Finding Work and Advancing Your Career
Securing your first jobs requires strategic networking and persistence. The stunt community is relationship-driven, and stunt coordinators hire drivers they know and trust. Attending industry workshops, maintaining contact with your driving school instructors, and networking with other stunt performers are ways to get on a coordinator’s radar.
A stunt agent can also help find opportunities, though most performers start by building their network directly. Payment for commercial work is structured as a day rate, with union contracts stipulating minimums plus potential residuals if the commercial has a successful run.
Career advancement can take several paths. Some drivers specialize in a particular vehicle, like motorcycles or heavy equipment. With enough experience and understanding of on-set safety, a precision driver can progress to becoming a stunt coordinator, responsible for designing and supervising action sequences.