Surround Sound

By Darcy Lewis

Stunt work occurs in a variety of forms in many different modes of media. This can range from stunts in tv and films, to videos found online of free running through cities, or even perhaps performers in the circus. No matter where it can be found there is a shared familiarity of what these people are doing.

The creative intent of stunt work links to notions of artwork especially when we are forced to consider the aesthetic side of creation. For instance, Lilou Ruel is a content creator who has also received acclaim for her parkour and free running skills. Her Instagram, (which can be found @lilouruel), showcases how designed stunts in locations with different outfits can be captured for promotion. These clips and stills of her skills are essentially performances. Her high-risk stunts captured in an aesthetic manner do suggest that the planning and performance of them should be considered a form of artwork. Her canvas is just the streets or fields or beaches that anyone can access, rather than being physically contained on print. 

This is exacerbated by parkour accounts on a myriad of social media accounts. Their high risk stunts have captured audiences attention when these dare-devil individuals jump or flip in ways that an average person would perhaps never even consider trying. Many media accounts have displayed men and women jumping between buildings or scaling objects on video. Its these risks that are the performance and so are like pieces of artwork. 

However, stunt work has been largely neglected in its recognition within professional circles. There are different forms of this, of course, so it is difficult to make general assumptions. But fields like the Oscars, fail to recognise stunt doubles as they do not receive the same prestige as dialogue actors. This is not to say that there is no recognition since many actors have acknowledged their counterparts, such as Tom Holland who credited Luke Scott for his work. But many have been unrecognised for years since a big part of their role is to be indistinguishable from the actor they are doing the stunt for. 

All these individuals either professional or personal, have similar goals and attributes. Their athleticism is being undertaken in a way to showcase their skills in a meaningful and entertaining way. This set of parameters matches with how we acknowledge written or painted pieces of art. But on the whole, stuntwork rarely seems to make this category. So, the question we must ask ourselves is… why? 

There are high profile individuals such as Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger who have publicly voiced their support for a stunt category at the Oscars owing to the work of the stunt doubles and the risks they take when working. If they can acknowledge the importance of their work then so should we. The Screen Actors Guild did create a category entitled ‘Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series’ in order to recognise the work of stunt actors. This award has seen actors from House of the Dragon and The Last of Us nominated for their achievements. Therefore supporting the idea that stuntwork is a form of artwork that should be acknowledged. 

Ultimately, the skill and talent that is required for stunt work to be successful is immense. These individuals who commit themselves to training and then capturing their work are in fact artists. Their craft is the way they use space to express themselves by taking risks on camera for the audiences they are hoping to reach.