A Stunt Reel is a short landscape video showcasing your best stunt and action skills, edited and presented professionally.It's not a highlight reel for social media — it's a casting tool. Stunt coordinators, fight coordinators, and 2nd unit directors use it to answer one question: can this performer safely and consistently execute professional stunt work on set?Start building it now — not when you feel "ready." Your reel isn't a one-off project you make once you've "made it." It's a living document. The moment you have one safe, well-shot, on-camera clip, that's the start of your reel. As you train and book more work, you add to it — and just as importantly, you replace weaker or outdated clips with stronger, more current ones. Performers who wait until they feel fully ready often end up with nothing to show when an opportunity comes up. Performers who build clip by clip always have something current to send.When a coordinator asks for your reel, you should be able to send it within the hour. That's not an exaggeration — it's the standard. Opportunities move fast, and a reel that's "almost ready" or sitting half-edited on your laptop is a missed booking. Keep a finished, current version ready to send at all times, even while you're actively working on the next update.<h2 id="0e02dfe0-1813-4bae-965d-3280e37d1d53" data-toc-id="0e02dfe0-1813-4bae-965d-3280e37d1d53" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">Who Watches It, and Why the First Seconds Matter</h2>Your reel is watched by people making fast, practical decisions, not casual viewers:<ul><li>Stunt Coordinators — checking safety, technique, and whether they'd trust you on set.</li><li>Casting Directors / Agents — checking marketability, look, and versatility.</li><li>Directors / Producers (for double or specialty work) — checking screen presence.</li></ul>Many coordinators watch only the first 5-10 seconds before deciding whether to continue, and assume they won't watch past 60 seconds unless impressed. Open on your strongest, most impressive shot in the first 3–5 seconds — not chronological order.<h2 id="591d95e3-3680-492c-af34-69b411855be3" data-toc-id="591d95e3-3680-492c-af34-69b411855be3" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">Choosing Your Clips</h2>✅ Prioritize on-camera footage. No on-camera yet? Use well-lit professional training or NZSS workshop footage. ✅ New performer? Lead with your immediate bookable skills — falls, fights, hit reactions, wire work. ✅ Include a mix: falls &amp; rolls, fights, reactions &amp; sells (arguably the difference-maker — showing a hit reads as real, not just safely executed), weapon work, wire work, horse work, water work. ✅ Car hits or other specialty work — only if professionally supervised and shot.⚠️ Never include unsafe, unrigged, or self-shot footage of any kind, no matter how good it looks — one reckless-looking clip can undo an otherwise strong reel.🚫 Skip: gym or parkour footage (shows fitness, not stunt skill), acting-only clips, unedited long scenes, anything you haven't fully mastered.Social media tip: the same standard applies to your public training posts. Coordinators check. If a skill isn't yet safe and consistent, keep it off your profile.<h2 id="6ac11493-deb6-49bd-ac57-8266ebfa41b8" data-toc-id="6ac11493-deb6-49bd-ac57-8266ebfa41b8" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">Structuring the Reel</h2>✅ Best clip first. Group logically (by skill, or as a building sequence) and stay consistent. ✅ Mix action and reactions — show control and presence, not just impact. ✅ Avoid stacking the same clip type back to back (five falls in a row loses impact). ✅ Use clear, wide angles that show full-body mechanics — no shaky footage or excessive cuts. One clean take beats three messy ones. ✅ End on your second-strongest clip, or a simple, clean outro.Length: aim for 60–90 seconds. Beginners with limited footage: even 15 seconds of strong, safe content is enough — don't pad it. As your library grows, up to around 2 minutes, but never pad just to hit a length.<h2 id="a1d9252c-7f72-4ff4-be56-431a80b7cbfb" data-toc-id="a1d9252c-7f72-4ff4-be56-431a80b7cbfb" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">Editing, Sound, and Delivery</h2>✅ Landscape format, no fancy transitions, no slow motion unless justified (e.g. a high fall or tight weapon exchange). ✅ No text over the action — it hides your movement and timing from the coordinator's eye. ✅ Neutral music or a low-impact score. Natural production sound is preferred where you have it; if it's rough, go music-only — poor sound risks the coordinator muting your reel. ✅ Clean export, no compression artifacts, highest resolution available. ✅ Final screen (3–5 seconds): full name, height and weight, contact email, agency contact if applicable. No long fades or animated outros. ✅ Deliver via Vimeo or an unlisted/private YouTube link, and pin your most recent version to your social profile.<h2 id="939f8dc7-6921-436b-a5b5-0df4ee2966c3" data-toc-id="939f8dc7-6921-436b-a5b5-0df4ee2966c3" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">Keep It Current — and Get It Reviewed</h2>The NZ stunt industry is small and tightly connected — assume what you post, train, and perform is visible and talked about. Update your reel every time you land a new skill, credit, or better footage; an outdated reel signals you haven't been progressing.Get regular eyes on your training so you catch habits and gaps before they become permanent, and get your finished reel professionally reviewed before you send it out — pacing issues and weak openers are hard to see in your own footage.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nzstuntschool.com/en/product-detail/stunt-training-video-review/7637">Book training feedback</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nzstuntschool.com/en/product-detail/stunt-reel-review/7584">Book a Stunt Reel Review</a><h2 id="bd9e8232-5652-456c-9d81-ae32fde1b46c" data-toc-id="bd9e8232-5652-456c-9d81-ae32fde1b46c" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">Final Checklist</h2><ul><li>15 sec–2 min (60–90 sec ideal), landscape, best clip first</li><li>Variety of skills, clearly identifiable on camera</li><li>Safe, controlled, professional — including on your socials</li><li>Clean export, natural or neutral audio</li><li>Name, height, weight, and contact info on screen at start and end</li><li>Saved and ready to send within the hour, any time you're asked</li></ul>👉 Any box unchecked? Wait until that clip is genuinely ready. A shorter, fully-checked reel beats a longer one with a weak link.<h2 id="294d6b88-0e92-4fb5-bc2c-f5f913566410" data-toc-id="294d6b88-0e92-4fb5-bc2c-f5f913566410" style="text-align: left; font-size: 24px; line-height: 1.2;">Ready for a Professional Review?</h2>Whether it's your first reel, an agency application, or an update after new credits, a professional review gives you personalized feedback, a clear read on what casting professionals look for, and a better shot at getting booked.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nzstuntschool.com/en/product-detail/stunt-reel-review/7584/">Book a professional stunt reel review</a>Visit our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nzstuntschool.com/blog/">Blog</a> or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nzstuntschool.com/faqs">FAQs</a>, or explore our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nzstuntschool.com/program-coaching-form">1-1 coaching program</a> — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nzstuntschool.com/contact/">contact us</a> with any questions.Your stunt reel is your CV — start it now, build it clip by clip, and keep it current as you grow.

Your stunt reel is your visual CV. Learn what makes a great reel, common mistakes to avoid, and how to create yours with our free online course.

How to Create a Stunt Reel That Gets You Work

Who Watches It, and Why the First Seconds Matter

Explore stunt training tips, behind-the-scenes insights, and advice for aspiring stunt performers | NZ Stunt School

How to Create a Stunt Reel That Gets You Work

How to Create a Stunt Reel That Gets You Work

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