Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures

The Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures was founded in 1961 in Hollywood by a group of working stunt performers led by Loren Janes (Steve McQueen’s long-time double) to share rigging knowledge, training, and casting opportunities across what was then a fragmented freelance pool. The Association is a member-elected, by-invitation collective rather than a union — SAG-AFTRA covers the union representation — and members are voted in based on demonstrated track record and peer reference.

Members of the Association have doubled or coordinated for almost every major American action production of the past six decades, from the Bullitt era through the modern Marvel Cinematic Universe. The group is structurally similar to the cinematographer-led ASC: it doesn’t produce work directly, but its membership card is a recognised mark of craft seniority.

The Association maintains an internal training pipeline and a published rigging-safety standard. Some members operate independent shops in parallel — Stunts Unlimited (a separately-incorporated coordinator-led company) overlaps in membership though the two organisations are formally distinct.