Dark Roc · Action guides
Who do you need for your action scene?
A practical guide to armourers, stunt coordinators, tactical advisors, action performers and cast trainers — and how to brief the right team.
Start with the scene, then build the team.
“We need someone who knows firearms” is only part of a brief. A production may need equipment, performance coaching, choreography, specialist advice or several of these together. Those are different jobs. Agree who is doing each one before treating a single appointment as cover for the whole scene.
For an initial conversation, describe what the audience sees, the cast involved, the filming location and the time available for preparation. You do not need to send a full script before agreeing how confidential material will be shared.
The armourer
The armourer deals with the weapons-related requirements within their agreed scope: what is suitable for the scene, how it is managed and the arrangements needed for its use. Bring them into equipment and preparation decisions early. A performer who has completed training does not take over the armourer’s role.
For firearms and weapons work, production should refer to the HSE’s film and television guidance when planning competent appointments and responsibilities.
The stunt coordinator
Where a scene includes stunt work, the stunt coordinator plans and coordinates that work within the production’s arrangements. Action involving falls, impacts, fights or interactions between performers needs a joined-up discussion. Adding a firearms advisor does not remove the need to establish who coordinates the stunt elements.
The tactical or firearms advisor
An advisor helps interpret the scene’s intended world and characters: what their behaviour should communicate, where the detail matters and how the performance fits the story. The work needs to make sense for camera, casting and the director’s intention. Advice is not automatically an appointment to supply or manage weapons, or to coordinate stunts.
The cast trainer and action performer
A cast trainer helps the actor prepare for the agreed performance. That may mean building confidence, establishing character-specific movement, rehearsing a sequence and making it repeatable. An action performer performs the action required by the production. Neither title, on its own, tells you the person’s full scope or responsibilities.
People can work across several roles. The important question is which roles they are appointed to on your production, what experience supports each appointment and how the work will be coordinated.
Five questions before you book
- What does the scene require from each department?
- Who is responsible for equipment, rehearsal, stunt coordination and specialist advice?
- What relevant production experience does each person bring?
- How much cast preparation and rehearsal time is available?
- Who needs to be involved if the scene changes?
Our producer’s briefing checklist turns these questions into a usable first enquiry.
Bring us the scene.
Dark Roc works across action performance, cast training, armoury and tactical advisory. We have trained actors both during productions and independently as preparation for action roles. Tell us what you need the audience to believe, who is involved and when you shoot.