What Are Ratchet Pulls?

In film production, ratchet pulls are used to pull and launch actors and stunt performers in flying stunts. Using cables and the appropriate harnesses, a carefully rigged stunt employing a ratchet system helps give the illusion of a character flying through the air in an action scene. Stunts that typically require ratchet systems include explosions, fight scenes, or scenes where an actor is hit with gunshots.

Below is a very basic example of a ratchet stunt:

“Basic ratchet stunt” by Keith Lemay

Depending on the film production’s budget and creative vision, a hand operated pulley and rope/cable system can be used to help raise or lower a performer suspended in the air or a pneumatic ratchet system can be utilized for a more powerful effect. Pneumatic devices are typically a long cylinder charged with compressed nitrogen or air. When an operator hits the button on a pneumatic device, the cylinder retracts and quickly pulls the performer backwards.

Watch as three stuntmen experience getting pulled through a wall on a ratchet for the first time:

“Stunt Lab: Ratchets” by Stunt Lab

Safety is always the number one consideration when it comes to setting up stunts. Actors and performers who will be performing aerial stunts using ratchet pulls are trained extensively to ensure their safety as well as help them get used to the wire rigs and learn how to deliver a convincing performance, particularly if a more complex wire rig is set up to create a twisting action along with the pull.

See some examples of various twisting actions used in a ratchet pull:

“Ratchet Stunt Training 3/25/2012” by Walter Garcia

Other equipment such as high speed winches, descenders, and decelerators may also be used as the desired action calls for it, and all of the equipment used in aerial stunts are carefully maintained and used in controlled environments so that outside elements cannot influence the operation of the system.

In Nevada, we have many experienced stunt coordinators with decades of experience working in the motion picture industry. Their services include not just stunt coordination, but also professional stunt engineering and rigging, EMTs, 2nd unit directing, and more.

If you are looking for a stunt coordinator for your next production, check out our online Nevada Production Directory for a list of stunt coordinators in Nevada or drop by our office and pick up a free printed directory!

We also have a variety of filming locations throughout Nevada as well as local studios offering full production services. Browse through our Nevada Filming Locations Database and contact us if you are interested in learning more about a filming location!

If you offer professional production services and are not yet listed in our Nevada Production Directory, you can learn more about how to sign up for the NPD here.

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