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Meet The Team

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RYAN STURZ

Owner and Lead Instructor

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In 2009, Ryan decided to take his stunt driving career to the next level by taking Rick Seaman’s Motion Picture Driving Clinic. Shortly after completing the course he joined the team as an intern, changing tires and chasing cones.

Over the next 11 years, Ryan steadily worked his way up the instructor ranks. In 2020, Rick decided that it was time to hang up his driving shoes for good and approached Ryan about taking over and continuing the MPDC legacy.

Ryan uses his experience as a stunt coordinator and 2nd Unit Director as well as a performer to put a modern twist on the classic Rick Seaman Curriculum that stunt drivers have come to trust for the past 25 years.

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CHris CHRISTENSEN

Senior Instructor and Lead Mechanic

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Chris Christensen is our resident elder statesman. He started interning for Rick Seaman at the age of 12 years old and has been with the Motion Picture Driving Clinic since it opened its doors in 1997. By the time he turned 18, Chris was already instructing stunt driving classes.

Over the past 25 years, Chris has instructed thousands of stunt performers as well as some of the biggest names in Hollywood such as Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie and Jason Statham. He has taught every Super Level 2 class since 2009.

As a team member who’s been with Rick since the beginning of time, Chris helps us ensure that MPDC never loses sight of those core curriculum values that hold such weight in Hollywood.

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HARRY WOWCHUK

Senior Instructor

  • IMDB

Harry started entertainment industry career as a still photographer, shooting album covers and TV guides. He even won a grammy for one of his album covers! From there he segued into stunt work, which took him from stunt coordinating the Passions soap opera to performing in massive blockbusters such as Inception and The Dark Knight.

 

In 1997, Harry and Rick Seaman saw a need to teach the next generation of stunt drivers. The first stunt driving clinics they put together were so successful that pretty soon, MPDC was born. From those humble beginnings Harry has watched the school grow into what it is today.

Harry’s biggest piece of advice to aspiring stunt drivers is to ‘know your vehicle’ and get seat time in cars as frequently as possible - there’s no replacement for practice.

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JIM WILKEY

Senior Instructor

  • IMDB

Jim first got into stunt work in 1975 doing horse work. As production increasingly moved away from westerns, Jim shifted his focus to cars. He has since been a part of some of the most famous vehicle work in film - from Baby Driver and Mad Max: Fury Road to Transformers and Inception. His favorite and probably most well-known stunt is the semi truck front flip in The Dark Knight, a one-of-a-kind gag that required a cannon in the back of the trailer to get the whole truck to flip forward. 
 

Jim’s advice for new drivers: “If you’re serious, invest in your craft and take more classes.” 

 

Jim runs our special 1-Day Experience, where attendees get exposed to the thrills of being a stunt driver.

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ROSS SCHARPHORN

Instructor

  • IMDB

Ross first got noticed by Rick Seaman when he took 4th place amongst many in the Stunt Drive for Freedom in 2010. By 2012, Ross had become an intern at MPDC, and it wasn’t too long until he was coaching courses alongside Ryan, a position he would flourish in for years. 

 

In addition to coaching, Ross has a truly diverse range of experience in the industry - from driving a ‘69 GTO in the LA River for Mötley Crüe to doing the stunts for Car Masters on Netflix. His favorite quote is from one of his favorite stunt coordinators Buddy “Love” Sosthand; “You gotta Own The Edge”. 

 

In 2021, Ryan asked Ross to come back to MPDC - at the school he brings an industry veteran’s perspective to his Super Level 1 courses.

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