Quick Tip: Protect Your Actors

Marking rehearsal is done, the actors head back to wherever they head back to and it’s time to light and set up the shot. Over the next 10, 15, 45 minutes you will be standing by overseeing the layout of the shot and watching the crew come in and light the set. A lot will happen, things will move and be moved back, flash will be set, you’ll be keeping an eye on everything and both rehearsing the shot, working with set dressing, working with the gaffer and key grip, sound and so much more.

But through that all, don’t forget your actors.

The crew is coming in and they have a specific job - set that flag, set that light, move that couch. And they will do that job well within the scope of what their duties are. But as the camera op, especial the A camera op, you have watched what the actors need to do in a scene, know the actors, and need to protect them so that the equipment doesn’t impinge on their abilities to do the scene as rehearsed. The grip placing that flag may not consider that the actor pushes back in her chair during a scene. The gaffer may not recognize that the lead tends to stand even when he has rehearsed I as sitting down. These are things that you keep an eye on and protect for because the last thing you want to have happen is for the actors to come to set and realize that because of the way it’s been lit, they can’t perform the way it was rehearsed. So keep your eyes and ears open and make sure that the actors, who aren’t there at the moment, still have their needs being met.