In the colder months when you are standing in outside, you will obviously want to bundle up. On days when you are standing in inside, you might be inclined to wear fewer layers or bring fewer warm clothes.
However, even if you you know you are scheduled to shoot interiors, shooting interiors may mean working outside. Here are some instances when you should be prepared to work outside even if you are standing in for interior scenes.
Location Shoots
When you are shooting on location, you may arrive to find that your interior set is a very small space. When the shooting space is small, productions may need to limit the number of crew members inside, especially when shooting.
While you might be standing in inside, once second team is excused you may find yourself with others outside in the cold temperatures. In such a case, dressing only for interiors could put you in peril as you have to brave the cold without appropriate outerwear.
So beware of interior location shoots when the temperatures are cold. Depending on the location, you may still end up outside.
“INT/EXT” Scenes
If a scene is listed as “INT/EXT” on the callsheet, this means it involves interior and exterior components. It could mean that the camera is outside looking inside. It could mean the opposite: the camera is inside looking outside. It could also mean that one actor is inside (say, answering a front door) and another actor is outside (say, ringing a doorbell).
In the latter two cases, you may be standing in outside despite the scene having an interior component. And in these cases, you will probably need appropriate outerwear to survive the cold.
Car Scenes
Scenes in cars are frequently listed as “INT/EXT,” and since cars aren’t extremely warm when crew members are going in and out of them, they will usually feel more “EXT” than “INT.”
Dress for warmth when shooting in cars, even if the scenes are listed as just “INT.”
General Tips for Gauging What to Wear
When you are standing in in colder weather, get as much information as you can about the shoot day.
When you book a stand-in gig with casting, ask the casting director if they are shooting interiors or exteriors. But keep in mind that even if casting says you are shooting interiors, you could be working outside.
If you know a stand-in working on the project, check with that stand-in for information about the next day. Keep in mind that that stand-in may not have all of the information about the next day’s shoot, and that shooting schedules can change. (An interior shoot can become an exterior shoot!) Be cautious not to burden that stand-in with questions about the next day’s shoot as it is not that stand-in’s responsibility to help you with information.
In the end, when standing in when temperatures are cold, dress appropriately — which typically means to dress for cold weather. If you end up working completely indoors, you can be pleasantly surprised!
Do you know of other times when interior work is cold? Do you have tips for handling cold weather when forced out of interior locations? Share your tips below!
Very helpful article! I’m always wary of INT scenes on location. Look carefully at where the scene is taking place, and read the scene description if possible to get more details. INT Barn? INT Bunker? INT Hangar? Those places don’t sound heated to me! You can always take off your extra layers, so be prepared and dress warm.
A very good point — ask yourself if the location sounds as if it could possibly be cold. It could mean a difference in whether you’re cozy — or crazed for heat!
Int-ext in the cold is tricky. Dress too lightly and you’ll really suffer (and at risk of respiratory illness or frostbite). Dress too heavily and you’re burdened with a ton of stuff to carry around, as you may not have ready access to holding where you could stow the stuff you don’t need. As a stand-in, you’ve gotta travel light — much more so than you do when working as background.
Thermal undies — both for legs and torso — are a must. Explore the range of stuff available at camping stores — both online and in person. If you stock your drawers with a variety of light, medium, and heavy weight thermals, you can pick and choose the types and number of layers to wear, depending on conditions of the day. Lightweight down-filled outerwear is great, and usually you can wear it to stand in (whereas you usually can’t when you’re working background). If you can’t get one that’s waterproof (or water resistant), get a windbreaker large enough to wear over your puffy coat.
Footwear is crucial. Black military style boots are highly versatile both for background and stand-in work. Buy them large enough that you can add inserts and wear two pairs of socks without pinching your toes. Also see product review of overshoes, posted here at Stand-In Central.
Insulated snug-fitting lightweight gloves will allow you to keep them on when holding sides (ie, the script). Neck, face, and head gear are tricky because — in the interest of resembling the principal’s wardrobe — production may not allow you to bundle up too much in these areas. In real life, I like to wear neckerchiefs rather than scarves to keep my neck and face warm in cold weather. I have one that’s nearly the color of my own skin. It’s a way to get away with wearing a kind of scarf even if the principal isn’t wearing one (as will pretty much always be the case).
For the same reason, it would be nice to have wool stocking cap near your own hair color (or near the hair color of the actor you’re standing in for). That said, if you know the shoot will be outdoors in the cold, wear the warmest hat you have. If you can’t wear it on camera you’ll at least have it to wear off camera. On that note, it’s a good idea to have a backpack that’s small enough that you could actually wear it while standing in, if necessary. That way you’ve got a place to put a hat or scarf that may not conveniently fit in your pocket. Returning to the topic of traveling light, ideally you should limit the amount of stuff you bring to the job to whatever you can fit into that small backpack.