Say that your calltime is around the same time the crew is in. What are some of the things you can get done before your calltime?

Collect Your Voucher

One of the first things you’ll likely want to do before your calltime is collect your voucher. This is not only so that you can get paid, but also so that you can collect your color cover. You will usually get your voucher from the background P.A. when you check in in holding.

If you’re told to report to set rather than holding, you might not get your voucher until later from the background P.A. In such a case, when you see the background P.A. later in the day, ask for your voucher. Else, you can collect your voucher from the background P.A. when you wrap.

Collect Sides

On many sets, when you collect your voucher, you will also be handed sides. Sides are the scenes being shot today. On the cover of the sides is the callsheet, indicating a lot of information about the shoot today. Quickly study the callsheet on the cover of the sides to determine the name of the actor and character for whom you’re standing in as well as the location of set where you need to be.

If sides aren’t available from the background P.A., usually an A.D. on set will have sides to give you. Just ask, say, the 2nd 2nd A.D. It is very important that you have sides so that you know about the scene(s) in which you are involved, so don’t hesitate to ask.

Get Color Cover

Once you have your voucher, you can head to the wardrobe department to collect color cover. Color cover is clothing that is similar to the clothing worn by your actor in your scene(s). Make sure to at least have your name on your voucher–you trade your voucher for your color cover.

In some cases–such as when you are unable to collect your voucher–the wardrobe department might accept your union card in place of your voucher. Still other times the wardrobe department might require nothing from you in exchange for your color cover. Do your best in providing them what they need from you.

You might be responsible for several different items of color cover. Arriving before your calltime gives you an opportunity to find a place to set your extra color cover.

Set up “Stand-In Paradise”

When you arrive before your calltime, you can figure out a place near set to set your belongings.

Likely you will be entitled to a chair when on set, though sometimes you may have to be patient in getting a chair. Getting to set early may allow you some time to scavenge a chair to use and set up “Stand-In Paradise”–what I like to call the area near set where stand-ins’ chairs and belongings are.

Get Breakfast

When you’re called around the time crew is called, you may have time before your calltime to get breakfast. If you have a specific breakfast item in mind, keep in mind that other crew members are ordering items and you may need extra time to get your custom-made burrito, breakfast sandwich, etc.

If you see on the callsheet or hear from the background P.A. that you will be “NDB’d,” this means you will have a 15-minute period of time for breakfast. (“NDB” stands for “non-deductible breakfast” and helps to bring your lunchtime roughly in sync with the crew’s lunchtime.) If you’re being NDB’d, you might skip out on getting breakfast before your calltime so that you can get other things done.

Scope Out the Location

When you’re at a new location, it can be helpful to find the set before your calltime. If you’re called to holding, sometimes set will be a considerable walk from holding. Arriving early can help you figure out how close set is as well as manage how much of the above you can realistically get done before your calltime.

Scope Out the Bathrooms

Since it may be hard to find time to step off set to hit the bathroom, knowing where the bathrooms are can help you estimate how quickly you can get in and out of the bathroom when you’re working.

Knowing where the bathrooms are (or aren’t!) may also help you regulate how much you hydrate yourself in the morning. If a bathroom is far away from set, it might be a good idea to watch your liquid intake.

So, How Much Time Before Your Calltime Should You Arrive?

If you did all of the above in a studio where holding, set, the wardrobe department, and breakfast are close, you could get all of the above done in a few minutes. If you’re at a location where things are sprawled out, all of the above could take 15-30 minutes.

Given that “on time is late,” generally aim to arrive 15-45 minutes before your calltime when you’re standing in. 45 minutes before your calltime probably is at the level of overachievement, but in most cases it will allow you plenty of time to get the above done and enjoy your morning. Giving yourself 15 minutes may make you a bit crazed if you try to get all of the above done, but it may also be just enough time.

What things do you try to get done before your calltime? Are there other things you try to get done before your calltime? We’d like to hear. Post your response below!

Preliminaries

More than likely, if you’re to be standing in in a pool, you will be cleared to do this kind of work via the background casting office.  Casting will likely make sure that you’re comfortable working in water.  For my recent gig, casting cleared me at the very beginning before the camera test, then they confirmed with me closer to the date.

Should you be asked if you’re comfortable working in water, my first bit of advice is to be 100% honest about your comfort level working in water.  Standing in in water is a completely different experience than standing in on dry land, and it puts dramatically different demands on your body.  What likely is implied when you are comfortable working in water is that you can swim, float, and perform basic actions when in the water.  What may also be implied is that you are in good enough shape to handle a day’s worth of work in water, and that you’re comfortable working in a bathing suit or wet suit.

If you could not handle working theoretically 8-12 hours in water, cannot swim or tread water, or cannot handle cool water temperatures for extended periods of time, I would strongly recommend not saying that you are comfortable working in water.  The potential risk of misrepresenting your comfort in water is that you find yourself in a situation much more demanding than you can realistically handle.  You probably don’t need to perform a butterfly stroke or tread water for 30 minutes without rest, but you will probably need to be able to swim without fear and handle cool water temperatures maturely.  When you’re standing in in water, often you will need to be in one place in the water, which means your body is not as active as when you’re moving or swimming, meaning that you will likely start to get cold even if the water is a comfortable temperature when you get in.

Preparations in Advance

If possible, seek the date(s) you’ll be standing in in water from casting or from production.  Knowing this will help you prepare in advance for the physical and mental demands such work may have on you.

If you have a relationship with the wardrobe department, in advance of the pool work, ask what color cover would be appropriate for that day.  Confirm that the swimwear that you own will be appropriate color cover for standing in, or if the wardrobe department will be providing you with swimwear.  For my recent job, color cover was my own buttondown shirt and my own swimtrunks.

Ben’s Tip!
If you provide your own color cover that is not truly swimwear (like a shirt or pants), make sure you are comfortable working with it in water that may have chemicals in it.  In my recent gig, the chemicals in the pool dyed the principal actor’s wardrobe on contact, while my own clothing used as color cover was fine.

The wardrobe department may offer you a wetsuit to wear for standing in.  If they do, I would strongly recommend wearing a wetsuit.  Given that you will likely get cold in the water, the wetsuit will likely give you additional warmth which will extend your ability to work comfortably.

Also, check with wardrobe to see whether they will be providing you with a towel and a robe.  When you are standing in in water, you will probably be getting in and out of the water, which may eventually saturate your towel and/or robe.  You might want to check with wardrobe to see if you should bring additional towels or your own robe, or if they will be providing dry towels or dry clothes for when you’re not standing in in water.

Finally, ask what the most appropriate footwear would be.  Should you wear aqua socks when in the pool, or can you be barefoot?  Keep in mind that even if you may be barefoot in the pool, you will probably want to have shoes to wear when you’re out of the pool considering the injury risks heavy machinery around the pool may pose for you.

Preparations the Day Of

With the above information, you will know in advance if you need to, say, purchase a swimsuit, buy a towel, get appropriate footwear for the pool, etc.  The day of your pool stand-in work, make sure you set aside what you need.  Some of what you need might include:

Your swimsuit

Your wetsuit (if you own one to use)

Your color cover

Your own towel

Your own robe

Footwear (flip-flops, aqua socks, etc.)

Dry clothes for lunch or long breaks

Dry clothes for when you’re wrapped

Sunscreen (for exterior pool work)

Goggles (if you need them)

A bag for your items

Bags for holding your wet clothes (I used plastic grocery bags)

A lock (if you suspect there will be lockers to use for storing your belongings)

Conditioner or moisturizer (if your hair or skin is prone to drying out from the chemicals in pools)

An umbrella (if you suspect there will be little relief from the sun when you’re out of the pool)

Etc.

What to Expect

For my recent gig, the blocking was not too challenging to match and it only involved one actor.  But a scene in a pool may require you to watch for a whole different set of factors when you’re watching your actor and the scene in rehearsal.  Some things to watch for in rehearsals are:

The absolute position of your actor in the pool

The relative position of your actor in the pool (that is, relative to the other actors)

The amount of your actor’s head or body is out of the water at a given time

The swimming strokes your actor uses in the scene

The amount of splash and direction of splash your actor gives in a scene

The kind of entry your actor has to the pool (a dive, a cannonball, a jump, etc.)

The amount of time your actor is underwater (in seconds or beats)

What your actor is doing underwater (if there are underwater shots)

As added insurance, you may find on the day that there is a person listed as “Water Safety” on the callsheet.  This person’s job is to stay in the water and monitor the in-water activities.  The day I worked, a full-time fireman and SAG member was hired for Water Safety.  He had with him a flotation device (a bullet-shaped buoy) and was there to aid in case of an emergency.

Compensation

When you’re standing in in water under a union contract, you will likely be eligible for wet work, so you will experience a bump in your base stand-in rate for the day.

If you are asked to swim and not simply stay in place when you are in the water, you may be eligible for special ability pay, which is an additional bump on your base rate for the day.

If the work is particularly demanding, you might request additional compensation for the work, or you might consult with your union representative to negotiate an additional bump for you.  (I would only advise doing this if the demands on you are serious or are comparable to a stunt.)

My Experience

Standing in in an indoor pool was an exciting and physically taxing day for me.  While the water felt comfortable when I got in, and while I handle cold temperatures fairly well, I quickly got chilly when I had to stand in in the water in one place for a while.  When I got out of the water, I would immediately shiver even though the air temperature wasn’t cold.  I learned that since the temperature of the pool is considerably lower than 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, eventually you’re going to get cold and for that reason a wetsuit is advisable when standing in in the water.  (I had worn swimtrunks and a buttondown shirt with no wetsuit.)

My day didn’t demand much swimming–mostly standing still in a few different places (which also induced shivering).  However, my day demanded of me a lot of listening.  In the middle of an indoor pool, there is a lot of sound bouncing around and it can be hard to hear if someone is talking to you and where from.  I’d advise keeping your eye on the DP (diretor of photography) or possibly the 1st AD when you are in the water because they are the most likely to communicate with you when you’re in the water.  Also, the camera operator will talk to you, so if you can keep tuned in to the camera operator, you probably will have little problem losing focus when in the water.

Even if the cold is distracting you, you need to keep aware of your position in the pool when you’re standing in.  On my day we had a crane mounted with a camera looking at me much of the time, which at times was sensitive to my movements.  Then we added manual waves that would crash around me, which added bodily stress especially given the cold.  The stress of standing in in the water may weaken your discipline, so realize you may need to buckle down and toughen up when you’re standing in in water.

All in all, though, I’d love to do it again.  I found myself wanting to do more activities than just standing in place in the water.  As the day wore on, I found myself dreading the water a bit given the cold, but I didn’t share that feeling and I got in the water whenever commanded.  Overall, it was a great experience–surprising, physically stressful, but offbeat and interesting–and I’d hope that if you’re a serious and committed stand-in with an interest in this kind of experience, that you get the opportunity to do it sometime.

Have you stood in in water before?  What kind of water work have you done as a stand-in?  Share some of your experiences below!

In many cases, then your responsibilities as a stand-in are off-camera: near the monitors, watching the takes for changes in the blocking.  It is these changes that you usually should know when you are called back onto set for another setup.

However, for a production that does numerous takes of actors whose blocking doesn’t significantly change, watching the monitors for every take can become an exercise in futility, especially when working on a production that doesn’t demand much detail from stand-ins.  Rather than become a lazy stand-in, you can prepare yourself for stand-in work later in the day during those times when your attention doesn’t need to be hyperfocused on the monitors.

“What’s Next?”

You might not always be in the know about what’s next to do on a shoot, but you might have a sense.  “Is next up another setup of the same scene, or will next up be rehearsal of a new scene?”  This question may help get you to think about what you might need to do to prepare for the next scene, and how much time you might need.

For example, if the next scene is at another location, you may need to spend this time gathering your things to prepare for a move.  If the next scene requires new color cover, you may want to make sure you have it available.  Getting jumps on these tasks helps to make production run much more smoothly but also makes your work easier and less stressful for when you’re needed.

“Whom Am I Standing in For?”

If you’re a utility stand-in and it’s not always clear for whom you’ll be standing in, spend this time to find out which character will be yours to follow in the next scene.  This may mean you have to ask the background P.A. or possibly the 2nd 2nd A.D.

“Have I Read the Next Scene?”

If you haven’t read the next scene, it might be a good opportunity now to give it a read before the rehearsal of the scene.  Knowing the scene on paper may help you to take notes on the sides during the rehearsal, so that you can better plot the timing of lines to blocking.  The better you know the scene, the better you’ll be able to take in information during the rehearsal.

“What’s the Advance Schedule Look Like?”

If a preliminary schedule is floating around set, you might have an opportunity to look at it.  If you do, you may be able to figure out some general information on the shoot schedule over the next couple days.  You also might get a sense of the crew calltime and your calltime.  These things are subject to change, but when you’re not required to look at the monitors, looking at the advance may be a helpful professional pursuit in the meantime.

Overall, Think Ahead

In general, it helps to think ahead and prepare when you’re working as a stand-in.  As a result, you’ll be better able to respond to variables that change in production at a given moment.  Time when you don’t have to watch the monitors may spell downtime for you, but sometimes that downtime could be used better, to your professional advantage.

When do you find you don’t need to watch the monitors?  What do you do during those times?  Share those thoughts below!

One of the stand-ins selected for the day was doing something I found ingenious: Using the camera test as preparation for her job.  In particular, she was taking wardrobe notes on the actor for whom she was to stand in.

In particular, she was noting the clothing her actor was wearing, as well as her actor’s shoes.  The clothing was important for at least a couple of reasons: to suggest the color of color cover the stand-in should bring, but also to suggest how much skin she should reveal in her color cover (specifically, how much of her arms she should reveal in her color cover).

The shoes were important because they would determine whether the stand-in should wear heels to stand in, or whether her height in flats met the actor’s height in heels.  Even the height of the heels was important.  Each pair of shoes the actor tried on, the stand-in tried to estimate the height of the heel.  (Actors could wear a selection of heels with different heights over a production, possibly meaning that stand-ins need to closely match those heights.)

Of course, as a stand-in, you might not know for what scenes an actor will be wearing what clothes, but witnessing a camera test is an opportunity to prepare for a long-term job.  The information you gain from a camera test may imply you should go out and purchase some items for your wardrobe that you lack, in order to use them for color cover or to wear as shoes.

However, just because you’ve landed a stand-in gig for a camera test, you haven’t necessarily booked the gig for the whole production.  Air on the side of caution before spending a lot of money on new color cover and shoes.

Is there anything else you recommend to do at a camera test?  If so, share below!

Standing in when you’re also handling background work can be pretty challenging, as many actors who have been pulled to stand in can attest.  Oftentimes, these stand-ins have to rotate out of standing in into immediately doing background in the same scenes they’re working.  They may not have a moment to get to the bathroom or grab a bite to eat from craft service.  Also, they may be run ragged in managing color cover and their background wardrobe on a day they’re pulled.

Here are some pointers for those times when you’re standing in and doing background, in order to keep your head straight in the madness.

Take Charge of Your Work

When it comes down to it, when you’re standing in, production is going to care that you are on set, ready to work, with the appropriate color cover (and shoes, as needed).  Production is not going to care that the wardrobe truck is far away, that holding is far away, or that you’re also doing background work.  They will want you when they want you, and they will not want to wait for you when you are needed.

Insofar as this is true, when you arrive to background work and find you are also standing in, it is good policy to take charge of your day as opposed to letting the background PA dictate your day.  This is good advice because while the background PA may be the utmost professional, the PA’s head may be swimming with many other logistics of the day for the general background, which may leave the details of your logistics as a day-playing stand-in an afterthought.

Taking charge of your day implies being proactive and aggressive in finding out answers to questions you have with respect to fulfilling your responsibilities both as a background actor and as a stand-in.  In a given scene, on most sets your responsibilities as a stand-in are greater than your responsibilities as a background actor, but generally you should not presume this.  Instead, you should assume that both responsibilities are of equal importance, and you should endeavor to fulfill them all.

Checklist of Needed Information

If you were just standing in, you probably would let the background PA dictate your day when the PA finds it important to share.  But if you are also standing in, this “need to know” approach is probably ineffective for you in fulfilling your job responsibilities.

As soon as you find out you are standing in, see if you can get answers to these important questions with respect to your work.  If there is a line of actors checking in, make these queries as quick and direct as possible as not to hold up the check-in line.

1. Find out if sides are available to you.  Usually they are, and getting them should be primary because your sides can answer a number of your questions, like locations of set and the wardrobe department, the scenes your actor is in, etc.
2. Find out the number of your actor for whom you’re standing in.  Clarify for yourself the character’s name and the name of the actor playing the character by looking at the callsheet on the front of the sides, but if you can’t figure this out on your own, ask the background PA.
3. Find out if you need color cover, and if you do, find out where the wardrobe department is located.  Sometimes the wardrobe department is on another floor; sometimes the wardrobe department is in a truck blocks away.  Get as specific an address of the department as possible from the background PA.
4. Find out how soon you are needed.  If you are needed in a scene several hours from now, you can probably relax with respect to getting color cover, reading sides, etc.  However, if you are needed in the first scene of the day, you probably need to prioritize your readying yourself to stand in.  This probably means making your way to set as soon as possible so that when crew is in, you are on set.
5. Find out the location of set!  If you’re in a movie studio with multiple stages, make sure you know on what stage (and set) you need to be.  If you’re on location, find out the address of the set.  If you need to get on a van to go to set, make sure you aren’t out of touch with the background PA as you get color cover, wardrobe approval, etc.

With answers to these questions, you can start to calculate where you need to be and when.  If you’re in the first scene, you may need to go straight to the wardrobe department for color cover and then set.

Obviously, showing up early to any set you work on can help temper the madness that might befall you should you learn you’re standing in.

Ben’s Tip!
Wherever you go on set, take with you your voucher and your union card (or ID).  These may be necessary in order to get color cover, wardrobe for background work, or props.  Leaving them in holding when you head to set may delay your getting to set, but also interfere with your ability to fulfill your background responsibilities.

Taking Care of Background Responsibilities

Although you may be standing in in the first scene of the day and unable to get approved from wardrobe, hair, and makeup, you will still need to get each department’s approval.

Once first team has arrived on set and you’ve been excused as a stand-in, usually the background PA will be on set.  Seek out the background PA and explain you still need to get approved from wardrobe, hair, and makeup (or whatever department still hasn’t approved you).  Usually this puts the burden on the background PA to take responsibility over your getting approved and directing you on what to do next.  This also signals the background PA that you can’t be used as background until you get these approvals.

Should you see a crew member from any of these departments who handles background actors, see if you can get approved then.  However, if it’s unclear to this crew member that you are also standing in, make sure you don’t get too involved with their readying you that you delay your arrival back on set when you’re needed to stand in.  Manage your time with the departments, still stay close to set, and prioritize your standing in over whatever readying is needed.

Watching for Your Actor’s Blocking Changes When Doing Background

Part of your responsibilities as a stand-in is watching the monitors for changes in your actor’s blocking.  When you’re doing background in the same scene you’re also standing in in, watching monitors is not possible, so you may not be able to note your actor’s blocking changes.

This situation is a regular conflict of interest for the stand-in also doing background.  In order to resolve it, I do any number of things.

• In some instances, when my actor has a lot of blocking in the scene, I ask the background PA who wants to use me if I can sit this scene out in order to watch the blocking.  When I can watch the blocking, I can be a better stand-in and better assist the crew in later setups.
• In other instances, depending on the feel of the set, I don’t let the conflict of interest bother me and simply keep in mind there is no way for me to know changes in blocking when I’m also doing background work.  When I return to standing in and am asked about blocking changes, I simply explain “I was doing background in the scene so I don’t know,” which tends to lead crew to seek answers from an AD.

Some sets tend to avoid the conflict of interest by letting background actors sit out background work from the scenes in which they’re standing in.  This policy may be unspoken; it may apply generally but not always; or it may never apply.  Always be ready to do background work when you’re also standing in unless you’re told you can relax from background during the scene.

Managing Color Cover and Background Wardrobe

When you’re excused from set after standing in, you may need to remove your color cover in order to wear your background wardrobe.  Then, when you’re told to relax from background, you may need to put back on your color cover in order to stand in.  If either wardrobe is involved in putting on or taking off, you have yourself an ordeal!

In these cases, you may need to organize your various clothing options in order to quickly change into them.  There may be no simple option, so “doing your best” may satisfy production.  If getting into color cover is too difficult to do when you’re also doing background, let the background PA or 2nd 2nd AD know, should either want to sit you out from background in that scene.

Remember Your Label!

If you’re wearing a stand-in label (that is, that piece of tape with your name and your character’s name), make sure to take it off when you’re doing background work!

It will help if you affix your label to your color cover so that when you remove your color cover to wear your background wardrobe, you don’t have to worry about it.  However, you might not be wearing color cover, in which case your label is on your background wardrobe.  You’ll need to devise some method for yourself for remembering to take it off.

If your label is on your background wardrobe, your label may pull at the fabric of your wardrobe or leave a residue when you take it off.  Be mindful of where you affix your label so that you don’t damage your background wardrobe, but also make sure to keep it visible for the crew so they know your name.

Keep track of your label, too.  If you continually take it off and put it back on, it often will lose its stickiness and may fall off.  If you lose yours and it’s important, ask the background PA for another label.

Managing Your Personal Needs

When it comes to taking a quick break to get to the bathroom or to grab a bite to eat, you need to take initiative.  If you find yourself trapped in a long cycle of standing in and doing background when you need to get to the bathroom, communicate to the background PA or 2nd 2nd AD that you need to go to the bathroom (“go 10-1″).  In most cases, your wish will be granted without objection.  Keep in mind, though, you may be needed back on set as soon as possible to do background work, especially if you are matching a previous shot you were in.

Food may be delivered on set by craft services, and you are usually entitled to that food as a member of the crew.  These deliveries may stave off the need to visit the craft service table.  However, if the food arrives when you are in the middle of standing in, getting food for yourself may be impossible.  You might ask an available stand-in to get you some food, or you might be able to get the 2nd 2nd AD or a key PA to help you.  If worst comes to worst, treat your hunger or dietary needs like your bathroom needs and take initiative in getting food.

Meals

When you break for a meal, when you’re both a background actor and stand-in, you usually eat when crew eats.  This means you are permitted to eat in line ahead of the other background actors.  The thinking is that since you’re technically crew when you are a stand-in, you gain this privilege.  But this privilege is bolstered by the thinking that you may be needed to stand in immediately after the meal, so you need maximal meal time.

Keep in mind that you may have a shorter meal break than the rest of background (say, a half-hour rather than an hour), especially if you are standing in in the first scene after lunch.  Also keep in mind any color cover needs you may have as you come out of your meal break and go back to work.

Ben’s Tip!
Regardless of whether you’re standing in after the meal or not, you are regarded as crew all day, so you are entitled to eat with crew and before the other background actors at all meals during the day.  Consider this a perk of standing in!

Checking Out

Remember that when you’re standing in, in most cases you will work at a higher rate.  Note on your voucher “Stand In” in the appropriate place.  And if you worked as a stand-in in circumstances unlike how you worked background (say that you stood in in smoke or wet conditions), make sure you note those circumstances on your voucher as well.

Conclusion

While not all days when you’re pulled to stand in will be difficult, doing both background and standing in can present unique challenges that a day of simply either doesn’t present.  Realize that “stand-in/background actor” is a harder job than just “background actor” or “stand-in,” so stay on top of the responsibilities in order to preserve your own personal sanity as you work on set.

Any other tips for handling background work when you’re also standing in?  Have a trick for remember to take off your label when you’re going to do background?  If so, post a comment below!

Awkward Positions

Guy Veryzer

One day, Guy Veryzer, an actor and hand model who also stands in, was working on the television series Kings. He was portraying a mourner putting flowers at a gate in honor of a dead prince. As he chatted with the background PA, the PA suddenly said he needed Guy to be Macaulay Culkin’s stand-in. Guy thought, “Seriously? I am decades older and a foot taller, maybe two feet taller!” Guy spent a lot of time with his legs very widely spread and his knees bent to approximately Macaulay’s height.

Tim Wilson

The actor Tim Wilson had a bit more awkward a situation when standing in on Boardwalk Empire. “I found myself lowering my head into a toilet bowl because in the scene I was standing in on, my guy was barfing after a night on the town,” Tim recalled. Production wanted Tim’s head about 3 inches from the water in the toilet. When he noticed a yellow tint to the water, he figured set dressing had put some coloring in the water for an eventual overhead shot. “I thought, Oh, how clever. Uh-uh. It was the real deal.” When Tim jokingly pointed this out to the AD, the AD was mortified and production took care of the matter before the principal actor arrived. “I must admit it was odorless, didn’t smell at all,” Tim added.

Sara DeRosa

Things got a little more scandalous for stand-in and actor Sara DeRosa. “I stood in for a bikini wax scene last night! Leg in the air and all!” Sara recently reported. When asked where the camera was, Sara replied, “Hanging from a bungee on a pulley system from the ceiling!”

While there are a number of awkward positions one can be in as a stand-in, some of them can be doubly awkward when scenes represent sexuality.

Awkward Sexual Positions

Ryan Shibley

Standing in for sex scenes is not that uncommon for the stand-in. For actor Ryan Shibley, it happened in his first stand-in gig, on the set of the ESPN mini-series called The Bronx Is Burning. “I stood in for the actor John Turturro and had to stand in–or more like ‘lie in’–during a sex scene. So I met the female stand-in about a minute before I realized she had to straddle me for like 20 minutes as the entire crew watched and set up the shot.” Despite the admittedly awkward situation, Ryan broke the ice with questions like “So where did you grow up? What college did you go to?” as he held her hips and she straddled him.

Nikki Borges

Similarly, Nikki Borges showed up to set to discover she was standing in in a sex scene. When she reported to wardrobe for color cover, wardrobe said simply, “They’re naked.” Nikki assured them she would not be standing in in the nude, so wardrobe found nude-colored, full-body unitards for the over 6-foot-tall male stand-in and her to wear while crew set up the shot around them.

Awkward Hierarchical Positions

Among the statistically preposterous stories from standing in, an actor (who chose to be anonymous for this article) stood in for another actor … who happened to be in his acting class at the time. Actor and stand-in Ben Hauck was pulled to stand in for another actor, learning soon after that it was for someone with whom he had done a play a few years prior.

Lorna Pruce has some exciting stories from standing in for inspirational people.

Lorna became Gabourey Sibide’s permanent stand-in on the television series The Big C. When she was being tested out as Gabourey’s stand-in, Lorna recalled, “I met Gabourey and she was very outgoing to others, yet very introverted when it came to talking to me.” Around the third time standing in on the project, Lorna said to Gabourey, “The irony is that we sat in front of each other like this on Precious. I was the HIV social worker.” To Lorna’s surprise, Gabourey in her most sincere, high-pitched, valley-girl voice said, “Oh my God, I was trying to figure out how I knew you! Ha ha ha ha ha!”

Lorna Pruce as the HIV Social Worker in Precious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire

Oprah Winfrey was executive producer for Gabourey Sibide’s breakout film Precious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire, and interestingly enough, Lorna Pruce has also stood in for Oprah. Nearly twenty years ago, Lorna moved to New York City in hopes of meeting Oprah and becoming her page. Many people she met then told Lorna that she looked and acted like Oprah and affirmed that Oprah would hire her.

Oprah Winfrey & Lorna Pruce

While Lorna never got the page job, nearly a year ago she auditioned to be Oprah’s stand-in and body double for the television show 30 Rock. Upon landing the job, Lorna spent the night trying to come up with a succinct story to tell Oprah.

The next day, after she finished standing in and production wrapped, Lorna and Oprah finally got to sit and chat. Lorna recalls, “My one opportunity to chat with this great woman and what do I say? ‘You’re a puddinhead’!” All Oprah could do was laugh.

Have a funny story from standing in? We’d love to hear it. Email the editor from the Ask Stand-In Central page and we may run it in a future column!

What do you think about these stories? Share your comments below!

Types of Clothing to Bring

In general, crew members dress casually on set. For tops and bottoms, tank tops and t-shirts are acceptable, as are jeans, leggings, and other kinds of pants. Skirts are acceptable, too, but keep in mind that you may encounter blocking situations that require you to sit cross-legged, sit on the floor, or lie in bed.

Studios are usually on the colder side, and when you are on location, it’s hard to predict what temperatures will be like.  For these reasons, it’s a good idea to have layers with you. Light zip-up sweatshirts and cardigans are usually good because they are versatile and easily added or removed with changes in weather or location.  You can also wear a thin pair of socks with heels on set in colder months.

If you are not sure if you will be given color cover, you should generally wear neutral-colored tops to set.  Blacks and grays are your best bet, and avoid bright white because of its impact on lighting.

Color Cover and Your Own Clothes

Color cover is designed to “cover” your own clothes with colors and/or fabrics that closely match the clothing that the actress will be wearing in the scene. For females, color cover could be anything from a draped scarf, to a tight or loose fitting top, to a full dress. You should take this into consideration when deciding what to wear to set each day.

A tank top or a short-sleeved t-shirt is a good base to start with. If you are given color cover that is sleeveless, the actress is probably wearing something similar, and you will see her arms. Sometimes you may be given sheer fabrics for color cover.  A neutral tank top or t-shirt is both ideal and appropriate to wear underneath sleeveless and sheer color cover. Lighting for skin is just as important as lighting for different colors and fabrics.

For dresses, it is acceptable to wear your jeans or leggings underneath, even if it is a shorter dress. You may feel that you look silly, but the crew understands that you are wearing color cover and they are used to seeing it around set.

Also be aware that you may be given color cover that is too small for you to wear. This is also something normal around sets and is nothing to be embarrassed about. For a top that is too small, you can drape it around your shoulders so it is still covering you as much as possible. For a small dress, just zip it up as much as you can.

Tips for Wearing High Heels

Most stand-ins are booked to match the height of the actress when she is barefoot. However, the actress could be wearing heels in certain scenes. You should bring heels and flat shoes to set when booked to stand in. Flats, sneakers, or boots are fine for flat shoes. For heels, it is best to wear closed-toed heels for safety reasons. Avoid flip-flops and other sandals because of safety rules on set.

It can be difficult and painful to wear heels all day, so keep in mind what kind of heels to bring. A standard 3″ heel is usually a good height. Platform heels may be a good option because they can offer your foot more support than a regular heel. Your heels don’t have to be anything fancy. You can buy an inexpensive pair that is comfortable and that you won’t mind wearing out.

Sara’s Tip!
Heel caps are a great accessory to have for your heels. They are 1″ rubber protectors that fit over the heel of most standard high heels. They protect your heels from damage and help to silence the sound your high heel makes when walking on a hard surface. Heel caps are ideal for sets because you need to be quiet when walking around.

Heels caps can be purchased online from http://www.thesolemates.com, or at any Ricky’s store in New York City.

Do you have additional tips for selecting stand-in attire?  If so, share your tips below!

It was a snarky reply, but a poignant one:

When you’re standing in on a project, you’re an important part of production and setup.  If you’re there simply at your calltime, you may find you can’t work immediately when you are needed.  But if you are early, you can get what you need done and once it hits crew call, you’ll be ready to work immediately when you are needed.

There are a number of things you need to do when you arrive to set as a stand-in.  You will need to check in and get your voucher and label at the location where casting directs you.  You may need to collect your color cover at a wardrobe truck or department some distance from your check-in location.  You may want to get a made-to-order breakfast at the breakfast truck, which may be some distance from either of these two locations.  You will probably also want to read your sides for the day.

Obviously, these steps take time.  That time will become more precious if you encounter unexpected travel delays like traffic or a subway problem, or if you have trouble locating where you need to be.  I’ve recently been bumped up to stand in after a stand-in for that day was caught in traffic and couldn’t make it by his calltime.  He essentially lost his stand-in job for that day because of his lateness.

It might be wise to arrive anywhere from 15-45 minutes before your calltime when you are standing in.  This kind of buffer allows you to have time to check in, get breakfast and eat it without feeling rushed, collect your color cover for the day, and read over your sides.  Not only does this buffer allow for you to do these things, but it also gives you a considerable cushion for unexpected travel delays.  When you regularly show up this early, even if you’re delayed, you will probably rarely end up “on time” or late.

Of course, you need to feel out every production to see how much time you need in order to accomplish everything you need to accomplish.  You may not need as much buffer time if your calltime is well after crew call when breakfast is no longer served.  Or 45 minutes early may be so early that breakfast isn’t even open!  But if you make a point of being early to your stand-in job, and consider “on time” as “late,” you’ll find you nearly never stress about getting to your stand-in job on time and holding up production.

How early do you typically show up to set?  Do you agree that “on time is late” when you are a stand-in?  Voice your opinions below!