During a day of stand-in work, you might find yourself in a number of different stand-in situations.  While most of your situations will likely involve standing, some may involve sitting or lying down.  Of these situations, you might find that you are in a physically or emotionally taxing situation.  As a stand-in, you can make a few requests and accommodations to aid your comfort.

Below are a few uncomfortable situations you might find yourself in as a stand-in, and how you might go about handling them to ensure they are comfortable.  If you ever feel unsafe when you are standing in, do not work, else remove yourself from the situation until the situation is safe.  Notify a PA or AD of the unsafe situation in order to correct it.

Kneeling In

In some scenes you may find that your actor is kneeling in the scene.  Standing in for your actor will require you to kneel; however, you will probably be kneeling a lot longer than your actor will.  This will probably mean you will tax your knees.

Appleboxes and Applebox Seat Cover (from CinemaGadgets.com)

Two pieces of equipment you may want to request depending on how you are kneeling are a kneepad and an applebox (perhaps with a seat cover).  If your knees are on the floor, a kneepad will take away some of the discomfort of the position.  (Your first-team actor may want a kneepad as well.)  If you are crouched down, an applebox will give you something to sit on so that you don’t have to support your entire weight on your knees.  A seat cover will make the wooden applebox more comfortable to sit on.

The typical channel for requesting these pieces of equipment is through an assistant director like the 2nd 2nd AD.  The props department usually handles these items, so it may also be appropriate for you to request one of these items from a member of the props department.  Usually the best time to do this is just as you are assuming your stand-in mark after marking rehearsal.  Most of the time, crew is responsive to these types of requests since they want to ensure you are safe when doing your work.

Standing in for Someone Shorter than You

Appleboxes may come in handy when you are standing in for someone shorter than you.  For example, if you are standing in for a child, you might sit on an applebox instead of standing to approximate the actor’s height.

However, if you are standing in for an adult, you might need simply to be a bit shorter.  You can accomplish this by spreading your legs wider than your natural stance in order to drop your height.  However, doing this may tax your legs, especially if your legs are far apart.  If you find you are standing in for a long time in an uncomfortably wide position, take moments when you need them to relax your legs.

Utility stand-ins might be more prone to being in this type of uncomfortable situation given that they stand in for a number of different actors with a range of heights.  Most regular stand-ins won’t have to stand in for actors considerably shorter because they were likely brought in because they matched their actors’ heights.

Standing in in Doorways

Standing in in doorways can be very problematic, demanding, and even dangerous.  When you are standing in for an actor who is, say, answering a door in a scene, crew will often need to go in and out of the same door where you are standing in, especially if you are shooting on location.  Crew may also need to go in and out while the DP is trying to light you or the camera department is trying to line up the shot.  Your desires to move out of the way for entering and exiting crew may be held in check by the demands of the DP and camera department setting up the shot.

Further problems come up when your character is behind, say, a closed glass door.  With crew needing to be on both sides of the door, and needing to get in and out of set, the opening and closing of the door can get someone like yourself hurt while you are focused on the DP or camera department.

If possible, when standing in in doorways, stay as much in frame while also shifting your body to accommodate the passage of others.  Also, when possible, start with the door open until second-team rehearsal so that crew can enter and exit freely without your having to move places each time they pass.

Since your body may be to the back of crew, be very careful when you are moving behind yourself when standing in in a doorway.  The camera may be set up right behind you, or crew may be approaching behind you trying to pass.

Standing in in a Sex Scene

A famous scene from the film Love Actually, telling the touching story of two stand-ins for an adult film falling in love

Without prior notice, you may find you’re standing in in a sex scene.  From the stand-in perspective, these kinds of situations on most sets are rather clinical and do not require you to perform anything of a sexual nature more than perhaps lying on top of or underneath someone, or standing behind or in front of someone, completely clothed except for maybe shoes.

Crews typically become super professional during the rehearsal, marking, and setup of sex scenes.  If you feel uncomfortable standing in in a sex scene, keep in mind that the crew’s professionalism may make the experience easier for you.  At this time, there is typically a dearth of joking and humor, and the work is all very serious.  If, however, you feel completely uncomfortable standing in in a sex scene, make these feelings known to the background PA as soon as you find out that you are supposed to stand in in the sex scene so that the crew may find a replacement.

If you are to remove clothing in order to light the scene properly, request from an assistant director like the 2nd 2nd AD a robe and slippers standing by, especially if you will remain unclothed between shots.  A robe and slippers assures you will be decent and warm between camera setups.  The wardrobe department will likely be responsible for providing these items for you, and they may require that you trade your voucher for them much as you would for color cover.  Nudity probably is never a requirement from the stand-in, so if you feel there is a request with which you are uncomfortable, do not perform it, and/or consult your union representative.

Also, keep in mind that another stand-in in the scene with you may feel uncomfortable, so use professionalism yourself when on set standing in in the sex scene.  The novelty of the scene does not mean it is any less serious of a setup, and your focus is needed in it as much as when you are standing.

Know of any other uncomfortable situations standing in?  Have any anecdotes of tricky stand-in situations?  Any other advice for stand-ins in these situations?  Post your replies below.