Many times a day, you will probably need to look right at another stand-in.  This involves looking into other stand-ins’ eyes.  For many stand-ins, performing this common task is both awkward and uncomfortable, leading to self-consciousness, distracting laughter, or even outright looking away.

But there’s a trick to get around the discomfort!

“Home”

I call it “home.”  Home is the place right between the eyes, on the bridge of the nose.  When you look not into the other stand-in’s eyes but instead into this place between the eyes, there will be almost no perceptible difference to the camera.  You will appear to be looking into the other stand-in’s eyes.  (Try it with the image on the right!)

Remarkably, this technique removes much of the awkwardness that comes with looking directly into another stand-in’s eyes.  If I looked into your eyes, you might think I was looking at you, making you feel self-conscious.  But looking at the bridge of your nose between your eyes looks as if I’m looking at your nose bridge.  Looking at home tends to circumvent self-consciousness, and it allows you to stay focused while you’re working.

Origin of the Term

I got the idea for the term while standing in regularly on a film with another stand-in.  We had to stand and look into each other’s eyes so often, I remarked that getting into that position was like coming home.  “Home” then started to mean for me the place between the eyes, which I found after realizing it was tough looking for so long into another’s actual eyes!  I could be more comfortable standing in by looking at home than looking into the eyes.

How do you deal with looking at another stand-in?  Find it tough, too?  Comment below!