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!
Leave A Comment