If you’re pulled to stand in for a day on set, you might find that all you need to do is stand on a mark while the crew lights you and sets up the camera around you. These are understandably easy stand-in jobs, and they may represent what many people think a stand-in does: stand there.

On those jobs, you might only come to set when production calls for you. You know that you go to set when you hear an AD or PA call out “Second team!” You don’t think you’d have to come to set without hearing that.

In truth, not all stand-in jobs are the same. A number of productions don’t call out “Second team!,” meaning on those stand-in jobs you have to be attuned to the production in a different way in order to know when you are needed. Also, a number of stand-in jobs aren’t a matter of simply standing in place.

On some jobs you’ll have to perform the blocking your first-team actor did. On some jobs you’ll have to read the lines. And on some jobs you’ll need to know what your actor did in each take so that you can do that blocking in later setups.

This is all to say, on sets that aren’t what you typically expect in terms of a stand-in’s job, it is best to figure out how to succeed if you want to keep your stand-in job. Relying on what you think “should” happen on set when production needs second team may get you in trouble if reality is not conforming to what you think “should” happen. Here are some ideas for succeeding as a stand-in on an atypical set.

Production Doesn’t Call out “Second Team!”

Many stand-ins condition themselves to hearing “Second team!” called out. When stand-ins rely on that call, it takes a few seconds for the stand-ins to arrive on set. In some cases, the DP is waiting for the stand-ins to arrive, so those precious seconds of productivity are wasted.

In other cases, the ADs may have an attitude that second team is not already on set, choosing to call for second team more as a last resort than as a proactive move. They might sound exasperated that second team is not available and bothered by having to call for them.

A better strategy is for stand-ins to condition themselves to hearing “Checking the gate!” called out. Variants of this phrase are “Check it!,” “Checking!,” “Check the chip!,” etc. This tends to mean that the next shot will be set up next, and if so then usually stand-ins are needed. Advancing close to set when hearing “Checking the gate!” means fewer seconds of productivity are wasted in getting stand-ins to the DP when the DP needs them. It also means that the ADs may not have to call out for second team.

Still, sometimes productions are even lax on calling out “Checking the gate!” very loudly. In such a situation, it is perhaps best to listen for cuts, watch a monitor, and keep abreast of when it looks as if the crew is moving on to the next shot. If it looks as if production is checking the gate but not calling it out, it might be wise to get closer to set so that production is not waiting for you.

Production Asks You to Do the Actor’s Blocking

You might be accustomed to simply standing in place for an actor. If so, it might surprise you if the camera crew asks you to move to the actor’s second position. At this point, you probably have no earthly idea where to go!

In such jobs, you’re expected to perform the actor’s blocking. During marking rehearsal (which most stand-ins get to watch), take in as much details about your actor’s movements as you can.

Where does your actor start? move to? finish? Does your actor turn clockwise? counterclockwise? Does your actor bend down? Which hands does your actor use when handling different props? How quickly does your actor move? What is the timing of your actor’s blocking? At what point does your actor move? on what line?

Knowing the answers to these kinds of questions will prepare you very well for a more involved stand-in job. But they are not enough! When you stand in, your actor may change this blocking after the first take, the second take, or even after a first or second camera setup! When you step back on to set, you may be expected to know these changes. It wastes production time having to explain to you your actor’s new blocking, especially if it is difficult to communicate. This is to say it saves production time if you keep abreast of your actor’s blocking from take to take and camera setup to camera setup.

In order to do this, you need to watch the monitors. While it might not always be easy to do so — and while a few rare productions may discourage your doing so — knowing your actor’s changes to blocking is usually very important. If there happens to be a monitor you can see, you should watch it in order to succeed in this kind of situation. If it seems that the monitor is for the director, the DP, or other production VIPs, it might be better to seek out a monitor viewed by other production people. Another option might be to watch the monitor quietly from behind the sound cart. But all in all, watch the monitor to stay up-to-date with your actor’s blocking.

Rehearsals Aren’t Called Out

I worked on one project where the ADs didn’t seem to even know when rehearsals were happening! On that project, the director would hold private rehearsals with actors without seeming to inform the ADs.

On this project, I learned that the secret to succeeding was not to rely on the ADs but to keep an eye on the director’s movements. By tracking the director, only then would I be able to learn my actor’s blocking. The unusual strategy worked for this unusual production quirk.

Tracking the DP might be another strategy for success. If you follow where the DP goes, you will probably be witness to discussions of camera angles and shots that may imply your actor’s blocking in a scene, especially when no rehearsal is going to be held.

Conclusion

The overall question you should ask is this: “What is it going to take for me to succeed in this stand-in job?” If your old ways of doing things aren’t working in the realities of this current stand-in job, you will probably need to find new ways of doing things. The above strategies may help — though you may need to invent your own.

How did you succeed in an unusual stand-in job? In what old ways have you worked that did not work on a particular set? Share your comments below!