In the colder months when you are standing in outside, you will obviously want to bundle up. On days when you are standing in inside, you might be inclined to wear fewer layers or bring fewer warm clothes.

However, even if you you know you are scheduled to shoot interiors, shooting interiors may mean working outside. Here are some instances when you should be prepared to work outside even if you are standing in for interior scenes.

Location Shoots

When you are shooting on location, you may arrive to find that your interior set is a very small space. When the shooting space is small, productions may need to limit the number of crew members inside, especially when shooting.

While you might be standing in inside, once second team is excused you may find yourself with others outside in the cold temperatures. In such a case, dressing only for interiors could put you in peril as you have to brave the cold without appropriate outerwear.

So beware of interior location shoots when the temperatures are cold. Depending on the location, you may still end up outside.

“INT/EXT” Scenes

If a scene is listed as “INT/EXT” on the callsheet, this means it involves interior and exterior components. It could mean that the camera is outside looking inside. It could mean the opposite: the camera is inside looking outside. It could also mean that one actor is inside (say, answering a front door) and another actor is outside (say, ringing a doorbell).

In the latter two cases, you may be standing in outside despite the scene having an interior component. And in these cases, you will probably need appropriate outerwear to survive the cold.

Car Scenes

Scenes in cars are frequently listed as “INT/EXT,” and since cars aren’t extremely warm when crew members are going in and out of them, they will usually feel more “EXT” than “INT.”

Dress for warmth when shooting in cars, even if the scenes are listed as just “INT.”

General Tips for Gauging What to Wear

When you are standing in in colder weather, get as much information as you can about the shoot day.

When you book a stand-in gig with casting, ask the casting director if they are shooting interiors or exteriors. But keep in mind that even if casting says you are shooting interiors, you could be working outside.

If you know a stand-in working on the project, check with that stand-in for information about the next day. Keep in mind that that stand-in may not have all of the information about the next day’s shoot, and that shooting schedules can change. (An interior shoot can become an exterior shoot!) Be cautious not to burden that stand-in with questions about the next day’s shoot as it is not that stand-in’s responsibility to help you with information.

In the end, when standing in when temperatures are cold, dress appropriately — which typically means to dress for cold weather. If you end up working completely indoors, you can be pleasantly surprised!

Do you know of other times when interior work is cold? Do you have tips for handling cold weather when forced out of interior locations? Share your tips below!