If you’re new to standing in, a little help can go a long way. One of the first things you’ll encounter when you stand in is your mark.
What a Mark Looks Like
Your mark will be designated on the floor. Most of the time, it is a piece of tape, and it is in the shape of a capital T.
Sometimes you might find a single, short piece of tape on the floor (similar to the spine of the letter T). This mark is usually laid down quickly during a rehearsal with the actors. Later it will be “teed off” — meaning later it will be completed to look more like a T.
Other Versions of Marks
Rather than tape, you might find a beanbag or sandbag version of a T, a chalk mark in the shape of a T, or even a stake stuck in the ground to signal where your actor stood. These are all marks, and their appearance on a set depends on the kind of flooring.
Beanbag or sandbag marks show up usually when tape can’t be placed on the floor or won’t work well on the floor. You might also see a beanbag or sandbag mark on a wet set.
A chalk mark also appears when a tape mark won’t work well, usually on pavement where tape doesn’t usually stick. You usually won’t see a chalk mark on a wet set because it can wash away.
Stakes are usually used on dirt, grass, or snowy surfaces.
Standing on Your Mark
Standing on your mark is simple.
If the mark is in the shape of the letter T, then you place your legs on either side of the spine of the T. Your toes should touch the underside of the bar at the top of the T.
It’s almost like putting your feet into a comfy pair of slippers!
However, be mindful of your mark. Definitely “toe up” to the mark — meaning, make sure your toes touch the tape. You don’t want to be far away from that or completely off of your mark.
What a Mark “Says”
A mark will say exactly where your actor stood and suggest the direction your actor is facing. So, if your T-mark is at an angle relative to the other stand-in’s mark, make sure not to just face the other stand-in. Instead, make sure your body is pointed in the direction of your mark.
Marks have colors, which stand for particular actors. Your marks are all the same color, and the other colors are the marks for the other stand-ins. Make sure you stand on your actor’s marks only.
If your actor stood in more than one place in the scene, there may be multiple marks. On many sets, the marks will be numbered, likely written where the top bar and spine of the T meet on the letter.
A “1” implies this is the start mark or the first landing place for your actor; a “2” implies the next mark for your actor; etc. When asked to do a rehearsal with the stand-ins, make sure you move from mark 1 to mark 2.
What Dots Are
If the floor appears in the shot, the T-marks would be obvious and distracting. When this happens, the marks will usually be changed to dots. These dots clarify where the mark is, without being obvious to the camera.
Sometimes dots will be layered. For example, if the tape color for your actor is green, there might be a green dot, and over top of it might be a black dot with a little bit of green sticking out. The black dot helps to show where an actor stood while also being non-obvious to the camera — and the green helps to show it’s your particular actor rather than some other actor.
Remarking
If someone has asked you to change your position, and if that new position is no longer your mark, you will need to be “remarked” (i.e., re-marked) before you leave set.
Usually it is the responsibility of a camera assistant to do the marking and remarking. Often camera assistants will be on top of remarking stand-ins, but sometimes they will miss that a stand-in has been moved and needs a new mark.
If you need to be remarked, politely announce to a camera person or the camera assistant — or to an AD — that you need to be remarked before you can move.
Other Marking Notes
On occasion, the T-mark will include what might look like “serifs” off the top bar of the T. Essentially, these are meant to box your actor in to a mark. The extra tape is aimed at helping show exactly where your actor should land and to what area your actor should stay confined in the shot.
You might also see a sandbag near a mark, or a chopstick or something similar taped under a mark. These are objects that help an actor physically feel a mark on the ground when doing a scene. Usually, these kinds of marks help give the actors a sense of the maximum distance they should travel. A sandbag will tell an actor where to stop — a chopstick on the ground might also do the trick.
Good Luck!
Surprisingly, not everyone knows what to do with a mark when first standing in. The above tips should help you field a field of tape!
Do you have any other tips about handling marks? What’s been left out? Share your comments below!
When a dot or a stake is put in place of the T mark, it is placed where the top center of the T would be – where the spine and the top bar meet. So you should position your feet accordingly when standing in on a mark like this.
Great article, very helpful information!