What It Really Means When You “Shoot the Rehearsal”

Camera Assisting 5 Comments

Shoot the Rehearsal Sharable

Camera assistants, camera operators, and cinematographers understand the value of rehearsing a shot more than anyone on a film set.

For all of them, it’s a chance to work out the kinks of a complicated camera move. A chance to keep a shot in focus and an actor in frame. A chance to deliver a shot worth circling on take one.

Ed Colman, a talented cinematographer who loved to give advice on the Cinematography Mailing List, knew the value of rehearsals, but also spoke about the realities of their demise.

Of all the great wisdom he shared, one remark — said during a discussion on pulling focus — speaks directly about the push-pull for rehearsals and takes: “When you are told to ‘shoot the rehearsal’ it’s not a rehearsal any more.”

So when a rehearsal has transformed into a take, will you be ready?

When you are told to shoot the rehearsal, it's not a rehearsal anymore

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About the author:

About the author: Evan Luzi is the editor and founder of The Black and Blue as well as a freelance camera assistant.

You can learn more about him or follow him on Twitter and Google+.

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  • Rob Waterman

    professional is spelled wrong on the lens artwork.

  • http://www.theblackandblue.com/ Evan

    Hm.. Indeed it is, Rob! Thanks for the heads up. That’s what I get for not proof-reading the stock images, huh?

  • Brad Greenspan, SoFT

    When asked to shoot the rehearsal, and it’s something that’s not a simple obvious shot where everyone already knows exactly what’s going on, I’ve taken to having my 2nd AC put an R on the slate next to take 1, so it would read take 1R. Whoever is voice slating for sound doesn’t necessarily say it (I ask my 2nd not to say R), but that way, when editorial wonders why take 1 is always messed up, either focus, camera work, or acting issues, the R is a note that it was a rehearsal that will be seen any time they play the raw clip, as opposed to it being left as a note in the sound, script, or camera reports that magically disappear. Every DP, camera operator, AC, and sound mixer I’ve talked to has liked the idea.

  • http://www.theblackandblue.com/ Evan

    I like the idea behind it, but you would have to talk with the script supervisor beforehand right? Because “R” is a letter I’ve used normally and it could also be mistaken for a reshoot — even though on reshoots the “R” goes before the scene number.

    Maybe just a tab of paper somewhere on the slate that says “rehearsal,” much like how you mark a slate as being “MOS”

  • http://www.diyfilmschool.net/ DIYFilmSchool.net

    This may have been better said as what it means to an AC when you shoot the rehearsal, but given that this blog is meant for the camera department…my point is moot.

    What you bring up in the article is true. From a directing standpoint, shooting the rehearsal is a chance to see A) if the actors know their stuff; B) to see if there is any last-minute tweaking that needs to be done; and C) to catch anything improvised or unforeseen on camera just in case.

    Having said that, going back to the article, even if that’s the case in terms of directing, the camera department needs to be spot on in their execution, even if the director opts for something different afterward. Not knowing your stuff as an AC, even in a rehearsal, may end up setting the production back a bit.