What blocking is
- 1Mark — a T of tape where an actor stops.
- 2Dotted arrow — the actor’s path.
- 3Camera — placed based on where the move ends.
Movement is part of the performance. A character stepping closer or turning away shows a change in beat. So blocking is a search for moves that feel right to the actors and that the camera can capture well. Keeping the axis and eyelines consistent is covered in the shots and angles lesson.
The order on set
- 01BlockThe director and actors work out the moves on set. Keep only essential people around so the actors feel free to try things.
- 02ShowRun the blocking once for the key crew from camera, lighting, sound and art. Each department decides camera positions, light placement and the boom’s path at this point.
- 03Lay marksPut tape marks on the floor wherever an actor stops. Using a different color for each actor avoids confusion.
- 04Set upThe actors leave for makeup or a break, and stand-ins stand on the marks while lighting and framing are set.
- 05Camera rehearsalThe actors return and move at full speed while camera works out focus and moves and sound sets the boom. When everyone is ready, you go for a take.
Stand-ins should be close to their actors in height, build and hair color. They need to copy the actor’s moves from the blocking exactly so lighting and focus match the real thing, which is why stand-ins watch the show-and-tell rehearsal too. On small sets without stand-ins, a crew member from the AD team often steps in.
Performance rehearsal and technical rehearsal
| Aspect | Performance rehearsal | Technical rehearsal |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Objectives, emotion, dialogue rhythm | Focus, camera moves, boom, lighting cues, prop timing |
| When | In a rehearsal space before the shoot, or during blocking | After setup, just before shooting |
| Who leads | Director and actors | Camera, sound, lighting and other technical departments |
| Actors’ energy | Free to explore | Saving emotion, focusing on moves and pace |
If actors spend all their emotion in a technical rehearsal, they may be drained by the time you roll. The 1st AD makes clear which kind of rehearsal is happening so everyone works toward the same goal.
Recording the blocking
- Floor plan — mark numbers, movement arrows and camera positions
- Mark photos — showing the floor marks together with the furniture around them
- Dialogue and action cues — which lines actors stand up or sit down on
- Which hand holds each prop and where it gets put down
You’ll use this record when shooting the same action at a different size on the next setup, or picking up the same scene days later. Keep it with the script supervisor’s continuity notes. If you might shoot at the same location again, also note each mark’s distance from fixed objects like furniture or walls. Tape gets pulled up, but measurements stay. A rough hand-drawn floor plan is fine. What matters is that the mark numbers and the order of moves match what actually happened.
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