Who attends the rehearsals?

M

mrl72

Well-known member
I'm interested to hear who typically attends the rehearsals with the actors. Just the director or writer and producer also? I can see how having anyone other than the director may cause issues.

Thx.
 
Depends on the size of the production. But for small low budget films, I would say ther director, dp, and it depends as to whether the scene needs blocked, and who is involved, maybe even the production designer. It all depends on who will be involved in a given scene.
 
Well we're rehearsing because we have limited time at the location which we can't get the actors to before hand so really it's more of a blocking exercise and ensuring they're prepared. Ok, so what about table readings?
 
For the table read (when we do one), it's director, AD, and talent. Though sometimes we'll use the opportunity for the Makeup Artists to get a few minutes with each actor.
 
David Jimerson said:
Why would you not rehearse, or even do a table read?
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We do usually do a table read a couple weeks before the shoot and I use that as input for the final dialogue rewrite. If it's a large cast that table read may only include one or two primary characters not the whole cast. This is my opportunity to correct a situation where an actor is just coming from the totally wrong place.

I just think rehearsal is not worth the time and effort it takes. I discuss the character with each actor in pre-production, they come on set knowing their lines, we walk through it once for blocking, and then we're rolling.
 
And for your size and type of productions, gonzo, that's probably a great way to go.

Obviously the choice to rehearse or not depends on a lot of factors including the story being told, actors involved, age of the actors, experience of the actors, genre, required stunts/skills, complex blocking, etc. One size doesn't fit all.
 
Snazzy Flapper said:
And for your size and type of productions, gonzo, that's probably a great way to go.

Obviously the choice to rehearse or not depends on a lot of factors including the story being told, actors involved, age of the actors, experience of the actors, genre, required stunts/skills, complex blocking, etc. One size doesn't fit all.
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Agree.
Though there are certainly established larger budget directors who shun the idea of rehearsal because they don't what the scene to come off as "rehearsed".

Plenty of things like complicated fight choreography where you are 100% right , I'd absolutely want it well rehearsed.
 
gonzo_entertainment said:
We do usually do a table read a couple weeks before the shoot and I use that as input for the final dialogue rewrite. If it's a large cast that table read may only include one or two primary characters not the whole cast. This is my opportunity to correct a situation where an actor is just coming from the totally wrong place.

I just think rehearsal is not worth the time and effort it takes. I discuss the character with each actor in pre-production, they come on set knowing their lines, we walk through it once for blocking, and then we're rolling.
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I would suggest reconsidering that, but of course, it's your call.
 
mrl72 said:
I can see how having anyone other than the director may cause issues.
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Depends. Usually I do not like producers to be around as too often they want to go directly to the result and start getting nervous when we try to go different ways than expected to develop the characters. This is strictly a detour then and we will most certainly come back to where we started, but may have added more "weight" to the characters and have given the actors a bit more leeway than possible on set to fiddle around with the "material".

This does not mean in any way that we "improvise" the way it was done on the 70th and 80th in my country with the result that actors had lots of feeling while the audience started to snore. So, producers only if they are really good ones. And if they do not feel, that they may be the better directors. So if I do not really know a producer, rehearsal stage is "off limits". Same could be said about writers with one difference - if the writer is both able and pragmatic and you and he/she have an equal understanding where too you both want to bring the movie, then you can do that.

The horror scenario here is actor and writer start re-defining the movie you want to make, because they have fallen in love (and/or think they are the better directors) .... ;-)

So, as different things are over here in Europe from what you may do over there, I still say: Careful if you do not know the people good enough and even then you must be the one who decides who comes and who stays. Personally I do like to have my AD and my DP around. Maybe not all the time but usually they can throw me hints about what they have seen that I maybe haven't.

If you have the time: Rehearse but don't overdo it. And do not attempt to come to a final result as you may run into problems later while shooting because things are not "fresh" anymore .... or everybody fights to come back to what you had (or, worse, you believe you had) in rehearsal. It's a warm up and a time to get acquainted and build team spirit. And have a good meal and a nice bottle of wine and a laugh after rehearsal with your actors. Helps a lot.
 
It really depends on your relationship with the various people on the movie.

I like having the writer at all rehearsals, so we can bounce ideas back and forth and make adjustments to dialogue as they come up, but this is contingent on the writer being perfectly ok in the moment to change anything.

As far as DP and AD goes, I don't think they really need to be there, but if you are close to them and want the extra feedback, then go for it.

Personally I would not want producers in on rehearsal. Again it depends on the producer, but overall I don't see any good coming from it.
 
Other than the read through, I have never seen rehersals for the shoots I have been a part of. The director walks the talent through a scene and gives them some input and they just shoot it until the director and DP are satisfied.
 
DadinWestchester said:
Other than the read through, I have never seen rehersals for the shoots I have been a part of. The director walks the talent through a scene and gives them some input and they just shoot it until the director and DP are satisfied.
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They aren't as common as they were 20 or 30 years ago. A lot of director's now come from commercials and music video where nobody really rehearses ever.
 
Style impacts this too.
The acting is more important to some directors than others. I put a ridiculous amount of thought and effort into the mise en scene. I have personally approved every item on that shelf in the background when a conversation is going on. I have probably had lengthy discussions about what color the curtains should be. The acting, it's important, it certainly can't suck and even more important it can't be really uneven, but if they are doing a competent job and aren't way off who I want the character to be, I'm fine with it. My preferred method (which certainly doesn't always work) is to hire good actors, give them roles right in their wheelhouse, and let them go.

Where most of my actor problems have been is secondary roles where I didn't find the right person and don't have the skills to make the wrong person work. I'm trying to cultivate an AD to help me on the actor communication side now.
 
gonzo_entertainment said:
.....but if they are doing a competent job and aren't way off who I want the character to be, I'm fine with it. .
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There shouldn't be a dogma here - yes: If you get the ones who are spot on you wont be interfering too much. Still, this does not really speak against rehearsals per se as means to get to know each other, see how people react, if they can form a team and maybe even make each other better actors in the process. Or, vice versa: You can find out where trouble is looming.

I have also had people just jumping in and delivering first class acts. I just like to have one or two or three days, not too close to the actual shoot if possible, to make them and myself "play" a bit.
 
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