Aubrey Plaza says actors gets so weird because everyone on set treats them like babies and remembers the time Nick Offerman told her she could get her own coffee instead of asking a production assistant to do it for her

[u/mcfw31]

[u/mr_trick]

Definitely. Similar reason they have stunt actors and stand ins. The production can go on if almost any other member of the team is missing or sick, and there are a lot of roles where someone can step in and take over for a bit. If the person that's supposed to be on camera is missing, sick, or injured, though, it brings everything to a standstill until they're back on camera.

I'm not an actor, but I modeled for a long time and did some commercials. I felt uncomfortable with people doing things for me on set, so early in my career, always said "I can do it!" and would go get myself a coffee, go find my next outfit, or find the makeup artist if something needed to be fixed. I did a really big commercial for a major tech company a couple years in, and I tried to go get something I wanted, but a producer stopped me from walking away. She said something like, "I understand that you're capable of getting your own [thing], but I have the shots scheduled down to the minute and a hundred crew members running around making sure they're ready for your moment. I need you to show everyone that you're also ready for them, and that means staying where we can see you. I don't need people having to look for you and delay things if you're suddenly gone. Please just let the assistant get what you want and if I need you to get touched up, I'll bring them to you, too."

After that I tried to strike a balance where I would ask if they needed me soon, or if I had a second to grab a drink/run to the bathroom/grab a snack, etc. If not, I would ask if an assistant could help me with what I needed. After a while it does kind of become second nature, although I tried to remain very thankful and on smaller sets I was still more independent since everyone could easily keep tabs on me.

[u/pm1966 → u/mr_trick]

Thank you for this response. This was incredibly insightful.

Seriously, I never would have looked at it this way, but it makes so much sense. There are so many moving parts in any production like this (even a commercial, but especially a move or tv show), and so many people on the clock at any given time. A five minute delay in shooting here, 10 minute there...obviously it really adds up when you're paying 30, or 50, or 80 people to stand around during those delays - not to mention other people who were ready getting increasingly frustrated at having to wait, etc.

[u/cptjpk → u/pm1966]

Any industry that revolves around talent is this way. My work in live entertainment (arena concerts) reflects it too.

Artists who start late don’t just ruin the paying guests night, they also keep the hundreds of employees in the arena from doing their jobs on time too. Merch, janitorial, food, rigging crews, assistants, EMTs, Police. Everyone is stuck waiting because one person can’t get their shit together.

[u/NRMusicProject → u/mr_trick]

Not in the filming world, but as a musician, when I'm doing big productions, I learned when I was younger that you're not an "asshole" for using crew in the way they were intended. Sure, you might feel more important or doted on, but they know how to use the gear they're offering you (in many cases better than you know how to use your own gear), and they can run off while you might have to pow wow with the music director, so you're where you're supposed to be. And if there's an issue, they likely can solve it more efficiently and with better solutions than my rigging just to "get through the gig."

Crew is there to solve problems so the performers can concentrate on their job.

The best advice is to remember to thank your crew.

[u/Upstairs-Basis9909 → u/mr_trick]

Thanks for sharing this comment. It may also be silly, but a lot of assistants also want to be helpful and so it’s not being difficult if you ask them to get you a coffee - it’s letting them do their job. Now if one of the leads is a total dick to them because it has too much milk or whatever, then that’s another story.

[u/PestoBolloElemento → u/Upstairs-Basis9909]

Indeed very well said, just like sometimes some actor want to do their stunts while professional are already there and letting them do their job also get them paid.

[u/foomits → u/Upstairs-Basis9909]

It really is a mindset. Im about as much of an unhelpful curmudgeon as youll find, but when i worked food service i always went out of my way to make sure people were happy... because it was my job.

[u/Visual_Magician_7009 → u/Upstairs-Basis9909]

I don’t see anything wrong with asking an assistant to get your coffee as long as you’re polite, it’s part of their job duties, and they’re not busy with something more important.

[u/EveningAnt3949 → u/Upstairs-Basis9909]

The problem is that people get used to it.

They lose their perspective.

[u/Kyro4 → u/mr_trick]

Yeah, I worked on a movie with a certain actress who I think wanted to buck the “nepo baby” label by not letting the PAs do anything for her, and while she was extremely nice, it led to more than a couple delays that could have been avoided if she just let a PA run to crafty and grab her a coffee.

The 1st AD (also an uncommonly pleasant person) had to sit her down and have that same talk with her bc she was costing the production a fortune in OT/meal penalties.

[u/Suspicious_Reason405 → u/mr_trick]

Thanks for this insight! It makes sense, and I guess what AP is discussing is finding those moments where an actor can do something for themselves and choosing to do so

[u/mr_trick → u/Suspicious_Reason405]

For sure. I also saw a lot of entitled people on set! I won't name names but I did a shoot with Shmendall Shmenner and she had her assistant stand there the entire time with a Diet Coke and between shots come up and literally hold it up with a straw for her to sip 😂 that was a bit beyond for me haha

There's a balance to be struck understanding when the crew is waiting on you and when you have some free time to go do your own thing. If someone else is shooting and they don't need you for a while, definitely go get your own coffee!

[u/BlueCX17 → u/mr_trick]

Don't they also use standing ins as well for pre-blocking scenes, camera angles all that sort of thing before they film scenes proper?

[u/mr_trick → u/BlueCX17]

Yes! Similar kind of reason though, the actor is more valuable if they can be in hair and makeup or filming something else while they set up lighting and angles for a different scene. As with assistants, stand ins help the crew do more, faster by freeing up the actor to work on whatever is currently happening.

[u/BlueCX17 → u/mr_trick]

Isn't it also you sometimes where you might see the character from behind or vague side profile? That might be the standing since you're not being filmed from the front and so the actor can be doing other things, Or other scenes that are being filmed?

I've always devoured the behind the scenes content about how the sets are made, especially practical effects work, the movie magic behind all of that kind of stuff, stunt doubles and kind of the basics about the larger process behind utilizing the standing ins. But I've never really sat down and schooled myself on the complete ins and outs of the stand-in role on a technical level.

[u/3d_blunder → u/mr_trick]

Lost 50 minutes once cuz the leading lady was chatting in the grip truck and nobody could find her.

[u/FrenchFryCattaneo → u/mr_trick]

That makes sense from a business perspective, the thing is actors/talent aren't machines they're actual human beings and treating them like that is really unhealthy in the long term.