As I write this I am sitting on a film set in Los Angeles. I can’t tell you what project I’m working on or even what type of project it is. But I can tell you what I’m doing: I’m…waiting.
Waiting is the primary thing actors do on set. Waiting is a far more common activity than acting. Actors are always waiting.
The waiting starts early, before you even have a job, because first you have to wait for an audition. Then you wait for a callback and then you wait to hear if you booked it. That’s when the waiting really starts.
On set the actor waits for the set to be decorated and props to be placed. Then waits for cameras to be positioned and lighting to be set up. Often there is an hour or two between an actor’s call time and the moment the first take is shot.
Then it’s back to waiting. Waiting to see the playback and waiting for cameras to be adjusted and waiting for sound to be checked.
Waiting.
Waiting.
Waiting.
But the waiting isn’t normal waiting. Because in that waiting there has to be a constant readiness. At any moment the actor could be called to set with a speed and intensity that would make it seem to an outside observer as if the crew had been waiting all that time for the actor. It would seem as if the actor himself had delayed the whole process.
The actor is hurried to his or her mark and everyone on set goes silent and the director says “Action!” and the waiting is suddenly and violently over. All the lights and cameras and observers are focused on what is about to happen.
Every actor must be constantly ready to deliver a strong, energy filled performance at a moments notice. The actor must go from constant inaction to sudden action.
Eventually the director calls “Cut” and the cycle starts over. The actor goes back to waiting as the next shot is set up.
An actor’s life is known for the few moments of action but it is defined by the long stints of waiting.
Waiting is a fact of an actor’s life on set.
Waiting is a fact of an actor’s life.
Waiting is a fact of life.
In fact the actor’s day on set is a microcosm of life in general. Long moments of waiting cut by sudden and often violent moments of “Action!”
My time spent waiting while on set has got me thinking about a couple of lessons I can draw from the experience.
1. Always be ready for action.
You never know when your waiting will suddenly turn into the feeling of being rushed into action. I try to live by a motto similar to that of a Boy Scout: ABP. Always Be Prepared.
2. Make the moments count.
Aggressively claim moments of action. Life sneaks by like the hourglass sand, bleeding one moment into the next if you aren’t careful. Sometimes you have to claim a moment by purposefully making it memorable.
3. Don’t get discouraged by the delay.
Action could happen at any moment. The delay is often necessary for preparation. So don’t be discouraged, your time is coming.
4. Downtime doesn’t mean wasted time.
Downtime on set gives an actor time to rehearse or learn. It’s the same in the downtimes of life. Read. Write. Learn. It’s still your time so don’t waste it.
5. Don’t complain about the wait, it’s part of the process.
While the actor is waiting things are being prepared for his or her moment. It’s the same in life. Sometimes things are being prepared for your moment while you wait. And often this wait will seem like a waste of time. But it’s not. It is essential for your moment of action. Without the preparation, the time of action would be wasted.
