Why do actors often play their last scene on a movie on their first day of filming?

Why do actors often play their last scene on a movie on their first day of filming? - Actors dancing for movie scene

I am not even sure this is the case, but it did happen to Lena Headey in 300 and in this interview (9:30) Ethan Hawke and Keira Knightley agree that it is something that happens all the time, namely that actors are required to play their last scene on a movie script on their first day of filming.

Leaving aside particular cases where this is justified for a more efficient filming schedule, is there a reason for this?



Best Answer

Because:

  1. The actor will look the same in the last scene as he does in previous ones (Mark Hamill case for example).
  2. All the staff will know what they need to aim to (I'm thinking lenses, lights, props etc.)
  3. It helps actor to understand what will be the outcome of his character decisions so he can put more emphasis on the key things.
  4. The actors and staff are not tired and in their prime conditions for the role (the Avengers "shawarma" scene was problematic because everyone was waaaay out of their movie shape, Evans had a real beard for another movie so he just sat there with prosthetics on his face).



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Why do actors often play their last scene on a movie on their first day of filming? - Two Men Acting On Stage
Why do actors often play their last scene on a movie on their first day of filming? - Two Men Having A Discussion
Why do actors often play their last scene on a movie on their first day of filming? - Three People Acting On Stage



Why do they film the last scene first in movies?

The last scene is shot first if, for one example, if the actors at the end of the story need to look distinctly different from what they do throughout the rest of the movie. As a rule movie scenes are seldom shot in sequence.

Do actors film scenes in order?

It's important to remember that films are rarely shot in order. In fact, most of the time, the order in which scenes are filmed depends on the availability of locations, actors, and weather\u2014not the order in which the story unfolds.

Why do directors shoot scenes out of order?

Films are usually shot out of order due to scheduling, budget, etc. There are a plethora of reasons... Some actors are only available for certain dates, thus their scenes need to be scheduled for shooting as such. Some locations are only available for certain dates, thus they need to be scheduled as such.

Do actors rehearse before filming?

Preparing For FilmingThe realization of each script scene begins with a rehearsal in which the director, together with the actors, develops the sequence of the scenes described in the script. This rehearsal is the basis for being able to resolve and shoot the scene on camera.



Scenes That Tarantino Actors Were Uncomfortable Filming




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