WHAT DOES A SECOND UNIT DIRECTOR DO? (In the Entertainment industry. What does a Second Unit Director Do?)

Second Unit / Photo Credit: The Sorcerer's Apprentice at Bowling Green - Noroton - Wikipedia

WHAT DOES A SECOND UNIT DIRECTOR DO? (In the Entertainment industry. What does a Second Unit Director Do?)           

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What does a Second Unit Director do?   

The second unit of a film is a crew that is responsible for shooting supplementary footage; this includes establishing shots, stunts, inserts, and cutaways. This crew is separate from the first unit, which is the team that films scenes with the leading cast. When a series of shots are deemed too expensive, dangerous, or time-consuming for the first unit to accomplish, the second unit director leads his or her team to capture the necessary scenes.

The functions of the second unit vary, but typically the first unit films the key face-to-face drama between the principal actors. Two frequent ways a second unit is used are:

Action sequences. Action sequences are often filmed in discrete locations, using stunt performers, rather than the principal cast, and requiring significantly different filming arrangements than for ordinary scenes. Therefore, they are an obvious opportunity for second unit shooting.

"Pick-ups". After the main unit has finished on a set or location, there may be shots that require some or all of this setting as background but that don't require the principal actors. These shots might include things such as close-ups, inserts, cutaways, and establishing shots.

In both of these scenarios, the purpose of the second unit is to make the most efficient use of some of the resources that are expensive or scarce in film production: actors' and directors' shooting time, sound stage usage and the cost of sets that may have been built on stages, and the money that is tied up in a film as it is being made – the quicker it can be finished, the sooner production costs can start to be earned back.

The work of second units should not be confused with multi camera setups, where several cameras film the same scene simultaneously. Large productions may have multiple second units. Although filmmakers may refer to having "three or four units working", each unit would be called an "additional second unit"; usually none would be described as the third or fourth unit.

Duties

The second unit director is ultimately responsible for capturing all supplementary footage and maintaining a look that is consistent with scenes filmed by the first unit, ensuring continuity when the sequences are edited together in post-production. Quite often, frames shot by the first and second units are combined into the same sequence of the finished product. Qualities like lighting, shot framing, and other aesthetic attributes must appear seamless, even when the frames are shot weeks apart. The less that has to be fixed in post, the better. To support the second unit director, he or she will have a full complement of crew, though generally smaller.

In ideal situations, the second unit director and cinematographer will have the benefit of reviewing dailies from the first unit, examining filmed scenes that will lead in and out of the ancillary footage to be captured. This gives the crew a point of reference for ensuring that new sequences will match up with the existing scenes. However, that is not always the case. Quite often, the second unit and first unit are working simultaneously in separate locations to meet production deadlines. Therefore, communication between the second unit director and the first unit is vitally important.

In the case of shooting inserts and coverage shots, an editor may be on set to help guide the second unit director during filming. The editor knows the shots he or she needs to complete a sequence to the director’s liking, and his or her insight is valuable to the second unit.

Skills & Education

A college degree in film and television production provides a thorough education in cinematography, lighting, audio, and other technical aspects of the production process necessary for a career as a second unit director. This person does not need to be an expert in every field but should have a thorough understanding of each. Furthermore, a film degree will give you a valuable background in the art and theory of filmmaking. Courses in directing actors and performance are also beneficial in learning how to work with actors. A second unit director must be a competent leader who is able to juggle logistical concerns with ease and communicate effectively.

What to Expect

The role of a second unit director is often the last stepping stone toward the first gig as a full-fledge director. Those hired to lead the second unit will typically have spent several years as a first and second assistant director. Another path toward this career is as a stunt coordinator. In many cases, second unit crews will execute most, if not all, of the stunt and special effects sequences of a production. As such, the role of the second unit director and stunt coordinator can be combined.

Second unit director can be a stepping stone for aspiring directors to gain experience. Unlike an assistant director, who is second-in-command to the main director, a second unit director operates independently. It is common for certain personnel involved with a production in another capacity to also function as a second unit director, benefiting from their understanding of the material and relationship with the production's director or producers.

Sources, References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, WikiBooks, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, Film Daily, New York Film Academy, The Balance, Careers Hub, The Numbers, Film Maker, TV Guide Magazine, Blurb, Media Match, Quora, Creative Skill Set, Chron, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, WGA, BBC, Daily Variety, The Film Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Career Trend, Producer's Code of Credits, Truity, Production Hub, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, Variety, Wolf Crow, Get In Media, Production Beast, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, UCAS, Frankenbite, Realty 101, Careers Hub, Raindance, Screen Play Scripts, Script Doctor,

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Second Unit / Photo Credit: The Sorcerer's Apprentice at Bowling Green - Noroton - Wikipedia