Stay Out of the Actors' Eyelines

It's a simple rule

This (almost certainly fake) Tom Cruise quote has been floating around, and it gave me a good chuckle.

But the meme also started an actual debate in the office about staying out of eyelines. It occurred to me a little lesson in set etiquette may be called for.

The Etiquette of Eyelines

First, the basics for anyone who’s new to the business or otherwise doesn’t know—when an actor is performing or rehearsing, you are to stay out of their line of sight, insofar as it’s possible given your position.

It’s very difficult for the camera department to stay out of eyelines entirely.

If you’ve never heard this rule before, it might sound like some prima donna bullshit, like we’re supposed to avert our gaze from royalty.

And far be it from me to defend actors and their ridiculous demands. On one show I worked on, the lead wouldn't allow anyone to use disposable water bottles on set because she thought she had gotten cancer from plastic. We all had to drink out of corn-based, compostable cups. (Admittedly, sometimes it was fun to take a bite out of a cup in front of an audience member, to see how they’d react.) Another actress demanded that everything in her dressing room be white, from the furniture to the flowers. An actor didn’t like his parking spot, so he’d park in the handicapped spot in front of the stage instead, and we’d have to move his car before he got a ticket. The list goes on.

But avoiding eyelines isn’t like that.

Try and imagine performing in a scene while there's some dude in cargo shorts and a black AC/DC t-shirt standing behind the camera, slack-jawed, twirling his wrench in one hand and drinking from his third can of Monster Energy in the other. You’re not going to be able to stay in character.

To be absolutely clear: do not stand in where the actors are supposed to be looking during a scene. It causes problems for them, which will in turn cause problems for you.

The Eye in Team

There are some common responses to this.

One, actors perform in front of audiences all the time (such as the aforementioned multi-cam sitcom taped in front of a live studio audience). Which true, except there’s a huge difference between a crowd of people in the dark and probably off to your side, and a single individual standing directly in the space you’re meant to be looking.¹

The second objection is that they’re actors. Why don’t they just act like you’re not there? After all, they ignore the cameras, lights, green screens, VFX mirror balls, and “a dude in a goofy suit that will all be replaced by CGI” all the time.

Christian Bale wasn’t available for filming this day.

We’ve evolved over thousands of years to seek out human faces. We meet gazes naturally. It's very, very different than looking at a green wall, or even silhouettes in a theater.

As for the guy in the “goofy suit?” They’re supposed to be looking at him. What they’re not supposed to be looking at is the camera assistant pulling focus, which is why you’ll see AC’s far more often staring at the actors’ feet in relation to their marks, rather than the actors’ faces.

Losing Sight of What’s Important

I will rant all day long about the whiny demands of divas, but staying out of eyelines is one exception.² It’s a reasonable request.

But that doesn’t excuse losing your cool on set, as Christian Bale infamously did on the set of Terminator: Aw, Who Cares Which Sequel It Was.

Circling back to what started this conversation, Tom Cruise was also recorded yelling at crew, although it was over COVID protocols, not eyelines. The director later made an interesting point—while Bale yelled at cinematographer Shane Hurlbut in front of the entire crew, Cruise gave his dressing down out of earshot from the set (although not out of the range of his wireless mic pack, apparently).

All of which is to say, yelling at people on set is never cool. But neither is standing in the actors’ eyelines. (Again, with special exception for focus pullers and the like.) Just hang back by video village and you’ll avoid getting yelled at. Unless you sit down, and then the AD will probably yell at you. C’mon, PA’s don’t get to sit down!

What do you think? Have you seen this behavior on set, or—heaven forfend—committed such a grave error yourself?

DP PS

Okay, one more movie set meme—

1. And besides, theatrical performances are supposed to play off of and feed off of the audience's collective energy. That’s why those sitcom-without-laughtrack videos are so disingenuous. The performances would be different without the studio audience laughing.

2. Another is actresses in skimpy outfits complaining about how cold the stage is. The air conditioning is blasting first thing in the morning, and they really do need a thick robe between setups.