Assistant Directors, so let me tell you the things that need to happen after BLOCKING a scene.

Blocking is a fancy word filmmakers use to mean - When we see what the movement (actor & camera) is during a scene. The person who is showing us said Blocking is the Director.

You can adopt your own style, but this is mine.

I ask my Director to block the next scene immediately after we finish the prior scene, if it is the same set. If it isn't, we go to the set and before anything technical happens, and my Director will show us the Blocking.

Who is the US that watches a Blocking?
I clear everyone who isn't a tech team HOD out of the set. I also prefer to have the actors see the blocking, but stand-ins work as well. We can then show the actors when they come on set after we've lit.

Now what happens after the Director has blocked a scene?

1. Actors are taken back to their Holding Area. Why? They need to clean up their lines and work out a performance that works for them.
A Blocking is not a Rehearsal but can be one (nobody will die).

For the Actors to be able to clean up their lines and fine tune a performance they need a space devoid of distractions.

Of course a Gaffer moving lights is a distraction, of course art department carrying table is a distraction.

2. Once the actors are off MY set (MY - Because if I'm your 1st AD, this is the work, but of course this MY is with common sense - too much power corrupts), i ask the Tech Team to start to stand up their lights. Next the Grip team will bring in gear (minus camera)

Why minus camera? Because cameras are fragile and expensive. Then i ask Art Department to put finishing touches to the set e.g bring that table that was taken out so the 2K HMI could get into place.

Then I ask the grip team to bring in Cameras.

My DP will then confirm to me that he is pretty much setup, minus one or two tweaks. If he needs stand-ins that happens.

Then i ask my Director if we can have the actors back on set. It's phrased as a question, but it's a strong suggestion.

I have the actors brought on set

If the actors were absent during blocking, we show them the blocking.

Remember, i did not invent the blocking, i just paid attention when my Director was showing all of us.

If it all works, we do final checks. If it doesn't, actors return to holding and we clean it up.

There is no reason under the sun why you should be doing a Tech set-up with Actors sitting on the set judging you.
Guys, that is a Safety incident waiting to happen.

What if that 2k HMI wasn't secured well and it decides to fall. Kinos fall more frequently.

Tech team needs room to set-up. Give them the room they need and for God's sake give your actors a distraction free space to prep before you bring them on set to shoot.

#TheEnd