Q:I'm going to a film audition for the first time, and I heard that one of the hardest parts of acting for a camera is hitting your mark. What does this mean? What is a "mark?"

A: "Marks" are the very specific places an actor needs to stand, move, or look during a take. "Hitting your mark" is critical when you act for the camera. Hitting your mark on a film is different than stage acting, which has actual pieces of tape and other physical reminders of where you're supposed to stand for specific moments and spotlights. Film actors usually have to memorize precise blocking routines without any visual aids.

"Blocking" is a term used to describe the choreographed movements an actor makes during a scene. Directors, light operators, and camera men spend hours before shooting a scene adjusting light levels, camera focus, and programming on-the-fly adjustments needed for camera movements. If an actor is even an inch off of his mark, the entire take can be rendered useless. The process of blocking before a scene can be so time consuming and arduous that productions hire stand-ins for the real actors!

Actors are occasionally allowed to make very small chalk marks on the floor during complex scenes, but only if there's no chance the camera can pick them up. Far more often, though, screen actors have to memorize the blocking routines on top of their dialogue. This includes how and where to move, where to look, how to stand, and any number of other small physical details. Many actors count the number of steps that have to take between marks, or count off how long they need to be on certain marks and how long they have to move. It's also useful to memorize the relative position of objects around your mark to make finding them easier. Many actors also learn how to keep an eye out for visible reminders of their mark while acting naturally in a scene.

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