Second unit

Filmmaking team A second unit is a discrete team of filmmakers tasked with filming shots or sequences of a production, separate from the main or "first" unit. The second unit often shoots simultaneously with the other unit or units, allowing the filming stage of production to be completed faster. Function 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 ordinary scenes. Therefore, they are an 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 do not require the principal actors. The shots may include 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 dir