During these weeks of online classes, we were given some prompts and readings to reflect upon. These readings covered a variety of subjects useful to develop my knowledge of filmmaking. In the reading, The Background Action is it emphasised how essential building a scene is. The Director and the DP are tasked to find the best shot composition and to put a lot of care in the background and what story that element narrates.

The Background can be a powerful tool in filmmaking, it can be simple or complex depending on the scene. Backgrounds have to follow certain rules to be believable, they should feel authentic, should be a feature that enhances the scene but not take all the focus of the viewer away from the characters. The role of staging and directing the background is given to the assistant director that should take account of the actions the actors will make in the scene as well as the camera movement that follows them.

To make backgrounds even more accurate, the directors can decide to bring on set an expert who could help make the scene more realistic. This individual gives suggestions to the assistant director and the crew sharing knowledge you may not possess.

Another essential aspect of backgrounds and character movements is continuity matching. This aspect is important for the coherence of the scene and for the viewer to make sense of what happens in the narrative. Matching the direction in which actors look relative to the camera and the eye lines of the actors are also things to take notice of. The viewer who notices a discrepancy between these factors experiences a break in their suspension of disbelief and will notice the discrepancy through the rest of the movie.