Second unit

Not to be confused with the second (SI unit).

Second unit is a discrete team of filmmakers tasked with filming shots or sequences of a production, separate from the main or "first" unit.^[1] The second unit will often shoot 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 for 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. These shots may include things such as 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 directors' shooting time, sound stage usage and the cost of sets that may have been built on stages.

The work of second units should not be confused with multiple-camera setups, where several cameras film the same scene simultaneously. Large productions may have multiple second units. Although filmmakers may refer to having "three or four units working", each unit would be called an "additional second unit"; usually none would be described as the third or fourth unit.

Directors

The second unit has its own director and cinematographer. A key skill for a second unit director is to be able to follow the style being set by the film's primary director. Peter MacDonald, second unit director on Batman, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Bourne Ultimatum, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Guardians of the Galaxy, has said, "The most important thing about any second unit is that you can't tell the difference between the second unit and the first unit. It must have the stamp of the first unit, both in photography and the style of direction. ... You try to copy what the first unit does as much as possible. You mustn't be on an ego trip and try to do your own style, because your material has to cut into theirs and it mustn't jar, it must fit in exactly so no-one can tell the difference."^[2] Brett Ratner, commenting about Conrad Palmisano, who directed second unit for him on Rush Hour 2, Rush Hour 3, After the Sunset, and X-Men: The Last Stand, The Other Guys for Adam McKay, and No Strings Attached for Ivan Reitman, said, "He has the understanding of what it takes to create a great action sequence and never deviate from the story or the tone of the film."^[3]

Because second units often film scenes with stunts and special effects in action movies, the job of stunt coordinator is often combined with that of the second unit director. Examples include:

• Vic Armstrong, who directed second unit on The Amazing Spider-Man, The Green Hornet, War of the Worlds, I Am Legend, Die Another Day, and Gangs of New York.
• Simon Crane, who did Men in Black 3, Frankenstein, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Quantum of Solace, The Huntsman: Winter's War, and X-Men: The Last Stand (alongside Palmisano but the only one credited between the two).
• Kenny Bates, who did Bad Boys, The Italian Job, Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and Transformers: Age of Extinction.
• Spiro Razatos, who did Bad Boys II, Bad Boys For Life, Transformers: The Last Knight, Furious 7, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and Kong: Skull Island.
• Darrin Prescott, who did Baby Driver, Ford v Ferrari, Black Widow, Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and the John Wick films.
• Rick Avery, who did Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Wake Up Ron Burgundy, Scream 3, Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, Clockstoppers, and Hands of Stone.
• Joseph Reidy, who did Goodfellas, Quiz Show, and It's Complicated.
• Phil Marco, who did Casino, The Color of Money, and Kundun.
• George A. Aguilar, who did 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, Zombieland, Tower Heist, The Many Saints of Newark, and The Irishman.
• Terry J. Leonard, responsible for second unit on Rush Hour, The Expendables, Cowboys & Aliens, Gangster Squad, Agent Cody Banks, and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

Second unit director can be a stepping stone for aspiring directors to gain experience. Unlike an assistant director, who is second-in-command to the main director, a second unit director operates independently. Second unit directors who have gone on to become full-fledged film directors include:

• Former editors Peter Hunt (Goldfinger, Thunderball, and The Jigsaw Man) and John Glen (On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Moonraker, and Superman)
• Stunt coordinators David R. Ellis (Cop Out, The Jungle Book, Ride with the Devil, and Waterworld), Chad Stahelski (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, The Expendables 2, After Earth, and The Brothers Grimsby), and David Leitch (Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Captain America: Civil War, The Wolverine, and Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters),
• Producers like Frank Marshall, who directed second unit for Steven Spielberg (who himself served as a second unit director on Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, The Goonies, and Arachnophobia) whilst also working as producer, on the first three Indiana Jones films, Empire of the Sun, The Color Purple, and Always, and for Robert Zemekis on Back to the Future, and Scott Mosier, who directed second unit on the Kevin Smith films Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (the latter uncredited) while also serving as producer, co-editor, and storyboard artist on both projects.

Additionally, some who became directors may return to working predominantly as second unit directors for the remainder of their career. Notable examples include Yakima Canutt (Ben-Hur, 1959) and Michael D. Moore, who worked on more than sixty films, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Patton (1970), and the original Indiana Jones trilogy in the 1980s alongside Marshall.

Sometimes, major film directors actually serve as second unit directors for some projects. Examples include:

• The Wachowskis for V for Vendetta in addition to writing the script and producing the film.
• Peter Jackson for The Adventures of Tintin as well as serving as producer.
• Paul Thomas Anderson for A Prairie Home Companion.
• Sam Raimi for The Hudsucker Proxy.
• Robert Rodriguez for Mimic.

It is common for certain personnel involved with a production in another capacity to also function as a second unit director, benefiting from their understanding of the material and relationship with the production's director or producers. For example, English actor Andy Serkis, who plays Gollum, served as second unit director on three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Hobbit under Peter Jackson, actor George Peppard, whilst the star of the detective drama Banacek, also served as second unit director for several episodes of the series, and Steve Starkey who, in addition to serving as a producer, served as second unit director on the Robert Zemekis films Forrest Gump, What Lies Beneath, Cast Away, The Polar Express, Beowulf, and Flight. It's also common for the second unit director to also serve as second unit director of cinematography. Examples include:

• Alexander Witt, having done so for Hercules, Daredevil, The Bourne Identity, Remember the Titans, Casino Royale, and No Time to Die.
• Peter Lyons Collister, who did so for Bad Boys, Transformers: Age of Extinction (both alongside Bates), Sonic the Hedgehog, and Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
• Robert Legato, while also serving as visual effects supervisor, who did the Martin Scorsese films The Aviator, The Departed, Shutter Island, Hugo, and The Wolf of Wall Street, the Jon Favreau films The Jungle Book and The Lion King, the Ben Affleck film Air, and the Samuel Bayer film A Nightmare on Elm Street.

A notable exception to having more than one filming unit is director Christopher Nolan, who has avoided the use of a second unit in his movies, most notably The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, and Oppenheimer, preferring instead to oversee every shot personally with the cinematographer (Wally Pfister and later Hoyte van Hoytema).^[4]

References

1. "Second Unit Director". Get In Media.
2. "A Dark Night in Gotham City". Starlog issue 142. May 1989. pp. 37–40.
3. "Conrad E. Palmisano | Action Director, Stunt Coordinator, Second Unit Director". www.actiondirectorconrad.com.
4. Halbfinger, David M. (9 March 2008). "The Dark Knight - Movies". The New York Times.