I’m a cameraman on TV soaps – here’s what really goes on in sex scenes, and what we make of the actors
SETTLING down in front of one of the big soaps is a nightly ritual for many of us Brits.
Whether you’re more of an EastEnders fan or you can’t get enough of Corrie have you ever wondered what really happens behind the scenes?
Well, an insider who has worked behind the camera for over three decades has lifted the lid on what really happens on set.
Taking to Reddit, the anonymous cameraman encouraged users to ask him anything about his 30 years working on set on over 6000 episodes.
And the questions came in thick and fast.
One user was keen to know how many takes an average shot needs.
Responding, the cameraman wrote: “Depends strictly on the actors involved. Some actors have difficulty remembering their lines, so the takes add up.
“Some scenes we can do “pickups” that is, not doing the whole scene over again but picking up where the actor forgot the line.
“The actors who have been around a while usually do better, but that is not a hard and fast statement. A couple of the more veteran actors are not as conscientious as others.”
He added: “On average, most scenes are shot at least twice.”
When it comes to wrapping up an episode, it can be a lengthy process according to the cameraman.
“(They take) Anywhere from 10 to 12 hours (to film),” he says.
“Some days have been epic where I’ve worked 20, but that is the nature of TV.”
Asked on his opinion on the actors themselves, the man admitted that it can be a mixed bag.
“Just like the people you work with, some are nice, some not so nice,” he said.
“However, I don’t know if it’s the chicken or egg syndrome, do they get into acting to get their egos stroked or did their egos enlarge because of being an actor?”
The cheeky cameraman even let fans in on the secrets of a soap sex scene and admits that it can cause problems in off-screen relationships.
“Many of the actors are married, not only that but on soaps most of the people have been working together for years so they are friends,” he explained.
“Not that I haven’t seen marriages break up because of an on screen pairing. But that is the exception not the rule.
“Believe it or not, the actors are wearing clothes under the covers, it’s just through skillful camerawork that you don’t see the clothes.”