Pickup
Brief additional shooting after principal photography to capture missing shots or address editorial needs.
Definition
Pickups address gaps discovered during editing—missing coverage, unclear story points, or improved dialogue. Unlike full reshoots, pickups typically involve limited cast and crew for specific shots.
Pickups are normal parts of production, not indicators of problems. Budgets and schedules account for anticipated pickup needs.
Why It Matters
Pickup availability provides safety for the editing process. Productions that cannot afford pickups must work with whatever footage exists.
For actors, pickup clauses in contracts ensure availability for these brief but necessary sessions.
Examples in Practice
After test screenings, a film might do pickups adding a brief scene clarifying character motivation. An action sequence might need pickup shots of specific stunts that didn't work in original photography.
Pickups often occur months after principal photography, requiring continuity attention to match earlier footage.