Practicality:
* Location: It's often more efficient to film all scenes in a particular location at once, even if they don't occur consecutively in the story. This saves time and money on travel, set construction, and crew logistics.
* Availability: Actors, crew, and equipment are often only available for a limited time. Filming scenes out of order allows for more flexibility in scheduling.
* Weather: Scenes requiring specific weather conditions (like sunshine or rain) may be shot when those conditions are present, regardless of their place in the story.
Creative Control:
* Continuity: Sometimes, filming scenes out of order helps maintain continuity. For example, a scene might require a character to be wearing a certain outfit, which might not be practical if the scene is shot later in the production.
* Performance: Shooting scenes out of order can allow actors to build momentum and develop their characters more naturally. They might be able to better portray a specific emotion or state of mind if they've already filmed scenes that build up to that point, even if those scenes happen later in the story.
* Special Effects: Filming scenes with visual effects, such as explosions or CGI, might need to be done later in the process once the visual effects are ready.
Example:
Imagine a movie where a character goes on a journey. The script might call for scenes in the following order:
1. Character leaves home.
2. Character encounters a difficult situation.
3. Character meets a helpful person.
4. Character arrives at their destination.
However, it might be more practical to film the scenes in this order:
1. Scene 4: Filming at the destination location.
2. Scene 3: Filming the encounter with the helpful person, potentially at the same location as Scene 4.
3. Scene 2: Filming the difficult situation, which might require a specific set or location.
4. Scene 1: Filming the character leaving home.
By filming out of sequence, the production team can maximize efficiency, ensure continuity, and create a more cohesive and impactful narrative.