Pre-pro Tools: Shot Designer / Phone Rehearsals for Key Grips?

Hey everyone,

I'm Chris O'Brien, a Key Grip, and I'm always looking for ways to streamline on-set communication. We just wrapped a commercial where we had an AMIRA with a big zoom, and blocking adjustments were a constant dance between the DP, talent, and myself trying to anticipate light placements. It got me thinking about how much better pre-production could be.

I've dabbled with Shot Designer for blocking simple shots, and sometimes we've just used phone videos of rehearsals for basic movement, but it feels like I'm not fully leveraging these tools. My goal is to arrive on set with a much clearer understanding of actor marks and camera positions, which directly impacts my rigging and flagging strategy (especially when dealing with lights like an LS 1200d Pro or an Orbiter).

For those of you who've integrated Shot Designer or even simple phone rehearsals into your prep, how have you personally done it to improve communication with your DP and actors? What's your process, and what benefits have you seen?