Don't Assume Actors Remember Blocking

I learned the hard way that assuming actors will perfectly recall all blocking from a rehearsal day, especially after an overnight break, is a recipe for shooting yourself in the foot. My problem was walking onto set expecting seamless execution of complex moves we'd meticulously rehearsed the day prior, only to find hesitation and forgotten marks, eating away at valuable shooting time.

What went wrong was my lack of a simple, actionable recall system for the actors. I figured their notes or just 'their memory' would suffice. The solution, which seems obvious in retrospect, is to treat the start of every shoot day, or even after a significant break in a scene, as a mini-rehearsal for crucial blocking. I now make it a point to walk through key movements, even just once, before cameras roll. This isn't a full performance; it's a silent walk-through, hitting marks and confirming eyelines. It quickly re-centers everyone. It's far faster to re-familiarize them for five minutes than to correct on camera for twenty.

Does every single beat need this level of recall, or only the ones critical to framing and story?