8 Details You Didn't Know About 1917
3. Small Mistakes Turned Big
When shooting continuous shots the smallest mistakes can ruin a lengthy scene. There are no small do-overs and if you someone messes up everybody in the scene has to start over. This is exemplified by Andrew Scott's character Lieutenant Leslie who had trouble lighting a cigarette and his small part ate a lot of film time.
In Andrew Scott's defense, it wasn't his fault at all. His cigarette lighter refused to work at the end of a long continuous shot, and this happened several times. Smoking kills precious work time.
Imagine being part of a big set and you are the one who messes up, forcing everyone to sigh and start over again.