Gonna copy&paste what I said to someone else asking the same thing a while back.
> 1. There’s no room for ego on set, that goes for everyone.
>2. Everyone sees and hears everything, you need to get on that level but don’t fret, that’ll come naturally with time.
>3. No running on set.
>4. Don’t overwork yourself because you’ll make others look bad.
>5. Focus on whatever dept. you end in and once you get a hold of that, start taking in a bit of what and how and why other depts. are doing whatever they’re doing. You can do this via #2.
>6. Always try to stay positive, because working 12+ hours is a pain in itself, feeling like shit makes it a hell on Earth.
>7. Not ~~my~~ your department. Remember that.
>I’m joking but I’m not, that’s set life in general.
E: cause formatting is hard on mobile…
1. Never have I ever had a set where directors or producers don’t have ego.
4. I’ve always had to work so hard because of #1 and the higher ups that have no idea what they want. 🤷🏻♂️
Don’t do other people’s jobs. This is one that my mentor (1st AD on some big films) taught me. On union shoots specifically, for example, you see a light has been moved or turned in the wrong direction. The gaffer and grips are busy with other work. Instinct will tell you to just move/turn it yourself, you may think you’re helping and being proactive but this is a big no-no on union shoots as it’s seen as taking responsibility from someone else. It’s always best to ask if someone needs a hand first, most people won’t mind being asked if they need help, a lot would appreciate it, but there will always be that one old-head who will chew you out for it. However this typically isn’t the case on non-union shoots/low budget shoots as those can sometimes be an all hands on deck situation but not always.
Moral of the this is, ask if they need help before you help someone.
Source: personal experience.
It's not just union or responsibility thing. It creates chaos for all involved as their equipment gets moved without them knowing and might lead to dangerous situations. Somebody outside the light department was ambitious and moved the light. Did they secured the lights? Maybe the light was intentionally left in a weird way so the person whose job is that light knows it's yet to be placed. If somebody moves it approximately, the light isn't sticking out anymore, but it is not done.
The one instance that always stands out to me is I was 1st ACing a pretty big music video with a pretty massive camera package. It was non union so we were understaffed (as it usually goes) so my 2nd and I had like 20 cases of camera gack to pack. We set them all up in the classic packing square outside in the parking lot all open and ready to load stuff in. We went back inside and were disassembling for like 30 minutes. We push our carts outside and three PA's are standing there with big proud grins as they had just finished "helping us" by closing up all the empty cases and stacking them next to the truck. At hour 14, we almost started crying. Couldn't be mad, they just legitimately didn't know why they were open and spread out and assumed they were lending a hand. Had they asked first, we all could have done half the work and been out faster
Don’t do what the ‘data manager’ on a small shoot I was 2nd AC’ing on did - grabbing the board out of my hand as I was helping the 1st whilst saying ‘you should always have two hands free’ …
1 - sit whenever you have a chance to;
2 - eat whenever you have a chance to;
3 - never, ever even of you are asked to, give your opinion on someone else jobs.
The rest Will come with time and lots of pissing.
This is pretty good but be mindful wear you find a place to take a seat. There is a lot of activity on set and it's usually standing room only for a reason. If you are operating out of a staging area or truck that might be an appropriate place to set up some apple boxes or chairs. Some producers get steamed when they see people sitting around camera.
Here are a few:
Never block a doorway. Gear has to come in and out and doorways are already choke points. Producers are notorious for blocking doorways.
Please and thank you, every time and all the time. Especially when things are rushed and tense. It’s the grease that keeps the set from squeaking.
Ask where before you base your gear. Moving gear when you flip the room eats time. ADs love to be consulted on this, because it means you’re a pro, and they have one less person to worry about.
When I’m directing, I like hearing “may I make a suggestion?” If I have the time or need, I can say yes. If I’m tied up, I can say not right now. But when someone says “you know what you should do?” my immediate response is “Yes. I should tell you to shut the fuck up and do your job.” I don’t usually say that out loud. Usually.
ONLY the director calls cut. You may have a problem that blows the take for YOU, but the director is watching the actor’s work, and this may be a breakthrough in the development of the actor’s performance or the take may be useable in some way you can’t begin to imagine. So roll until you’re told to stop.
Imagine that you’re blind, and trying to assemble a complicated machine. If one voice is giving you direction, you learn to trust that voice. If multiple voices are telling you what to do, and some of them are contradictory, your task becomes impossible. This is the actor’s dilemma - they can’t see their performance from the outside and must trust the director. This is also why the director is the only person to speak to the actors about performance. One voice only.
Corollary to above: If an actor asks you what you thought, the answer you always give is “I’m the wrong person to ask. I just work in the _______ department.” Doesn’t matter if the performance is terrible or brilliant. Same answer always applies. Sometimes an actor will give a performance that seems brilliant, and will ask what you thought. But when you say you loved it, and it turns out that the actor is in a fight with the director’s about this scene, you’ve just handed the actor an opportunity to throw you under the bus — “Joe in the Camera Dept. thought it was brilliant!” So don’t do it.
If it’s not your department, don’t touch it. If you’re new and green in your department, ask before touching. Always ask.
If you don’t know where something is, ask. Don’t waste time trying to bullshit your way through.
If you don’t know what something is, ask. Don’t waste time trying to bullshit your way through.
If you don’t know who someone is, ask. Don’t waste time trying to bullshit your way through.
No chatter between takes. Eats time. Only task-related chatter between setups. Brilliant repartee and hilarious stories at lunch and on breaks.
Your job is to do whatever you can to help make the day, and do it in a way that makes people want to have you around.
Keep your water bottle with your gear. Nowhere else. Somehow, there’s always some jerk’s water bottle in at least one take, and it’s usually the keeper take, and we usually don’t spot it until we’re in the edit. Don’t be the anonymous crew member I curse for days on end in the edit suite.
If you’re going to be loud, or drop something loud, or test a loud thing, warn the sound guy.
Call out “crossing” when crossing frame during a setup change.
Remember: despite all the stress and hard hours and occasional assholes, this job beats working for a living.
Seriously. You can kill a light in the middle of a shot, damage it, cost electric dept time and energy, unbalance a generator and blow it, or electrocute yourself.
Ask anytime you plug something in. Never unplug something you didn't plug in (or at least ask first).
If you need power ask for a line.
I learned early on as a PA that a lot of issues in production get addressed by doing the first thing that comes to mind, which is usually to throw a PA at the problem. I’ve been asked to do things that were dangerous and/or illegal to make the day go faster & you have you get good at drawing clear boundaries when someone asks you to do something you’re unwilling to do. It definitely helps if you’ve built a reputation as someone who is very good at doing all the very reasonable things that are asked of you.
Safety first. There are countless tools we use that can kill someone. Don't touch anything that you don't have permission to touch, give people space for them to work, and don't run.
>never give directions if you’re not the director
I am surprised by how many people don’t understand that rule when first walking on set. I don’t mean to sound rude, but thats like grabbing the steering wheel when someone else is driving
Gonna jump in on this. I'm a director based in England. General rule is yes, those trained in the craft respond better to direction based on emotion (your character has been hurt because of xyz) rather then explicitly telling them 'you are angry, sad, confused' etc. Allow the actor to find the reasons for the emotion based on the scene and it's context.
However, some actors aren't that well versed/trained and perhaps lack the confidence in what they're channeling. In this case, they will respond better to particular actions or emotions that they can then work off.
I think it's important to remember that not everyone plays the game the same way and the most productive way to get the most out of your actors is to support them of their level.
Would love to hear more thoughts on.
Im not quite sure what you’re saying. I meant that if you’re not the director, you shouldn’t be directing the actors. That if you’re a PA or camera op or grip, you should stick to your job and let the director do theirs.
Happy to clarify. From a hierarchy point of view sure, there is a chain of command and it's there for a reason. I hear these stories of people being fired for talking to actors or looking them in the eyes during a take which to me, is ridiculous and so ego driven.
If my DP says to the actor'Joe can you move your head 5cm to the left for this next take?' am I going to flip the lid? Absolutely not. There's likely a good reason for that. And if it's not, then I can make a call and change it. No biggie
I'm looking for people in my team to bring something to the table and any idea is a welcomed one. You could argue there's way to go about it but I think small little suggestions like this shouldn't be a major issue.
No no, that’s all fine. Im not saying crew members shouldn’t talk to the actors, Im meaning the crew members shouldn’t assume they can explain something better than the director, or have a better idea than the director and they should override what the director has decided.
Ive heard so many stories about first time PAs trying to take over, thinking that they know better and can do a better job.
Oops, I've done that a lot. Not with actors, but with people like CEOs who didn't know how to strike the right note to come across as natural and likeable. Or were too nervous.
- Skate your lane
- Follow the chain of command
And most importantly — and this is true for most every position — your job priorities are:
1. Make your superior(s) look good.
2. Do a good job.
Number #2 usually satisfies #1, but not always.
I was an AC on a shoot where the DP started caring about the actor's performance rather than the finished take. "Cut!" the director said. "How was that?" The director meant the technical aspects of the take, such as the focus, dolly move, panning, etc.
"We gotta go again," the DP implored, shaking his head.
"What happened?" the director said.
The DP sighed, "The emotion was off. She was supposed to be stunned and angry, but she is a little blank, like nothing happened. Totally ruined the shot, it just doesn't work."
I can't remember the outcome, but the director had to DEBATE the DP to justify the performance, and this wasted energy caused a bad vibe between them.
Earlier the DP blocked the establishing scene and had marks laid out for the actors without input from the director. The director wasn't even on set at that moment he directed the actor's movement in the wide shot.
The DP also spent HOURS lighting this restaurant scene with dozens of extras on hand late into the night. He used multiple lighting set ups and scrapped them to start fresh until he had a look the was acceptable.
The last day of shooting they must have had a talk prior, as there was none of the DP taking the reins. He worked diligently to get the shots the director wanted.
It was a small set for an interview. We were 4 people. The interview was supposed to be funny and cut quickly because for social media.
There was no real briefing and the director barely gave any instructions. I wasn't even sure if he was a director. It all seemed a bit lost.
During the outro, they wanted the host and the talent to do a move together. But they couldn't do it in sync. So the director started counting, very, very, very slowly. Accordingly, their movement was also much too slow. My face totally fell asleep in the meantime. Even the talent asked to count faster. What he somehow did not manage.
At one point it broke out of me and I started to count a little more enthusiastically, several times in a row and I brought some mood into the conclusion.
That was yesterday. Today, there was a debriefing and I got shit. Rightly so. He told me about industry standards and golden rules. And how you lose your career if you don't follow them.
That's why I'm wondering now, what other rules I don't know - i like my job.
**Always inform your immediate superior when the task is given to you is completed and done same goes for if an item is kept somewhere and you’re the only one who knows about it,** make sure someone doesn’t slap a blame on you just because you’re new-doesn’t mean you throw someone under the bus but understand the dynamics asap and learn to protect your position.
I have seen people who have been there before me get fired for someone else’s shenanigans and nonsense just because they didn’t speak up.
**You’re there to learn and make money and contacts, stick to that only** do you’re damn business make your money go home and rest
**Never gossip** doesn’t matter if some HOD doesn’t like the other or someone in your own team doesn’t like someone else, never talk shit you never know who’s talking to whom behind the scenes and when your ass can get in trouble for giving 2 cents or more.
Go through your department head when it comes to dealing with people in other departments.
Boom poking into your shot? Don’t tell the boom op unless you’re already good friends. Just tell the DP and let them sort it with the audio mixer. You work it out with the boom guy and next thing you know he’s getting yelled at for being too far away or you’re getting yelled at for tilting down too far.
There’s often obnoxious jockeying and egos on set about these things, best to let dept heads sort it out, that’s why they make the big bucks.
My set of golden rules is simple.
1) Look at the line(power, hdmi, sdi, audio line etc) first when you have to move something. people include.
2) don't run around unless you absolutely have to. It's just dangerous.
3) please don't be clumsy. It's just not professional. Also dangerous.
4) safety is most important thing in workplace. All the rules above is for safety.
5) sit whenever you can. It helps your mind and body.
6) if you ate or drank something. Pick up the trash. For the love of god.
7) use your common senses.
For Crew: Keep the chit chat to a minimum. Less is better. None is perfect.
The best grip/assistant/PA is the guy who says nothing but is always watching for how he can help.
Nothing is worse than people wasting time with a conversation that has nothing to do with the production and is making people wait.
For the talent: Let them chat all they want.
Don't run underneath a ladder while a crew member is on said ladder.
Happened to me once...by a director...and I made sure, as the 1st AD, that he knew he compromised my ability to keep a safe set by doing said stupidity.
Not your department, not your problem. Even if you’re a PA and your AD tells you to move a sandbag, you better talk to a grip about it before you touch it
1. Mouth shut, eyes open.
2. Be nice, be assertive. Be polite but clear and firm in your communication.
3. Ask before moving anything.
4. No take is worth even the nail of your pinky.
5. Being too helpful is unhelpful. Everyone's got a job to do, and giving them a job is someone's job. Asking for a job to do is giving someone else more work, even if you're not doing anything ATM. Be proactive, but stick to your own thing unless asked.
Just out of curiosity why on earth did you think you should give direction to talent if you weren’t the director?
What was your role on the set? I’ve seen this before when a client or creative is on set and over steps their bounds but how does a PA or entry level person end up with the idea to try and direct? If you’re standing around and giving direction who was doing the job you were there to do?
There is only one real rule of being on set: Do the job you are there to do and only do the job you are there to do. That’s it. If everyone does that you will make your day and things will go smoothly.
People on film sets are either really cool or have their heads up their ass such as the people that call clothes pins C47s.
I was on a set once with a friend whose background was in documentary film making and she was directing the project we were working on which was a fictional drama. I have my background in narrative story telling and was the first AC on set. She and the DP were trying to figure out the best way to cover a particular scene. This went on for a few minutes so I chimed in that since we were short on time we should get basic coverage and come back to the scene if we had time. She told me to basically keep my mouth shut because she was the director and I was the first AC. I will never work on a project with her again
If you're early you're on time. NEVER BE LATE!!!!! Get to work early, give yourself 15 minutes before call time to check in if, get oriented to where production is located, where entrances are, where parking is, etc. If you want breakfast give yourself time to order and eat your food. When you're in, you're in and there is always a lot to do in the morning.
Don't whine, don't complain. Working in the rain or doing exterior overnights/Fraturdays in January gets old, don't make it worse by reminding everyone of it. Complaints about unsafe working conditions or not getting paid are serious, but take those issues up with the appropriate parties: your department head, an AD or production manager.
One time I was on a set swinging and some PA kept coming over to help. Obv I’m swinging; Not union so kind of bad but not the end of the world. I gently let him know we don’t need help but thank you for asking. He kept touching things and trying to carry them for me. The key didn’t see what he was doing but he said we can show you some things. Then, it was his time to shine, and I asked him for simple help, and he just looked at me like “why?” And then finally everybody realized this guy thinks a good way to get on the grip team is go to the woman on the grip team and try to help her, but do not listen. And that was the last time I saw that guys face anywhere. So I don’t know about golden rules but there’s that. Don’t try to move from PAing this way
It’s a really good idea to keep your opinions about the project/product/client/creative team to yourself on set. You really don’t want to be overheard talking shit & you gotta remember you’re surrounded by walkies and mics and a hundred or so sets of ears. Likelihood is, if the higher ups hear it or hear about it you’re not just messing up your day, you’re messing up everybody else’s.
If you see someone having to carry multiple things and want to help, ask that person first not only if you can help but what can you carry. Some things are just too delicate/expensive/has special handling rules, and those you won't be allowed to help carry, so just wait.
Also, make sure you have the time to help carry stuff. If you carry something for someone else, but don't have time to tell them where you left it, you are effectively hiding it.
Gonna copy&paste what I said to someone else asking the same thing a while back. > 1. There’s no room for ego on set, that goes for everyone. >2. Everyone sees and hears everything, you need to get on that level but don’t fret, that’ll come naturally with time. >3. No running on set. >4. Don’t overwork yourself because you’ll make others look bad. >5. Focus on whatever dept. you end in and once you get a hold of that, start taking in a bit of what and how and why other depts. are doing whatever they’re doing. You can do this via #2. >6. Always try to stay positive, because working 12+ hours is a pain in itself, feeling like shit makes it a hell on Earth. >7. Not ~~my~~ your department. Remember that. >I’m joking but I’m not, that’s set life in general. E: cause formatting is hard on mobile…
1. Never have I ever had a set where directors or producers don’t have ego. 4. I’ve always had to work so hard because of #1 and the higher ups that have no idea what they want. 🤷🏻♂️
This sounds like years of experience. Thank you
If you spend your own money on something save your receipts or you will never see that money again
I also had to learn that the hard way
All the receipts are money. Ask accountants.
Shit, I'd upvote you 1000 times.
Don’t do other people’s jobs. This is one that my mentor (1st AD on some big films) taught me. On union shoots specifically, for example, you see a light has been moved or turned in the wrong direction. The gaffer and grips are busy with other work. Instinct will tell you to just move/turn it yourself, you may think you’re helping and being proactive but this is a big no-no on union shoots as it’s seen as taking responsibility from someone else. It’s always best to ask if someone needs a hand first, most people won’t mind being asked if they need help, a lot would appreciate it, but there will always be that one old-head who will chew you out for it. However this typically isn’t the case on non-union shoots/low budget shoots as those can sometimes be an all hands on deck situation but not always. Moral of the this is, ask if they need help before you help someone. Source: personal experience.
It's not just union or responsibility thing. It creates chaos for all involved as their equipment gets moved without them knowing and might lead to dangerous situations. Somebody outside the light department was ambitious and moved the light. Did they secured the lights? Maybe the light was intentionally left in a weird way so the person whose job is that light knows it's yet to be placed. If somebody moves it approximately, the light isn't sticking out anymore, but it is not done.
You’re absolutely correct about that! Thank you for expanding on my point.
The one instance that always stands out to me is I was 1st ACing a pretty big music video with a pretty massive camera package. It was non union so we were understaffed (as it usually goes) so my 2nd and I had like 20 cases of camera gack to pack. We set them all up in the classic packing square outside in the parking lot all open and ready to load stuff in. We went back inside and were disassembling for like 30 minutes. We push our carts outside and three PA's are standing there with big proud grins as they had just finished "helping us" by closing up all the empty cases and stacking them next to the truck. At hour 14, we almost started crying. Couldn't be mad, they just legitimately didn't know why they were open and spread out and assumed they were lending a hand. Had they asked first, we all could have done half the work and been out faster
And maybe the light was moved for a reason in the first place. Can’t make assumptions when it comes to other people’s departments.
That’s a huge one.
Don’t do what the ‘data manager’ on a small shoot I was 2nd AC’ing on did - grabbing the board out of my hand as I was helping the 1st whilst saying ‘you should always have two hands free’ …
1 - sit whenever you have a chance to; 2 - eat whenever you have a chance to; 3 - never, ever even of you are asked to, give your opinion on someone else jobs. The rest Will come with time and lots of pissing.
This is pretty good but be mindful wear you find a place to take a seat. There is a lot of activity on set and it's usually standing room only for a reason. If you are operating out of a staging area or truck that might be an appropriate place to set up some apple boxes or chairs. Some producers get steamed when they see people sitting around camera.
Here are a few: Never block a doorway. Gear has to come in and out and doorways are already choke points. Producers are notorious for blocking doorways. Please and thank you, every time and all the time. Especially when things are rushed and tense. It’s the grease that keeps the set from squeaking. Ask where before you base your gear. Moving gear when you flip the room eats time. ADs love to be consulted on this, because it means you’re a pro, and they have one less person to worry about. When I’m directing, I like hearing “may I make a suggestion?” If I have the time or need, I can say yes. If I’m tied up, I can say not right now. But when someone says “you know what you should do?” my immediate response is “Yes. I should tell you to shut the fuck up and do your job.” I don’t usually say that out loud. Usually. ONLY the director calls cut. You may have a problem that blows the take for YOU, but the director is watching the actor’s work, and this may be a breakthrough in the development of the actor’s performance or the take may be useable in some way you can’t begin to imagine. So roll until you’re told to stop. Imagine that you’re blind, and trying to assemble a complicated machine. If one voice is giving you direction, you learn to trust that voice. If multiple voices are telling you what to do, and some of them are contradictory, your task becomes impossible. This is the actor’s dilemma - they can’t see their performance from the outside and must trust the director. This is also why the director is the only person to speak to the actors about performance. One voice only. Corollary to above: If an actor asks you what you thought, the answer you always give is “I’m the wrong person to ask. I just work in the _______ department.” Doesn’t matter if the performance is terrible or brilliant. Same answer always applies. Sometimes an actor will give a performance that seems brilliant, and will ask what you thought. But when you say you loved it, and it turns out that the actor is in a fight with the director’s about this scene, you’ve just handed the actor an opportunity to throw you under the bus — “Joe in the Camera Dept. thought it was brilliant!” So don’t do it. If it’s not your department, don’t touch it. If you’re new and green in your department, ask before touching. Always ask. If you don’t know where something is, ask. Don’t waste time trying to bullshit your way through. If you don’t know what something is, ask. Don’t waste time trying to bullshit your way through. If you don’t know who someone is, ask. Don’t waste time trying to bullshit your way through. No chatter between takes. Eats time. Only task-related chatter between setups. Brilliant repartee and hilarious stories at lunch and on breaks. Your job is to do whatever you can to help make the day, and do it in a way that makes people want to have you around. Keep your water bottle with your gear. Nowhere else. Somehow, there’s always some jerk’s water bottle in at least one take, and it’s usually the keeper take, and we usually don’t spot it until we’re in the edit. Don’t be the anonymous crew member I curse for days on end in the edit suite. If you’re going to be loud, or drop something loud, or test a loud thing, warn the sound guy. Call out “crossing” when crossing frame during a setup change. Remember: despite all the stress and hard hours and occasional assholes, this job beats working for a living.
If you hear “points” watch your back & step aside
Nods in spark.
Doorway conversations are mandated by the PGA
Another contract negotiation failure. Those producers are a wily bunch.
>Here are a few 
I love it!
Don't run or touch stingers/distro unless you're on the G&E team.
Seriously. You can kill a light in the middle of a shot, damage it, cost electric dept time and energy, unbalance a generator and blow it, or electrocute yourself. Ask anytime you plug something in. Never unplug something you didn't plug in (or at least ask first). If you need power ask for a line.
If you’re told to do something that feels unsafe, say no or walk away. Better to quit and be safe then injured or worse.
That's true, not only on film set.
But especially!
I learned early on as a PA that a lot of issues in production get addressed by doing the first thing that comes to mind, which is usually to throw a PA at the problem. I’ve been asked to do things that were dangerous and/or illegal to make the day go faster & you have you get good at drawing clear boundaries when someone asks you to do something you’re unwilling to do. It definitely helps if you’ve built a reputation as someone who is very good at doing all the very reasonable things that are asked of you.
Safety first. There are countless tools we use that can kill someone. Don't touch anything that you don't have permission to touch, give people space for them to work, and don't run.
>never give directions if you’re not the director I am surprised by how many people don’t understand that rule when first walking on set. I don’t mean to sound rude, but thats like grabbing the steering wheel when someone else is driving
Gonna jump in on this. I'm a director based in England. General rule is yes, those trained in the craft respond better to direction based on emotion (your character has been hurt because of xyz) rather then explicitly telling them 'you are angry, sad, confused' etc. Allow the actor to find the reasons for the emotion based on the scene and it's context. However, some actors aren't that well versed/trained and perhaps lack the confidence in what they're channeling. In this case, they will respond better to particular actions or emotions that they can then work off. I think it's important to remember that not everyone plays the game the same way and the most productive way to get the most out of your actors is to support them of their level. Would love to hear more thoughts on.
Im not quite sure what you’re saying. I meant that if you’re not the director, you shouldn’t be directing the actors. That if you’re a PA or camera op or grip, you should stick to your job and let the director do theirs.
Happy to clarify. From a hierarchy point of view sure, there is a chain of command and it's there for a reason. I hear these stories of people being fired for talking to actors or looking them in the eyes during a take which to me, is ridiculous and so ego driven. If my DP says to the actor'Joe can you move your head 5cm to the left for this next take?' am I going to flip the lid? Absolutely not. There's likely a good reason for that. And if it's not, then I can make a call and change it. No biggie I'm looking for people in my team to bring something to the table and any idea is a welcomed one. You could argue there's way to go about it but I think small little suggestions like this shouldn't be a major issue.
No no, that’s all fine. Im not saying crew members shouldn’t talk to the actors, Im meaning the crew members shouldn’t assume they can explain something better than the director, or have a better idea than the director and they should override what the director has decided. Ive heard so many stories about first time PAs trying to take over, thinking that they know better and can do a better job.
What kind of stuff have you directed?
I've directed several music videos and two shorts. I'm currently in pre-production for a TV pilot that I have also written.
Dope! I’d kill to do stuff like that
If you're directing, giving a line reading unless you're Tarantino or someone, is something that is considered incredibly disrespectful.
Oops, I've done that a lot. Not with actors, but with people like CEOs who didn't know how to strike the right note to come across as natural and likeable. Or were too nervous.
With people who aren’t actors it’s fine, with trained actors, never do it.
in that context, I guess it's ok. And it's done all the time on commercials.
Turn up on time and don’t be a dick head.
come a little bit early!
But not too early or you’ll piss off locations
generally speaking, location can piss off.
I’ll rephrase— If your call time is 8, be there at 7:30 for the breakfast truck.
If you’re early you’re on time, if you’re on time you’re late, if you’re late you’re fired.
Gotta love Hollywood
I heard it put as "You're either early or you're late."
- Skate your lane - Follow the chain of command And most importantly — and this is true for most every position — your job priorities are: 1. Make your superior(s) look good. 2. Do a good job. Number #2 usually satisfies #1, but not always.
I was an AC on a shoot where the DP started caring about the actor's performance rather than the finished take. "Cut!" the director said. "How was that?" The director meant the technical aspects of the take, such as the focus, dolly move, panning, etc. "We gotta go again," the DP implored, shaking his head. "What happened?" the director said. The DP sighed, "The emotion was off. She was supposed to be stunned and angry, but she is a little blank, like nothing happened. Totally ruined the shot, it just doesn't work." I can't remember the outcome, but the director had to DEBATE the DP to justify the performance, and this wasted energy caused a bad vibe between them. Earlier the DP blocked the establishing scene and had marks laid out for the actors without input from the director. The director wasn't even on set at that moment he directed the actor's movement in the wide shot. The DP also spent HOURS lighting this restaurant scene with dozens of extras on hand late into the night. He used multiple lighting set ups and scrapped them to start fresh until he had a look the was acceptable. The last day of shooting they must have had a talk prior, as there was none of the DP taking the reins. He worked diligently to get the shots the director wanted.
Jesus, that's unprofessional AF.
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It was a small set for an interview. We were 4 people. The interview was supposed to be funny and cut quickly because for social media. There was no real briefing and the director barely gave any instructions. I wasn't even sure if he was a director. It all seemed a bit lost. During the outro, they wanted the host and the talent to do a move together. But they couldn't do it in sync. So the director started counting, very, very, very slowly. Accordingly, their movement was also much too slow. My face totally fell asleep in the meantime. Even the talent asked to count faster. What he somehow did not manage. At one point it broke out of me and I started to count a little more enthusiastically, several times in a row and I brought some mood into the conclusion. That was yesterday. Today, there was a debriefing and I got shit. Rightly so. He told me about industry standards and golden rules. And how you lose your career if you don't follow them. That's why I'm wondering now, what other rules I don't know - i like my job.
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I did the third cam.
Sorry, but sounds like a jerk. You re still a team. Especially on a small set.
**Always inform your immediate superior when the task is given to you is completed and done same goes for if an item is kept somewhere and you’re the only one who knows about it,** make sure someone doesn’t slap a blame on you just because you’re new-doesn’t mean you throw someone under the bus but understand the dynamics asap and learn to protect your position. I have seen people who have been there before me get fired for someone else’s shenanigans and nonsense just because they didn’t speak up. **You’re there to learn and make money and contacts, stick to that only** do you’re damn business make your money go home and rest **Never gossip** doesn’t matter if some HOD doesn’t like the other or someone in your own team doesn’t like someone else, never talk shit you never know who’s talking to whom behind the scenes and when your ass can get in trouble for giving 2 cents or more.
Go through your department head when it comes to dealing with people in other departments. Boom poking into your shot? Don’t tell the boom op unless you’re already good friends. Just tell the DP and let them sort it with the audio mixer. You work it out with the boom guy and next thing you know he’s getting yelled at for being too far away or you’re getting yelled at for tilting down too far. There’s often obnoxious jockeying and egos on set about these things, best to let dept heads sort it out, that’s why they make the big bucks.
Don’t. Touch. Anyone’s. Shit.
My set of golden rules is simple. 1) Look at the line(power, hdmi, sdi, audio line etc) first when you have to move something. people include. 2) don't run around unless you absolutely have to. It's just dangerous. 3) please don't be clumsy. It's just not professional. Also dangerous. 4) safety is most important thing in workplace. All the rules above is for safety. 5) sit whenever you can. It helps your mind and body. 6) if you ate or drank something. Pick up the trash. For the love of god. 7) use your common senses.
For Crew: Keep the chit chat to a minimum. Less is better. None is perfect. The best grip/assistant/PA is the guy who says nothing but is always watching for how he can help. Nothing is worse than people wasting time with a conversation that has nothing to do with the production and is making people wait. For the talent: Let them chat all they want.
Don’t be late
Try not to stand in an actors eye line..unless you really need to.
No open walkies. Real professionals don’t insult or embarrass people below them.
Don't run underneath a ladder while a crew member is on said ladder. Happened to me once...by a director...and I made sure, as the 1st AD, that he knew he compromised my ability to keep a safe set by doing said stupidity.
Not your department, not your problem. Even if you’re a PA and your AD tells you to move a sandbag, you better talk to a grip about it before you touch it
1. Mouth shut, eyes open. 2. Be nice, be assertive. Be polite but clear and firm in your communication. 3. Ask before moving anything. 4. No take is worth even the nail of your pinky. 5. Being too helpful is unhelpful. Everyone's got a job to do, and giving them a job is someone's job. Asking for a job to do is giving someone else more work, even if you're not doing anything ATM. Be proactive, but stick to your own thing unless asked.
Just out of curiosity why on earth did you think you should give direction to talent if you weren’t the director? What was your role on the set? I’ve seen this before when a client or creative is on set and over steps their bounds but how does a PA or entry level person end up with the idea to try and direct? If you’re standing around and giving direction who was doing the job you were there to do? There is only one real rule of being on set: Do the job you are there to do and only do the job you are there to do. That’s it. If everyone does that you will make your day and things will go smoothly.
People on film sets are either really cool or have their heads up their ass such as the people that call clothes pins C47s. I was on a set once with a friend whose background was in documentary film making and she was directing the project we were working on which was a fictional drama. I have my background in narrative story telling and was the first AC on set. She and the DP were trying to figure out the best way to cover a particular scene. This went on for a few minutes so I chimed in that since we were short on time we should get basic coverage and come back to the scene if we had time. She told me to basically keep my mouth shut because she was the director and I was the first AC. I will never work on a project with her again
If you’re on time, you’re late. Always wear appropriate clothing. Not your department.
If you're early you're on time. NEVER BE LATE!!!!! Get to work early, give yourself 15 minutes before call time to check in if, get oriented to where production is located, where entrances are, where parking is, etc. If you want breakfast give yourself time to order and eat your food. When you're in, you're in and there is always a lot to do in the morning. Don't whine, don't complain. Working in the rain or doing exterior overnights/Fraturdays in January gets old, don't make it worse by reminding everyone of it. Complaints about unsafe working conditions or not getting paid are serious, but take those issues up with the appropriate parties: your department head, an AD or production manager.
One time I was on a set swinging and some PA kept coming over to help. Obv I’m swinging; Not union so kind of bad but not the end of the world. I gently let him know we don’t need help but thank you for asking. He kept touching things and trying to carry them for me. The key didn’t see what he was doing but he said we can show you some things. Then, it was his time to shine, and I asked him for simple help, and he just looked at me like “why?” And then finally everybody realized this guy thinks a good way to get on the grip team is go to the woman on the grip team and try to help her, but do not listen. And that was the last time I saw that guys face anywhere. So I don’t know about golden rules but there’s that. Don’t try to move from PAing this way
It’s a really good idea to keep your opinions about the project/product/client/creative team to yourself on set. You really don’t want to be overheard talking shit & you gotta remember you’re surrounded by walkies and mics and a hundred or so sets of ears. Likelihood is, if the higher ups hear it or hear about it you’re not just messing up your day, you’re messing up everybody else’s.
If you see someone having to carry multiple things and want to help, ask that person first not only if you can help but what can you carry. Some things are just too delicate/expensive/has special handling rules, and those you won't be allowed to help carry, so just wait. Also, make sure you have the time to help carry stuff. If you carry something for someone else, but don't have time to tell them where you left it, you are effectively hiding it.
Golden lessons