21

Miscellaneous

This chapter covers a few subjects that contribute to the smooth running of a production. From making sure your craft services will satisfy a crew to providing proper medical attention in case of an emergency, these extra items are sometimes afterthoughts but contribute to the morale of a crew. Throughout this chapter networking and different ways to find work are discussed. Finally, this chapter includes a brief discussion of unions and guilds, what they are for, and how to become a member.

Craft Services

Craft services are the food you provide your crew throughout the day. This food could range from potato chips to hot hors d’oeuvres. The quality of this service can either raise or lower the morale of your crew. Skimpy craft services may leave your crew feeling cheated, while abundant and wisely chosen craft services keep the crew happy and productive.

The Craft Services Person

Craft service people (known as “crafty”) vary in experience. The craft service person could be someone looking for a way to break into the industry or a union member who does craft services for a living. In very low budget, when paying a craft service person is a luxury, this job may unfortunately fall to the producer. In not-so-low to medium budget, usually one craft service person will suffice. On higher-budget shoots, a few craft service people or a craft services company are hired to cover each unit and location. Make sure there is enough of the right kind of craft services for the specific location. For instance, I once worked a shoot in the Mojave Desert that shot on a dry lakebed, in August (not the greatest scheduling!), so we made sure that craft services had an overabundance of water to keep the crew hydrated. I also worked a shoot once when it was 90 degrees outside all morning. Around midmorning the craft service person came to set with a snack: homemade, piping hot chocolate pudding. While the thought was appreciated, the choice was not.

It is a good idea to make sure your craft service person is familiar with the Industry-Wide Labor Management Safety Committee Safety Bulletins, which have an addendum called the “Guidelines for Food Service Providers and Craft Services.” The duties and responsibilities of the craft service person are as follows.

Pre-Production

• Checks with heads of departments for specific requests such as vegetarian preferences or favorite foods.
• Purchases craft service supplies, cups, plates, and so forth.
• Rents craft service supplies such as a coffeemaker, hot plate, and so forth.
• May need to rent a vehicle to transport craft services (low budget). In higher budget craft service companies have their own vehicles for transporting equipment and food.

Production

• Arrives on set a half hour before crew call to set up. Craft services should always be ready when the crew arrives, not just setting up.
• Works with the 2nd AD to determine the location for the craft services table.
• Prepares any mini craft services. For instance, the director may send the cameraperson off to get some shots, or a small crew may need to travel to get driving shots. The craft service person always makes sure a small cooler of drinks and snacks go with them.
• Replenishes craft service supplies throughout the day.
• May bring snacks to the set periodically.
• At the end of the day, wraps out the craft services table.
• Prepares craft services for the next day.

Choices for Good Craft Services

• Always have coffee ready when the crew arrives. Also, make sure coffee is available throughout the day.
• On hot days, supply saltier snacks, juice, and water. The salty snacks help the body retain fluid better, which fights against dehydration.
• On very cold days, provide hot chocolate and other hot beverages and have the craft service person bring them to set periodically.
• Choose foods appropriate to the season, such as fruits and vegetables.
• High-energy drinks are expensive, but crews love them.
• All snacks should be finger foods, easy to eat on the run.
• While some crew claim that they want healthy foods on set (and some will actually mean it), most really want the Twinkies and cookies. Provide both to keep them happy.
• Vary the selection of snacks from day to day so the crew will not become bored.
• Always keep the craft services table neat and clean. Presentation makes a difference.

Catering

Catering, as opposed to craft services, is used when you provide your crew with a meal. This meal could be breakfast, lunch, or dinner, depending on what time you begin shooting. Quite a few catering companies specialize in providing food for production crews. These caterers understand that they might be called on to provide a hot meal for over one hundred people in the middle of the night (because shooting began at 6 P.M.!).

Hiring Catering Companies

Catering on a production is used for the one sit-down meal of the day. A general rule is that the crew will have this meal no more than six hours after crew call. You may sometimes run into a situation where you will shoot overtime. Six hours after the crew has come back from lunch, if you do not wrap, you must offer them a second meal. In most cases, this is considered a walking meal. In low budget, this could consist of pizza or hoagies. In higher-budget projects, you have the option of having the caterer do the second meal.

There are many catering companies across the nation that specialize in catering for film crews. An Internet search will reveal many that you could contact. In low budget, if you cannot afford a catering company, you might hire individuals as independent contractors who will handle both craft services and catering. The best way to make your choice is through personal reference. If you don’t know anyone who has used a specific company, then go with the caterer who best fits your budget and food style. Most caterers feature their chefs on their website and in their promotional materials. Many caterers own mobile kitchens so they can prepare the food on site. Consequently, some caterers serve only a certain area of the country, although some larger caterers will go anywhere.

Contact the caterer and he will send you sample menus to give you an idea of what can be done. Once you choose the caterer, sign a contract for the duration of the shoot. Caterers generally charge by the person, so one piece of information they will need is the average number of crew and cast they will serve. This information will give them a better idea of what they can provide. During production the 2nd AD will call the caterer each day with the exact number of people to expect the next day.

The Last Supper

Traditionally, the last day of shooting warrants a big last supper for the crew. Many producers splurge for a special meal such as steak or lobster. The meal becomes a small celebration for the crew and cast. This meal can be ordered at any time during production. However, be sure to give your caterer plenty of notice in case the food has to be imported.

Set Massage Therapist

Crews work long hours in often stressful situations. Some productions, high budget mostly, will hire a set massage therapist to minister to crew members throughout the day or for a couple of hours per day. Again, this is a luxury, but your crew will love it.

Set Etiquette

Every production is different. Because each script is unique, new situations arise that lead to varying confrontations, conflicts, and procedures. However, some guidelines are common to most productions, from low to high budget.

• Unless you are the director or 1st AD, always work quietly and keep personal conversations to a minimum. Professional sets are kept very quiet.
• Do not bother the director with problems, suggestions, or unnecessary questions.
• If you are new to production, always ask for clarification if you do not understand an instruction. Pretending to know more than you do only makes you look foolish.
• Never make assumptions; clear communication is crucial to the smooth running of a set.
• Humility works better than pride. People will respect you more if you don’t try to be something you’re not. Don’t go around dropping names and credits. There will always be someone who has more experience than you.
• Follow-up is very important. If you give someone a task, check with him to make sure it is done. This is not an insult but competent production behavior.
• On professional sets, there should be a sense of urgency. People who work slowly will not survive a shoot trying to get twenty scenes in one day (low to medium budget).
• Make sure the crew knows its jobs. Most problems come from either someone not doing his job or someone doing someone else’s job.
• There are three kinds of people in the industry: those who work well, those who work fast, and those who work well and fast. It’s the last category of people that keep getting work.

Unions, Guilds, and Associations

Many unions and guilds may be associated with your shoot. Generally, union crew members are employed on productions that shoot in states that are not “right-to-work” states. Right-to-work states guarantee that any person has a right to work in that state. Thus, no one can be excluded from employment by the presence of a union. Often, medium- to high-budget shoots will have union crew. Low-budget shoots may not. It is always wise to check with the local film office in the area where you are shooting to find out if unions need to be involved in your shoot. Each union has its own governing rules, by which a production must abide. When using union crew, you must become signatory to that union for the duration of the shoot.

Guilds and associations are organizations to which crew members may belong. Each organization has rules regarding employment for its members. Most associations are a place for members to network and take part in workshops and seminars that are intended to keep them updated on the state of the industry or to discuss certain issues. An outline of the various unions, guilds, and associations follows. As membership requirements can change over time, they are not included here. Visit their websites for the most updated information on membership.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)

www.oscars.org

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) exists to advance the arts and sciences of motion pictures. The membership includes executives, producers, directors, writers, actors, art directors, cinematographers, editors, music producers, publicists, and animation, sound, and visual effects personnel. In addition to holding the annual Academy Awards, the academy has other functions:

• Sponsors the Governors Awards, Sci-Tech Awards, and Student Academy Awards.
• Offers an annual Nicholl Fellowship for screenwriters.
• Owns film research facilities.

Membership is by invitation of the board of governors for those who have achieved distinction in their field. Two members must sponsor a new membership.

Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS)

www.emmys.tv

The ATAS is a national organization devoted to various activities for the advancement and education of television. Membership consists of executives, producers, performers, announcers, newscasters, writers, craftspeople, directors, artists, designers, photographers, editors, academics, and entertainment attorneys. ATAS also has associate memberships for academics and students. Some of the academy’s activities and benefits include:

• The annual Emmy awards.
• A subscription to Emmy magazine along with newsletters of ongoing activities.
• Internships for students.
• A yearly faculty seminar that brings faculty from around the country to meet with industry professionals.
• Support with medical insurance and job listings.
• Has a charitable division, called the Television Academy Foundation.
• Various seminars and screenings.

Actors’ Equity Association (AEA)

www.actorsequity.org

The AEA is a labor union for actors and stage managers in the professional theater.

• Has an audition hotline.
• Membership requires a fee and previous employment under an equity contract or prior membership in various performing arts unions.
• Provides email services, a production rulebook, and a document library.
• Provides pension and health benefits and tax assistance.

American Federation of Musicians (AFM)

www.afm.org

The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) represents the interests of professional musicians. The organization works to negotiate fair agreements, protect ownership of music, and lobby legislators. AFM believes in the fight against online music piracy and is dedicated to protecting artists in record deals and recording contracts. Some of its membership benefits include:

• Health and pension plans.
• Helping members with loans, credit, cars, legal services, and insurance.
• Free music contracts.
• Discounts on various goods and services.
• A booking program that provides employers with information on artists.
• A subscription to International Musician.

American Film Market (AFM)

www.americanfilmmarket.com

The American Film Market is an event where independent filmmakers can attempt to secure distribution for their projects. Filmmakers, production companies, and distributors from over sixty-five countries attend the market. They hold hundreds of screenings during the event. The market is held in Santa Monica, California. During this time, the AFM also holds luncheons and seminars for industry personnel. AFM also presents the AFM Independence Award to a producer who has exemplified the independent spirit.

American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP)

www.ascap.com

ASCAP is the association that protects the rights of composers, lyricists, songwriters, and music publishers. It should be contacted if you are using music owned by any of its members. Royalties may be necessary for the artist if you use her music.

• Has over 500,000 composers, songwriters, lyricists, and music publishers.
• Licenses and pays royalties (minus their operating costs) for public performances of copyrighted works, including on the Internet.
• Gives out scholarships, grants, and awards.
• Provides health, life, long-term care, instrument, equipment, and studio insurance.
• Provides access to a credit union.
• Provides online registration of music titles.
• Has a database (called ACE) of song titles, including information regarding the publisher of the song along with contact information.
• There is a one-time application fee to join and no annual dues.

Casting Society of America (CSA)

www.castingsociety.com

The CSA is an association for casting directors in film, television, and theater. It has more than 350 members throughout the world, including the United States, Canada, England, Australia, and Italy. Membership can have the following benefits:

• Use of the CSA designation in screen and print credits.
• CSA-sponsored events.
• Posting of jobs.
• Invitations to industry screenings.
• Business contact referral service.
• Posting of members’ resumes and a membership directory online.
• CSA-sponsored committees and events.
• An upper-level membership tier with more benefits.

Directors Guild of America (DGA)

www.dga.org

The DGA represents directors, unit production managers, assistant directors, technical coordinators, associate directors, stage managers, and production associates.

• Monitors guild requirements for directors, such as having the director’s name appear in all advertising and publicity associated with a project.
• Provides legal information, representation, and arbitration.
• Monitors residuals.
• Holds seminars for its members and programs for its minority members.
• Supports production incentives through political activism.
• Has minority committees such as the African American Steering Committee, Asian American Committee, Ethnic Diversity Steering Committee, Independent Directors Committee, Latino Committee, and the Women’s Steering Committee.
• Provides networking through events and meetings.

The Film Foundation

www.film-foundation.org

The Film Foundation is an organization of industry personnel interested in preservation and restoration of films. It merged with the former Artists Rights Foundation to form the Artists Rights Education Legal Defense Fund, which advocates for artists’ rights by holding public events, national campaigns, and educational programs.

• Publishes a newsletter with special events listings.
• To join, contact the Foundation and provide a donation of $50 or more.

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)

www.iatse.net

IATSE is a union for crew members. Nearly all below-the-line personnel on a production would belong to IATSE or the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET), another union described later.

• Exists to protect laborers’ work rights.
• Provides health benefits, vacation pay, and a pension plan.
• Requires contractual contributions from employers. In other words, the production pays for benefits for the crew member.
• Holds production seminars for its members.
• Has a couple of financial assistance plans.
• Provides discounts on various goods and services.
• Publishes an online magazine called The Official Bulletin.

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

www.ibew.org

IBEW represents workers in utilities, construction, telecommunications, broadcasting, manufacturing, railroads, and government, with members in the United States and Canada. Membership includes workers in radio, television, and recording.

International Documentary Association (IDA)

www.documentary.org

The IDA supports documentary filmmakers with a variety of services. Its members include producers, directors, writers, editors, camera operators, musicians, researchers, technicians, journalists, educators, distributors, cable and broadcast executives, film festivals, and members of the public in forty countries and forty-six states. Membership includes:

• Complimentary subscription to their Documentary magazine.
• Access to Doc U seminars online.
• Lists members in their directory.
• Discounts to IDA events, such as DocuDay and the IDA Documentary Awards.
• Discounts to education programs, including Doc U workshops and seminars.
• Access to 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.
• Eligibility to vote for Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short in the IDA documentary awards.
• Invitation to annual Friends of IDA Mixer.

Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)

www.mpaa.org

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) was founded in 1922 to restore a favorable image for movies and now works to protect content for filmmakers as well as deal with the American rating system and research. They have offices in various countries around the world. The MPAA holds the national rating system for movies. This rating system is voluntary. Producers submit their films, pay a fee, and will then receive a rating certificate.

National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)

www.nab.org

NAB is a full-service trade association that represents radio and television broadcasters. Their memberships include radio stations, television stations, cable and satellite companies, international broadcasters, and equipment manufacturers. Membership is also available to educators and students. Some of its benefits include:

• Technical, research, and information resources.
• A career center, newsletters, convention and conference discounts, and publication discounts.
• A benefits program.
• Discounts on insurance, car rentals, and credit cards.

National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET)

www.nabetcwa.org

NABET is a union for people employed in broadcasting, distributing, telecasting, cable, and sound recording. It is the broadcasting and cable television workers’ sector of the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The CWA is a union for communications, broadcasting, cable, television, journalism, publishing, electronics, and manufacturing.

• Provides wages and benefits such as health and pension.
• Monitors working conditions and employment security provisions.
• Provides training and scholarships to members.
• Has a retirement council to help former members.
• Headquartered in Washington, DC.

Producers Guild of America (PGA)

www.producersguild.org

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) is made up of executive producers, producers, and associate producers. Most producers belong to this guild, which offers:

• Regular networking opportunities.
• Access to current job postings, and three Job Forums: Episodic Television, Non-Fiction Television, and Motion Picture/Long-form Television.
• Eligibility for employer-paid medical and dental coverage as well as pension in the Motion Picture and Television Industry Plan.
• Discounted registration to the annual Produced By Conference.
• Voting privileges for the Producers Guild Awards.
• Eligibility for group discount rates for a self-pay insurance plan.
• Free (or discounted) seminars in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.
• Weekly email newsletters.
• Access to the PGA’s multi-tiered Mentoring Program.
• Year-round screening program in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco featuring pre-release studio and independent features.
• Subscription to the PGA’s official bi-monthly Produced By magazine.
• Various discounts on goods and services.
• Inclusion in the online PGA Membership Roster and availability lists.

Screen Actors Guild—American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA)

www.sagaftra.org

SAG-AFTRA is a union made up of SAG and AFTRA, which joined together in 2012. SAG is the union for actors in television and motion pictures. AFTRA represents actors in news and broadcasting, entertainment programming, recording business, and commercial and nonbroadcast industrial and educational media. Members include actors, announcers, news broadcasters, singers, dancers, sportscasters, disc jockeys, talk show hosts, and others. Member benefits include:

• Contracts/collective bargaining. SAG-AFTRA negotiates wages and working conditions.
• Pension, health, and retirement benefits.
• A conservatory that offers acting and casting workshops.
• The SAG-AFTRA Foundation, an educational, humanitarian, and philanthropic 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (www.sagaftrafoundation.org).
• An online casting directory called iActor.
• Discounts on entertainment, car rentals, insurance, medical visits, prescriptions, real estate, legal services, and more.
• Resources to organize nonunion productions and sign them to SAG-AFTRA contracts.
• Contracts for low-budget and student films.
• A division called SAGindie, which works with independent filmmakers (www.sagindie.org).
• Discount theater tickets in certain areas.
• Meetings and information regarding the use of minors.
• SAG-AFTRA magazine.
• Voting rights on issues and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
• Positions on committees or serving on the National or Division Board of Directors or Local Council.

Writers Guild of America (WGA)

www.wga.org

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is a labor union that represents writers of motion picture and television screenplays. If you hire a WGA writer, you need to become signatory to the WGA. It also has a widely used script registration service, open to anyone. The WGA will register your script with the guild for five years, after which the registration may be renewed. Some of the services the WGA provides include:

• Contract negotiation.
• A database of writers for producers to search.
• Health and pension benefits.

Summary

Craft services are a small but important part of your production if you want to keep a crew happy. Make sure your craft service people know and understand the specific needs of a crew. Just as important is hiring the right catering company that understands the proclivities of a production schedule. While all sets are different, there are certain aspects of production etiquette common to most productions, which include proper behavior on set and knowing one’s job. Finally, many different unions and guilds might be associated with your show. Each one provides networking opportunities, some provide benefits, and most help to monitor and protect their members.