Being on set is kind of like being in a war zone where your enemy is time. The only way you’re going to make it through the day is for the entire crew to work like a well oiled machine and the best way to do that is to follow these simple unwritten commandments.

1. Thou Shalt not be Late. If you’re going to show up late you’re going to be fired, simple as that.
2. Thou Shalt be prepared. Bring your own gear, don’t expect anyone to let you borrow their tools. And it’s not fun to touch lights without gloves.
3. Thou Shalt obey the chain of command. Sets can be very dangerous which is why it’s very hierarchical. It keeps you and those you work with safe.
4. Thou Shalt not participate in gossip. Not for any noble reason really, it’s just that you can’t tell whose in charge just by what they’re wearing. A young man in a t-shirt and jeans could be a producer and you’d be out the door if you talked smack about the production to him! Also, it’s noble.
5. Thou Shalt not touch equipment or props from another department. This is a pretty simple one, you’re not in charge of it so it’s not your responsibility. This won’t get you in trouble, but it’ll get whoever is in charge of that piece of equipment in trouble.
6. Thou Shalt not wander off. You’re being paid to be on set, stay there. If you need a pick-me-up, let your department head know you’re going to hit the craft table for a second.
7. Thou Shalt leave the talent alone. Ever try acting? It’s harder than it looks so let them concentrate.
8. Thou Shalt leave the director alone. Ever try directing? It’s harder than it looks so let them concentrate. If you need anything from the director, ask your department head. You guessed it, it’s a chain of command thing.
9. Thou Shalt not sit in chairs unless your name is on them. Do you really have to ask why?
10. Thou Shalt not bring visitors to set. Sets are busy dangerous places and the more people are there, the more dangerous they become. Besides, it’s never fun when your mom walks up to Angelina Jolie in the middle of a shot to get her autograph.

Pretty basic rules, but follow them. You’ll be glad you did! Have any amendments? Leave them in the comments!

Related posts:

1. Slideshow On Directing Film and Video
2. 8 “Obvious” Things a Director Should Know

Tags: filmmaking, Production, set procedure

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 at 9:34 am and is filed under Production. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.