Filmmaking / Directing : Set Etiquette - My July Filmmakers Club Post for Week 2 by Maurice Vaughan

Great conversation starter, Maurice! I'd say that despite this one being so obvious, you'd be surprised how often it's broken sometimes, especially on smaller indie films: QUIET when the 1st AD calls "Picture Up!". That means stop all work too, not just talking. Sometimes a set can be so fun to work on, that people forget that at the end of the day, it's work and we need to get the day's schedule shot.

It's basically the military, orders flow down, never up. Just do the job you're paid to do, dont be a hero, and cover your ass from bullshit politics on-set.

William Joseph Hill - that's a good one. Being a 1st AD, I appreciate when people aren't still working after the bell goes off!

Maurice, definitely a great question. One thing that comes to mind - being aware everyone crew member has a job to do. No commenting on how long it takes or why it's needed from other departments. As an AD, I'm not skilled in Make up or lighting, for instance. I can ask questions as to what is needed to be ready because it's not always obvious. But I don't feel it's my place to tell someone it's not necessary. Not my expertise. I've got to think on this and will reply again if I come up with more!

Thanks for sharing, William Joseph Hill. I knew quiet on set meant no talking, but I didn't know it meant stopping all work. It makes sense though. If someone was working and knocked something over, it could ruin the scene.

Thanks for sharing, Dan MaxXx. What do you mean don't be a hero?

Great points, Xochi Blymyer! Thanks for sharing. Say a person has a problem with another person on set within a department. Who would handle the problem? The department head?

Maurice Vaughan meaning just do your job and exactly that job. If I saw problems with different depts, I kept quiet. Not my place to tell professionals how to do their jobs.

What if a person sees a dangerous issue in another dept, Dan MaxXx?

Dan is just focusing on the job. Safety is everyone's business, and it's communicated, "If you see something, say something." Sadly no matter how many times this is repeated on a set accidents still happen because people don't speak up.

Gotcha, Lindbergh E Hollingsworth. Thanks. People should definitely speak up when they see safety issues. I think it's also about studios, companies, and filmmakers encouraging people to speak up. I'm sure some studios, companies, and filmmakers are doing that.

Some of the things I have learned from being on sets and from friends and family actively working in the business is to have a good attitude and always come prepared and to be flexible. The plan can change at the drop of a dime and you have to be prepared to pivot. And time is money, and no one as the time or the money to wait for someone who doesn't show up prepared to do their part. And a poor attitude can ruin a set very quickly. I liken it to the idiom: "One tree can make a million matches but all it takes to burn down a million trees is the fire from one match."

Thanks for sharing the things you learned, Brandy Camille. You're right. A poor attitude can ruin a set very quickly. I've heard of people having poor attitudes on set and cast/crew not wanting to work with them again.

Maurice Vaughan - it would start with department heads and then go up to the UPM or Producer if a problem - if it's a harassment issue, that would work it's way to HR. Issues within a department, someone outside that department can raise a concern but doesn't tell the other department how to do their job. A Dangerous issue, someone may go to the 1st AD on the set and proceed from there. Lindbergh is correct that safety is always stressed on sets but I disagree, accidents are not common, at least not on sets that I have been on or know of. Yes, accidents happen but all precautions are taken and crew members or cast do speak up if they see something. In my experience, people speak up. I always welcome questions from anyone if only to assure them what has been done to prepare and make something safe. If I don't know the answer, for instance if it's a special effects question, I'd find the special effects coordinator, and get the answer before moving ahead with that special effect.

Thanks, Xochi Blymyer. I hope every set makes safety the #1 priority. No movie is worth someone getting hurt or dying.

Be nice to everyone, and I mean everyone. You would be shocked at how many, big names in our industry started off as a first-time PA. You never know where these relationships will lead. But even if they don't, life is so much better when you aren't acting like an ass.

Great advice to work by and live by, Tom Lapke! Thanks for sharing.

That advice is better than gold Tom Lapke My family is from the South and the way that we say that is "ya catch more flies with honey than ya do with vinegar." I also love the example of the fashion designer Christian Siriano, who says that he believes that that the reason for his longevity and success in such a fickle industry (he is a former winner of Project Runway) is because he believes that being kind is just good business. Kindness is efficient. It's just the easiest way to get people to get things done, and it makes people easier to deal with when they do most of the time. Aside from being professional, being kind is just the right thing to do as a human being. I'd take a kind person who can Google things over an expert with a shitty attitude any and every day.

Maurice Vaughan Great post!!! I believe in being kind to everyone on set, no matter who the person is. The long days can be stressful and you'd be surprised how far positivity can go when in a stressful environment.

Tom Lapke gives such important and valuable advice here. A set is a family and kindness is a gift you can bring to the table every day.

I'll add, when coming up, especially in the production department, never say "I don't know". Try always saying "I'll find out for you" and then get the information as efficiently as you can to share. Folks on set need information and it's one big ecosystem so if one person is waiting for some intel there's a chance the production may be waiting on them. And then back to Tom... be nice every step of the way on each task.

My family's from the South too, Brandy Camille. I've heard that saying a lot.

You're right, Ayah Alhabbal. I've heard different people say Keanu Reeves is kind to people on and off set.

I favor crew-members that have read and understood the script. For detail in pictures its important crew members add from their creative profession. I don't like just another day at the job, that makes mediocre movie productions.

GREAT question! A film and TV set is almost a living, breathing thing. It has moving parts, it flows, it breathes, it has a heart and a soul, and it requires care and nurturing. It is also a place in which time and money constraints, combined with there being several people in (usually) a limited amount of space can lead to stress and anxiety. The best thing we can do is bring a positive attitude to that set everyday. Be kind and considerate, respect the material, respect your co-workers and respect the time and money being spent to bring this script to life. Always be willing to roll up your sleeves and help out in any way you can. Just be nice, be a source of positivity and level headed calm in the midst of this intense work flow. Oh, and keep the set clean and organized, no littering or loose cables/gear etc!

Thanks for sharing, Nick Phillips! "Always be willing to roll up your sleeves and help out in any way you can." Great attitude to have on set and for everything in this industry! And great way to learn! I'm sure that attitude will lead to networking and opportunities sometimes too.

Maurice Vaughan when you do make it to a set you’ll be very prepared and ahead of the Game!!!!

You're right, Nathan Waire! I'm a sponge right now.

What great advice, y'all. Yes, another of us from the South. Kindness and respect go ever so far to create smooth-running sets and long-running relationships, be they just professional or also personal. I'm still close friends and still work with some people I met on my first set, and on up over the years. // Also, the chain-of-command is vital to a smooth-running shoot. It's really not difficult to create a set where everyone's opinions are welcomed, just keep them channeled through the command structure for greatest efficiency. And never forget to acknowledge those who come up with a good idea. // Thanks for posing the question, Maurice, and for all the valuable insights from the rest of you.

@Tom Lapke What are some ways I could become a first-time AD or work for one? Isn't the job too stressful when just starting to break into the industry?

You're welcome, Pamela Jaye Smith. Thanks for sharing the great advice!

Xochi Blymyer wrote a blog about ADs, Yehuda Siegal and everyone who's interested: www.stage32.com/blog/the-role-of-an-ad-assistant-director-on-set-3784

I'm LOVING all of these great insights and tips!

Yehuda Siegal, I second Maurice's advice! Xochi's blog today is fantastic. A great way to begin working toward being an AD is to start as a Production Assistant and work on as many sets as you can to learn from the ADs there. Stage 32 has a great Master Certification program for Production Assistants- https://stage32.myabsorb.com/#/curricula/a8f1a07e-d4e4-4136-8a9b-c70e5d1...

I've noticed that a number of institutions, including Stage32, offer courses on "set etiquette." I must admit, for somebody who has been in the business for long time, I find it bizarre that some people today don't know how to behave on a working film set. Thirty years ago, it would never have occurred to anybody that it would be necessary to teach crew members how to conduct themselves while making a movie.

Gare Cline, it was the first thing that we focused on during my first year of film school. All of our teachers, especially in the first semester, really drove home how important it was for us to learn set etiquette and make sure that the rhythm and rules of a production set became second-nature as quickly as possible.

Best etiquette: Keep a relaxed set. You are making entertainment, not curing cancer. Let your cast and crew enjoy the process of filmmaking. Be respectful of their time and don't schedule excessively long shoot days. As Director, come prepared and know your scenes and shots. Feed people decent food.

Well said, Christopher. All so true.

Thanks for commenting, Christopher Maes. How many hours should a shoot be per day?

I love Willem Elzenga 's tip for crew to understand the script -- that would be so great if the whole crew understood the day's plan. If you know how I plan on shooting the scheduled scenes, you can anticipate when you're going to be needed.

When I'm working only as an actor, if I ever get a chance to see storyboards, I always study them. So when I hear the shot being called, I'll know what the framing should be and how much I can move, etc. The call sheet will list the scheduled scenes for the day so being able to match those up in the script is critical to know when you're going to have to be ready.

As a Director, I've always made my storyboards and shot list available before we shoot, but you'd be surprised on how many don't take advantage of that. My most recent film has a lot of VFX that necessitated a particular way to shoot. I can tell who did their "homework" once we're on set. (Usually it's my DP and 1stAD who've studied up.) And on my sets, I work a 12 hour elapsed day, so a detailed shot list and storyboards are essential if I want to make my day.

And, to answer Yehuda's question about breaking in as a 1st AD, the easiest way is to volunteer to be a PA on a shoot. If you've never been on a set before, it's really the best way to learn how everyone does their job. And on a smaller indie production, I guarantee you will get to do more than just PA. My PA ended up doing grip work, assistant camera, gaffing, etc. -- so I'm giving them multiple credits in IMDB because they really helped us finish all our scenes/shots each day.

Great points, Willem Elzenga! Thanks for sharing them.

Those are great ideas, William Joseph Hill! Studying storyboards and shot lists. Kinda like watching tape before a sports game. I'm sure it'll save time if people on set did those things.

I think scheduling 10 hour workdays is preferable. By the time you have the crew call 1 hour before and deal with set strike/wrap at the end, it's more like 12 hours. In my experience, when you work longer days than this you invite mistakes or fatigue. There are exceptions, of course - a location you only have access to for 1 day, or the last day of a shoot. But it's a good rule of thumb & part of etiquette I believe.

Ok, thank you, Christopher Maes.

Thank you, William Joseph Hill , Ashley Renee Smith , Maurice Vaughan , and @Xochi Blymyer!

You're welcome, Yehuda Siegal.

Hey All, This week's blog is now LIVE with the week 4 July Filmmakers Club challenges! Anyone participating this week will be eligible for one of the 3 DaVinci Resolve Editing Licenses I'll be giving away on Friday. Don't miss out! The blog can be found here: https://www.stage32.com/blog/july-filmmakers-club-week-4-the-real-reel-a...