Each production gets a certain amount of equipment that I suppose someone deemed was enough to make a film. This is a standard package that has the camera, big and little sticks, dolly, dolly track, assortment of lights, sandbags, apple boxes, c-stands, light stands,...
Film School
How to be a Best Boy Electric
Show up for check-out, or worse - the truck is transferred over to you from the previous show. Open the door to find everything in disarray. Curse the previous crew under your breath as you shift through all the special equipment that should have been taken off and is...
New Set, Different Job
Saturday was picture wrap for the show I Key Gripped, but there's no time to recover as yesterday started a brand new show where I'm Best Boy Electric. Most of the crew that I worked with Thursday-Saturday is also on this show. The sudden shift is slightly weird. You...
How to be a Key Grip
Before production, oversee checkout and make sure everything is loaded on the truck properly. You're responsible for its safekeeping. Pickup truck from the Film School during production. The Key Grip is the driver. Make sure you get to set before call time, because...
So Long XL1…
A few hours ago (3pm) I got a phone call from Keith, head of the Equipment Room. Keith: "I need the camera back." Me: "Today?" Keith: "Yeah, by four. No, like a quarter to four, I have to do some paperwork with it. If I don't get it back today I have to file a police...
Make a UPM Kit
During my first semester in the Film School we had a Production Management class. In it we were required to create a UPM kit. Shopping for these items brought back grade school memories. Here's what we had to pickup: One portable file box or satchel - the UPM kit One...
Who Produces What?
Since thesis films have started, there's been some confusion as to what the difference is between the Unit Production Manager (UPM) and Second Assistant Director (Second AD), both first year jobs. On F3s, there was only a Second AD and everything seemed to work out...
How To Get 50 Zombies
One of the main producing responsibilities is casting. The upcoming film I'm Unit Production Manager on (let's call it Bush Zombie) has an epic battle scene where we need as many zombies as possible. Getting extras to show up can sometimes be a challenge. People might...
Getting the Greenlight
I had another Director's Prep today and discovered a formality that I never knew existed. This prep was considerably longer than the last one I attended being that it's a double show, and a quite unique double show at that. It's being co-directed, co-written, co-shot,...