6:15 am.
You arrive at “set” which is actually a parking lot near an alleyway. Turns out the alleyway IS the set. Set dressers run around placing garbage and dumpsters as the production designer fixes a graffiti wall with a misspelling done by the scenic artist. A catering truck it parked near an old RV which has a sign “production office’ hanging from the door. A door held together with gaf tape and hope.
You walk over and see three other young, enthusiastic crew members shivering in the brisk morning air. You quickly introduce yourselves, and you’ve forgotten most of their names already. But you have a call sheet, where, thankfully, everyone’s job and name is listed.
The 2nd AD comes out of the trailer, lights a cigarette and tells you that you’re late. Everyone grabs a walkie talkie, switches to channel 1 and the day begins.
As you help set up the catering tables and grab a cup of coffee, the rest of the crew begins showing up. Weary eyes and stretching wearier limbs everyone clamors for coffee and a warm breakfast.
Departments stick together. Guys walk over to the 3 ton trucks, bring down lift gates and open doors to reveal their contents – cameras, lights, grippage, stands, ice chests, dollies, flags, carts with bins, brooms, tables, apple boxes and a thousand other things needed to make a movie.
The sound guys show up late – no surprise to anyone.
All the guys and a few girls scattered about, all dressed in the same tattered jeans and black hoodies, come and get their walkies, ask for sides, introduce themselves and then are off to get to work. And this is just day one. You have twenty three more days to go.
On set, some people know each other and catch up.
“Hey, you worked on that one movie about the ninja right? Awful show.”
“Hey man, long time no see. How’s the wife?”
“I forgot your name, but didn’t you day play on that one show up in Palmdale?”
And others are like you, completely new and know not a soul. But even if you don’t know anyone, you have your department, which are essentially your new best friends. You will work day and night with them for the next 24 days, so you better get used to their annoying laugh, odd sense of style or lack of any motivation to work. This is the same for everyone; art, electrics, grips, props, sound, camera, they all depend on their departments members.
Try to shake hands with everyone. Crews sense fear. So have no fear. Realize everyone was once the new kid. Everyone had their first day on a set, and lived to see another day.
The 1st AD yells, “we’re in” you too yell “we’re in” and the day begins.
