You Need To Bring This To A Film Set

by Jul 3, 2017

After you’ve been booked, you might be unsure what to bring to set on shooting day. Take a lesson from the boy scouts and be prepared—if you’re unsure about something, bring it anyway! You never know what might come in handy.

Here are some things to have in your bag as you head to your first location.

1.

Appropriate clothing

If you’ll be changing into a costume on set, bring something casual and comfy to wear in the meantime. However, many low-budget productions will ask you to use your own clothing for costumes, so you’ll want to bring several different outfits for the director to choose from. Also for low-budget productions, it never hurts to bring your own makeup. (Often, they’ll require it!)
A change of clothes

You never know what kind of conditions you might be shooting in. If you just spent several hours doing take after take in the rain, you’ll probably want something warm and dry to wear for the ride home.

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2.

Sunscreen/bug spray

In an outdoor shoot, you’ll be vulnerable to nature. Take steps to prevent getting a sunburn or dozens of mosquito bites.
If your film has a makeup department, make sure you check with them first about applying sunscreen to your face. They want your skin protected, but sometimes sunscreen will make you look shiny on camera. Ask their opinion on what products to use!

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3.

Three forms of ID

I think it is safe to say that every professional film set that is planning on paying you for your services will require you to present forms of ID. Most times they will have you fill out a W-9 tax form as well. Always be prepaird when it comes to filling out these forms and providing your ID. After all, you want to get paid, don’t you?
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4.

A book to read

There is a lot of down time on set. You want to be ready to film at any time, but often time you are waiting in holding for hours until they are ready to bring you on set. Bring a book or something else quiet to do while you hang out.

If in doubt, bring it! Better safe than sorry.

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5.

Shoe inserts

You probably wouldn’t think of this one, but it’s very likely you will be standing up for a very long time. Gotta love those 12 hour days on set. Get some cushy inserts and good socks so you’re not aching too much by the end of the day. If you know that standing for long periods of time is a problem for you, you can go the extra mile you could even bring a second pair of shoes.
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6.

Your phone

Don’t misunderstand me—you really don’t want to spend all your down time on set looking at your phone. It doesn’t look very professional. But film sets are a great opportunity for networking. You’re going to meet so many new people, and having your phone handy to get numbers or social media accounts is a great way to stay in contact with everybody. (Of course, during any shoot, triple check that your phone is on silent—a phone call, even on vibrate, can ruin a take.)
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