I previously posted the article “Now out of Film School? Things you shouldn’t do on set“, so now I’m posting a follow up with the things you should do before getting on set. All of this isn’t about on set, but also before being on set.

• Know your call time and location
  You should always make sure that you know your call time and the location you’re supposed to go to. If you haven’t received these informations the day before you’re called on set, you should get on the phone and call the key of your department asap. Note that I put phone in bold because if you send an email, chances are that no one will get back to you. People are busy and email isn’t priority #1. Everyone will answer their phone, if you don’t get the person, leave a message on his/her voicemail. Make sure to give it a last try later during the day if you haven’t heard anything.

• Get your stuff ready
  There are some things that you’ll need to have on set. Clothing, pen, paper etc.. You need to have everything packed before the day. It’s never a good idea to plan everything last minute. Especially if you’re tired because you’ve been working all week on set because mistakes happen. You’ll forget things. So plan ahead!

• Empty your fridge
  One of the saddest thing about the job is that I quite often have to buy food to then see it die while I’m on set. Nothing better than coming home and seeing all that in your fridge. So before you leave for a long shoot, clean it up. You will, at least should, be fed on set so when you come home you shouldn’t be hungry but tired. Trust me, clean your fridge, unless you have someone who’ll empty it for you (girlfriend?). Same for the apartment/house, I generally clean then dirty it up during shoot because I just want to go sleep when I’m back. No time to clean the shower.

• Make sure to be there early
  This one is linked to the first one. Once you’Ve got the call sheets, packed your stuff, you need to make sure that you’ll be there early. At least 15 minutes ahead of your call time. Don’t confuse crew call and shooting call, yours is crew call. If for some reason you’ll be late, call the AD or your key Asap to let them know and why. Don’t find a cheap reason, tell the truth.

• Clear your schedule
  No time to go see the new “Notebook” movie with your girlfriend, so clean your schedule ahead. If you have a doctor appointment, try to make sure that its or during a day off or that you put all your appointments at the same time. After all, you only want to miss one day pay, not more.

• Always be ready
  Always be ready to do something. Nothing is worst than someone who is walking around doing nothing. There is never nothing to do. Ask around to see what you can do, especially if you’re a PA. It’s the best way to be noticed.

• If you do something wrong, don’t hide it
  It’s better to tell the truth and being forgiven than lying and being caught. If you do a mistake, tell the concerned people. People prefer knowing the truth and being able to deal with it immediately than  knowing about it when it’s too late.

Once again, here are the most obvious one. Don’t hesitate to add some in the comment section and as I learn more about this industry myself, I’ll be posting updates if needed.