Posts Tagged → 2nd ad

10 tips to sending a call sheet email

When sending a Call Sheet email there are several important things to consider to make sure everything is clear and concise.

#1. Make sure the Email subject is clear.  – TV Show Title: – Ep. 716 Day 6 – Call Sheet (3.29)

#2. BCC recipients or use an email distro program such as Setkeeper, Croogloo, Scenechronize etc when sending the message.

#3. Consider creating a google doc that is shared between a few of your production crew to tweak and approve. You could share the document between the 2nd AD, POC, APOC, Prod Secretary, UPM, LP, Location Coordinator etc

#4. List at the top of the email what attachments are included in the email. If you have the ability attach digital sides…

#5. List the dates and times in a clear format.

#6. Consider highlighting certain items in yellow/red etc to draw attention to their importance.

#7. List the crew parking address at the top of the addresses so people will put that info into their GPS first. In some instances you may not want to list the set location and keep it on the Call Sheet only.

#8. Include the 2nd AD contact info

#9. Take the time to bold and unbold certain sections to make it easier to read.

#10. Keep the email brief.

 

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Creating shared values with your film crew

Prior to working in the film industry I worked for several non-profits for years at a time. During that time I worked closely with several of the employees who quickly became friends and I was able to see how they worked and what their quirks were. There were even many times that we would do team-bonding events and learn about each others strengths/weaknesses and sometimes personality profiles.

The secret to really sharing the same values was having the time to get to know each other and learn how everyone likes to work.

In the film industry one problem is the often short-term approach to working together. Whether its a commercial, music video, feature or pilot… Crew members are often forced to quickly adapt to new people and new ways of doing things in their approach to work. Sometimes this type of immersion works and sometimes personalities will clash. It’s not a bad thing to work with new people and discover new ways of doing things, however at the end of the day there can be challenges with new personalities when a culture is never established early on.

One thing that I am determined to do this year is to try and establish shared values early on whether with a dept of three or an entire crew. Your values may change based on the type/size of the project or the people involved.

Below I have listed a few of the values I aim to bring with me on the next project.

#1. Accomplish this week’s tasks like you were going to eat an elephant. 

Don’t get overwhelmed. List the tasks you need to do and do everything one thing at a time.

#2. Imagine if this cast member was Tom Cruise….

If you were dealing with Tom Cruise would you point to the dressing room or trailer and say Tom its over there or would you walk with him and hold the door? Even if your actors are not famous or celebrities…how can you treat them in a way that makes them feel special.

#3. Pay people like they have $100 in the bank. 

Whether or not people have $100 in the bank is not the issue. Imagine that that there is a crew member or extra that needs that paycheck to pay their rent or car payment or whatever…. Now sometimes there are delays in payments because of an ACH or payroll issue…but having this value among your accounting team is important to instill.

#4. Master the art of sending clear, concise and creative emails. 

Take the time to craft emails so they look professional and are informative. Look for typos, errors and info that may not need to be included. Lengthy emails can be too cumbersome to be read and may be a waist of time.

#5. Focus on what is urgent important today that only you can do.

When you are faced with 100 tasks its vital that you and your team divide and conquer. You don’t want to spin your wheels doing everything when you have people on your team to focus on the tasks that they can specialize in.

#6. Relentlessly follow up with that unanswered question until it’s answered. 

Occasionally there will be a question that someone poses via email/text etc. Don’t let it go unanswered. Get back to them and try and find the answer with an appropriate amount of time.

#7. Remember that someones lack of preparation on their part does not constitute an emergency on yours. 

This famous saying is so important to remember because emergencies will come to us everyday…but we can’t always drop everything we are doing to attend to the emergency.

#8. Telling a great story sometimes mean you go over schedule or budget.

Yes I like staying on schedule and under budget, however at the end of the day no one will care if the project is lousy. Look for ways to tell a better story and be willing to adjust the schedule/budget in favor of the story.

#9. Create sacred space to share issues.

Whenever there are issues between crew members or cast its important to pull people aside and talk through the issues calmly. Avoid yelling in front of the entire crew or making a scene….this never ends well

****NOTE****

You can use one or more of these shared values at the beginning of your production. Feel free to make up your own and mix them together. Write them on a wall or whiteboard somewhere. Don’t feel like you have to lecture the entire crew with a set of shared values. Maybe share a few of them with someone in your dept or ask a team member what values they want to instill in the crew.

7 gifts filmmakers will love

As the Holiday season approaches the question may arise of what should I buy that person I love that is a filmmaker?  Below I have outlined 10 of the best gifts that filmmakers will be excited about in their everyday life that they will cherish at work.

  1. Watches. The Apple Watch Ultra or the Apple Watch Series 8 will make great stocking stuffers for any filmmaker. These newer apple watches have better health sensors are more durable and heck the ultra watch looks like a real spy device from a Bond movie.
  2. Software. Scriptation is a digital subscription that allows filmmakers to mark up scripts, transfer notes and more. They are having a black Friday sale and this would be a great gift without breaking the bank. Normally you would pay $79.99 annually but with this link you can save $30.
    Visit http://scriptation.com/sale on an iOS device.
  3. Call Sheet Holder. You can’t go wrong with the traditional Gold Fold. This product has been a staple for Assistant Directors for years. Even though I like to use a tablet I still carry my leather Gold Fold because I’m less likely to break it or have it stolen when I’m walking around on set. This is the perfect device to carry call sheets, schedules, sides and write down important notes on the day.
  4. Books.  There are several great reads out there that will inspire and equip that filmmaker you know. Check out the following books:
    –Best Seat in the House: An Assistant Director Behind the Scenes of Feature Films
    –Running the Show: The Essential Guide to Being a First Assistant Director
    –How to Survive On Set: The Production Assistant’s Guidebook
  5. Tablets. The reMarkable and iPad are both great tablets for note taking, meetings and location/tech scouts. I love using the reMarkable for the majority of my notes while the iPad can come in handy when marking up overheads or looking at story boards for the next day’s scenes.
  6. Belt Bags. A Belt Bag might just be the missing device your filmmaker needs while on set. This everywhere bag from Lululemon can hold your phone, keys and you can carry around your waist or over your shoulder.
  7. Walkie Accessories. Who doesn’t need a walkie caddie, Tubeez, or FilmPro Elite Surveillance to spruce up their kit? Use the code BEST50 for everything 50% everything at https://onsetheadsets.com/shop/

How to make sides in 30 seconds or less

Yes its possible! You can make sides in 30 seconds or less.

Imagine it’s 9:30PM on a Thursday and you’ve had a long day on set as the 2nd AD. You are about to wrap and are trying to get the call sheet sent out as soon as wrap is called so that everyone can go to sleep with the info for tomorrow. The UPM has asked that digital sides be sent out with the call sheet so you know that if anything changes it will be paramount that these sides are made quickly by whoever does them. The 1st AD has just informed you that yes indeed they are pushing a scene and adding a pickup. The sides need to be made or re-done quickly.

7 Steps to making sides in 30 seconds or less

  1. Choose a software that can make digital sides. Two of my favorite platforms for this purpose are Croogloo and Setkeeper. Both platforms are incredible for script distro, watermarking, creating sides and more…
  2. Upload your script to the platform. Once you decide on a platform you will need to upload a CLEAN version of the script to either platform. I prefer to go into final draft, select all, clear asterisks and save the version as a clean version. Seeing asterisks on sides is oftentimes unnecessary and can make it difficult to read.
  3. Decide what scenes will be in the sides. Usually the sides are listed on the shooting schedule or one-liner, or the advance on the call sheet. Most times there will be a small change or addition that only the 1st AD and 2nd AD know about. Its best to always check with the 2nd AD before making the sides.
  4. Select the sides in the program. Login to your software and jump into the side making section. Once you are there you can choose the scenes you want to make and the order you want to list them in. I typically prefer to list them in script order because it can be confusing to look for scene 1 at the end of the sides.
  5. Decide what format you need the arrows and shading. Within these programs you can decide whether or not to gray out the previous scenes or what type of arrows to use. Graying out can be helpful, however if you have a tight budget it can make the toner waist a lot of ink.
  6. Attach the front of the Call Sheet. This can be helpful so you don’t have to do this later.
  7. Download the sides as a pdf. You will be given the option to put one or two to page. In general I like to download one to a page because I can print two to a page in printer settings (if using a mac) pretty easily. Once you have downloaded the sides you can either attach the front of the Call Sheet or print them as is and then attach the front when its ready. The easiest way to attach the front of the call sheet is to drag the pdf into pdf viewer and then click save.

A guide to making an Extras Breakdown Sheet

You’re the 2nd Assistant Director on a Movie or TV Show and you are faced with the daunting task of organizing and managing extras. Are you ready? Do you a plan of action to coordinate the task in front of you? Maybe its time to update your extras breakdown sheet or get some new ideas so you can improve the sheet you currently use.
Below we have outlined some helpful tips to get you thinking…

Use this FREE extras breakdown sheet to customize for your particular show!

  1. Use a solid template. We have attached one in this blog post (with dummy data as an example)…but if you don’t have a template you are proud of don’t be afraid to reach out to your fellow AD staff (or an AD you trust) who may have one tucked away in a dropbox folder somewhere.
  2. Make sure the BG DOOD is accurate. Before you start transferring data from the BG DOOD to the Extras Breakdown its important to check with the 1st AD and assess how accurate this breakdown really is. Often times a 1st AD will sit with the Director and go over the exact numbers with the Director and then get approval from a UPM or Line Producer.
  3. Be as detailed as possible. If you have a funeral don’t just list 100 funeral patrons. Do there need to be family members or friends of certain ethnicity and race? What about minors and their ages? If the breakdown is generic don’t be afraid to approach the 1st AD or Director to get this information so that you are providing the very best information to those who receive the list.
  4. Don’t start too soon. If you start creating your BG sheet right away you will most likely have to change it a dozen times. Wait till you are in a position during prep where the 1st AD feels pretty good about the schedule.
  5. Use colors and various font treatments. Highlighting various things in colors such as locations, featured BG or special notes will make the document easier to read.
  6. Create a Distro List for this document. Every show is slightly different but in general you will want to make sure that various depts receive a copy of the list including (Props, Transpo, Locations, Hair, Makeup, Costumes and essential individuals such as the UPM). You don’t want to send this to the entire crew because the third grip really doesn’t need to know.
  7. Include ADD’L AD and PA staff in the breakdown. If you are going to have a certain amount of Extras you will probably want to schedule and budget additional days for AD’s and PAs on this document. Depending on the complexity of the scene will help you determine how to figure this out. If you have 100 students in bleachers the whole time it will be easier to direct and manage than 100 students crossing in the hallways.
  8. Don’t forget to update when the schedule changes. Changes are the one-liner will change many times during the course of production unless its a relatively short amount of days. When it does change…don’t forget to update this document and distort immediately. Various depts will rely on this info to make sure they are prepared on the day and aren’t surprised by the sudden change.
  9. Save and Label properly. Make sure this document is exported as a .PDF and labeled in a way that shows the current date and version. example MOVIE_NAME_BG_BREAKDOWN_1_1_2020.pdf.
  10. Make it your own. There are no exact rules to a breakdown so make it your own and the very best it can be. Take pride in making this breakdown the very best it can be for that particular show you are on.

Need software to manage Extras?

Consider using the RABS App to digitally check in and wrap Extras in an efficient and secure style.

Episode 7 – Seth Edelstein – A UPM’s process for building an all-star team

Listen on iTunes or Spotify

In this episode we talk with Unit Production Manager Seth Edelstein about the process he uses when building an all-star team.

Seth started out in the film industry as a Production Assistant and then got into the DGA Trainee program in the 90s and went on to work as an 2nd 2nd AD, 2nd AD, 1st AD and now Unit Production Manager. Some of Seth’s credits include Nightcrawler, Liar Liar, Dodgeball, Speed, Beethoven 2nd, Better Caul Saul, American Crime Story, The Mentalist, Without a Trace to name a few.

Books Mentioned in the episode: Crucial Conversations

Apps Mentioned in the episode: Wunderlist & Dark Sky

What does a 2nd AD do besides make a call sheet?

Crew members who work as 2nd Assistant Directors fill one of the most critical roles on any film set. The 2nd AD acts as a bridge between the “set” and the “basecamp” and while they are known for creating the call sheet, their duties extend into other areas of production that are vital for a set to operate efficiently.

The below information was complied by the Directors Guild of America:

2nd AD Duties

  1. Prepare the call sheets, handle extras, requisitions, and other required documents for approval by the 1st AD, the UPM and/or the production office.
  2. Prepare the daily production report and end of day paper work.
  3. Distribute scripts and script changes (after shooting has started) to cast and crew.
  4. Distribute call sheets to cast and crew.
  5. Distribute, collect, and approve extra vouchers, placing adjustments as directed by the 1st AD on the vouchers.
  6. Communicate advance scheduling to cast and crew.
  7. Aid in the scouting, surveying and managing of locations (mandatory in New York and Chicago)
  8. Facilitate transportation of equipment and personnel.
  9. May be required to secure execution of minor cast contracts, extra releases, and on occasion to secure execution of contracts by talent. (May also be delegated to 1st AD and UPM.)
  10. Coordinate with production staff so that all elements, including cast, crew and extras, are ready at the beginning of the day, and supervise the wrap in the studio and on location (local and distant).
  11. Schedule food, lodging and other facilities.
  12. Sign cast members in and out.
  13. Maintain liaison between UPM and/or the production office and the 1st AD on the set.
  14. Assist the 1st AD in the direction and placement of background action and in the supervision of crowd control.
  15. Perform crowd control in New York and Los Angeles except where the work is customarily performed by police officers or is performed by security personnel or a facility at which the photography takes place and which requires or customarily provides this service; provided, however, persons not covered by the Basic Agreement may perform such work if at least two additional 2nd ADs are employed in addition to a Key 2nd AD and 2nd 2nd AD or two Key 2nd ADs
  16. Supervise and direct the work of any Trainee or Intern assigned to the picture.
  17. May assist in the proper distribution and documentation of milage money by the Producer’s appointed representative.

An employer may not unreasonably deny a request from a UPM or 1st AD for another 2nd Assistant Director. BA 13-202 (b).

Episode 3 – Jason Roberts – An Assistant Directors insight into working with Tom Cruise, utilizing VFX and managing thousands of extras

Listen on iTunes or Spotify

In this episode we talk with Jason Roberts about his experience working with Tom Cruise, implementing VFX sequences and demystifying the process of managing large amounts of background actors.

Jason Roberts is a member of the DGA and works as a UPM, 1st AD, 2nd AD and is known for some very well known Tv Shows and Movies….. The Orville, Downsizing, American Made, Transformers: The Last Knight, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Jurassic World, Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Collateral etc… Jason started out in the film industry working as a Production Assistant before landing a job as a DGA Trainee.

How to create a clean, concise and readable call sheet email.

Creating a readable call sheet email is vital for any production to run smoothly and can sometimes be an art form in putting it together. Depending on the size/budget of your production will often dictate who sends out the call sheet email. For larger productions you may have a Coordinator or Production Secretary clicking “send” and on smaller projects the 2nd AD will be the one most likely getting out these essential “next day emails.” 

10 tips to remember when sending out call sheet emails:

1. Use a standardized subject heading

MOVIE NAME – CALL SHEET – DAY # – DATE

2. BCC the recipients

If you “show” email addresses in the TO FIELD or CC FIELD you are risking one person replying all to the GROUP and asking a dumb question that should be for the sender only. It is a good idea to build this list later in the day because it may change as you have to add or drop crew/cast members.

3. Send a separate email to CREW and CAST 

The CAST email can be simplified and have only pertinent information ie…they don’t need to know the location addresses if they are shuttled to set etc…

4. Avoid sending Call Sheet Emails to Background or certain Vendors where a separate detailed email will work in its place

Below is one example in which I would email a caterer by noon each day (separate from the call sheet email) in order to give them a heads up with the count for the next day. If I waited to email the caterer the call sheet there is a chance they may not have enough time to prepare enough food etc.

5. Consider having your crew members confirm the very first email on DAY 1

Its a good idea to do this just in case you have a wrong email address or the email goes to spam for some weird reason.

6. Consider writing a nice sentence thanking or encouraging the crew at the very top of the email.

7. List important information at the top that shows the very basics

 Consider bolding or highlighting certain text in colors to make the email readable.

Date:
Thursday Dec 6th, 2018

Call Time: 7AM
Courtesy Breakfast: 6:30AM
***please check the back of the call sheet for your individual call times***

8. List the locations in order of where people will park etc. 

Don’t list the first location first if people are showing up to crew parking. The chances that they will go to the wrong address is greater if you list it in the order of where the majority of people should park.

9. Make sure to leave a clean email signature and closing remarks

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions/concerns.

thanks,

John Smith
2nd Assistant Director, Batman Begins
(123) 222-3333

10. Attach any important documents 

Don’t forget to attach call sheet, sides, map, overheads and safety bulletins (when doing stunts or shooting in potential dangerous conditions)!