Safety & Security

Lock-up (Sound and Crowd Control)
You are the front line against passerby (including crew members, agency personnel, etc.) walking into the shot or talking (or making other noises) during filming. After the shot has been set, the First or Second AD will give you instructions about where to stop people from crossing. You want to stop them confidently and politely, usually by raising your hands in front of you, with your back to the shooting area and your face to the oncoming crowd. Remember that you are the representative of the production company, the client and the film business in general - never lose your cool, curse or touch anybody. If someone is determined to have their way, they will regardless of how effectively you ask them to stop.

Never, ever walk away from your crowd control assignment without first confirming that you are no longer needed in that spot. Don’t assume, always double-check.

Crowd Control
• Most crowd control assignments can be suspended between set ups (so you can help on set), but if you’re not sure, check with an AD. In some cases, your current assignment may be more important than returning to set, if you’re not sure check with Production or with an AD.

• But if strangers are being nosy (as often happens when you’re doing crowd control), just tell them the absolute minimum: “It’s just a TV commercial, no stars.” It is OK to tell them the name of the product unless otherwise instructed by Production. Sometimes the unions send reps to the set. You do not want to engage these people in any kind of conversation, refer to them politely and immediately to Production.

Equipment
Here’s another area where we’re counting on you to do your very best. All film equipment, not just camera equipment, is incredibly expensive and hard to replace on short notice. The crew members have the primary responsibility for safety and for missing or damaged equipment when it is in their hands. But when it is on the truck that you drive, at meal times and during wrap, all the equipment is your responsibility. Keep a vigilant eye on everything at all times and beware of people who are not part of the shoot.

When driving with equipment, remember this is not your mother’s old Chevy. You’ll need more time for braking and accelerating and you’ll want to take the curves a lot slower. Tie off everything in the truck and beware what you stack against what. Dolly track that arrives on set dented from banging up against a bed frame is no good to us at all. Also, use caution when loading and unloading equipment.

Idiot Check
After almost everything has been wrapped backed to the trucks, start doing a systematic search of every area of the location. You are not looking for anything in particular, you are scanning everything to see if something might have been overlooked. If you find something but you don’t know what to do with it, bring it to Production.