Yesterday I posed a simple question to those who like The Black and Blue’s Facebook page:
“When on a film set, what’s the one rule nobody should ever break?”
Within the hour, dozens of responses poured in.
The answers ranged from the profound to the practical to the peculiar. Many recommended turning cell phones off while others took the opportunity to remind their fellow crew to show up early (or at least on time). Almost all started with “never” or “don’t” — a sign that crew aren’t the most forgiving when it comes to major setiquette mishaps.
Overall, I was so impressed with the flood of advice that I wanted to share the top comments with those of you who didn’t catch the Facebook post. So I’ve gathered up 20 responses — split between the most popular and the ones I enjoyed the most — to share with you here.
“When on a film set, what’s the one rule nobody should ever break?”
- NEVER work without pay. – Chris Ratledge
- Never try and guess your wrap time, You’re just jinxing yourself. – Paul Raymond
- Don’t fart during a take. – Jason Bourke-Velji
- Never give your opinion unless you are the director. – Joseph Cabato
- If you don’t know something, dont act like you do. – Nick Sokol
- Stick to your role, and keep your mobile phone switched off. – Bogdan Jugureanu
- Don’t move ANYTHING on set unless told to! Continuity is sooo important! – Tee Lee
- Never call CUT! – Louise Murphy
- Some wise advise I’ve once heard: “You should always be waiting on someone but never be waited upon.” – Michel Aspirot
- When firing a light, wait for a couple seconds after the call to switch it on. Otherwise you blind people who looked at you (just because they heard something) when you don’t give them time to look away again. – Jonathan C. Hout
- No eye contact with Ms. Lopez. – JR Lipari
- Never forget the chain of command. Its not a democratic process. – Tom Majerski
- Don’t run unless there’s an emergency. – Duncan Ballantine
- Feed your crew. – Michael Ferrara
- Don’t be late. – Paul Stephen Edwards
- If you’re the Camera PA, there better be beer on the truck or you better make a deal with the grips. – Wade Thomas Ferrari
- [Don’t] put drinks on the magliner – Sam Hayes
- Keep your mouth shut – Francesco Bonomo
- Safety first – Blake Larson
- Just. Be. Cool. – Susan Medaglia
What’s Your Rule Nobody Should Break?
A special thanks to those whose comments are quoted above and a big thank you to everyone who took the time to share a piece of advice yesterday!
I speak on behalf of all readers when I say your advice is so valuable because it’s coming from real crew working on real productions — it all helps to navigate the murky waters of setiquette.
If you missed the opportunity to share your rule on Facebook, it’s not too late! Let us know in the comments below what your “one rule nobody should ever break” is.
Finally, if you want to engage in these conversations in real time, make sure to join The Black and Blue on Facebook. Over there we talk about everything from cameras to pulling focus. We also share production stills, cool links, and, of course, the newest posts from The Black and Blue.
We’re all friendly folk and your News Feed will stay safe in my hands — I promise :)
