What to do on your first day on a professional set
A first day on a professional set is mostly about not getting in the way. The crew knows their jobs. The other actors know the etiquette. As the new arrival, your job is to be on time, be ready, be quiet when it is time to be quiet, and do the work when you are called. This article covers call sheets, green rooms, chain of command, on-set vocabulary (first positions, cut, speed, flying in), and the small courtesies that make other people want to work with you again.
Before the day: reading the call sheet
A call sheet is the day's operating document. It lists your call time, location, scenes, cast, crew, transport, and notes. Read it carefully the night before.
Confirm your call time. Confirm the location and the parking instructions. Confirm the scenes you are shooting and whether you have lines in them. Confirm wardrobe and hair-and-make-up requirements.
If anything on the call sheet is unclear, ask your agent or the production coordinator. Do not show up confused.
Arrival: who to look for, where to go
On arrival, find the 2nd AD or a PA. They are the people who shepherd cast through the day. They will direct you to hair-and-make-up, wardrobe, and the green room.
Say hello to the crew members you will interact with: the DP, the sound mixer, the camera operator, the boom op. You do not need to make conversation. A nod and a greeting is enough.
Do not wander. Set is busy and the last thing you want is to be somewhere you should not be during a setup.
On-set vocabulary you will hear
"First positions" means go to your starting mark for the scene. "Quiet on set" means stop talking. "Rolling" means the camera is recording. "Speed" means the sound is recording. "Action" means you start. "Cut" means you stop.
"Back to one" means reset for another take. "Flying in" means something is being brought to set now. "Check the gate" means the DP is inspecting for obstructions in the camera. "Wrap" means the day is over.
Learning the vocabulary is a signal to the crew that you know what you are doing, which makes people want to work with you again.
Eating, waiting, and respecting the rhythm
Eat when they tell you to eat. The catering break is short and the next one is hours away.
Waiting is most of the day on a film set. Bring a book, a script, a journal. Do not scroll on your phone for eight straight hours. You are on the clock, and the way you carry the waiting is visible.
Respect the rhythm of the day. The crew has been doing this for weeks before you arrived. Your job is to fit into their flow, not the other way around.
Wrap and how to leave well
When wrap is called, say thank you to the crew you worked with that day. Specifically the DP, the sound mixer, and the 1st AD. Do not make a speech. A handshake and two sentences is the right scale.
Leave promptly. Set is being packed up, trucks are being loaded, and you are no longer part of the operation once wrap is called.
Keep going
