Craft Services Delivers a Quick Bite to Eat

Craft Services is a whole different way of feeding the cast and crew. The service is on set throughout production. It is a source of quick snacks, smoothies, espresso, water, and other delicious food that the cast and crew can grab and return to work. Some even stuff their pockets or Cinebag with granola bars, candy, apples, water, or licorice twists.

What is a CineBag?

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Assistant camera person, grip, best boy, or production assistant: Use a Cinebag to keep your tools with you at all times. An AC pouch attaches to your belt and fits snug against the waist and hip. It feels comfortable, and I hardly notice it. That’s where I stuff my granola bars and licorice from the Craft Services table.

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What is a Craft Services Table?

A filmmaker needs to know about film production, which happens by working on a film set. Being a crew member in a primary film production is invaluable. With that, people working in the film business know about Craft Services and its table layout. They also know it is where informal conversations between cast and crew take place. People new to the industry and need to become more familiar with regulations; mistake Craft Services for where you get breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That is just not so.

Film unions and commissions clearly state that a hot, sit-down meal is provided by the film production company every six hours and is always prepared by a crew of caterers who serve buffet-style food from a huge kitchen on wheels.

Based on a strong rapport from prior work together or word-of-mouth recommendations, the production manager hires the Craft Services company. The production manager tells Craft Services what snacks and refreshments are for the cast and crew. A reputable company will have a price list and snack and refreshment options, which the assistant picks for the cast and crew. The daily rate includes purchasing a variety of food, water, sodas, etc. Special requests or dietary restrictions may incur an extra charge, but the FDA Allergen Avoidance Lists follow food allergy warnings. The law requires foods to state whether they contain one of the top eight food allergens (milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, wheat, soy, fish, or crustacean shellfish).

Craft Services on Smaller Productions

For small independent productions with only a handful of crew and a couple of actors, a production assistant is usually responsible for Craft Services and picking up breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the cast and crew. I have held this responsibility, and it gets pretty fun. Craft Services on small productions rarely follow FDA Allergen Avoidance, and special diets are usually a quick request from a cast or crew member. The production assistant who takes on the task fattens up their resume. It is just one more stepping stone toward a higher-paying job.

Craft Services Works Long Hours

In most film productions, the Craft Services table is the magnet for everyone on the set. Don’t be surprised to find a producer chatting with the talent. Background and extras are notorious for flocking to the table when not featured in the next scene. It’s a place to load up on carbs, and everyone comes together for a nice bagel and cream cheese.

A decent Craft Services table is guaranteed to keep everyone on the set happy. Some of the most dedicated individuals will work at Craft Services. They work hard to accommodate the entire cast and crew for hours, and shop before and after the production day. The service is about filling in the long hours between catered meals or the final production hours, when everyone is banking on their overtime penalty fees.

Anyone wanting to learn more about Craft Services can visit their union’s website—IATSE Local 80, which includes Motion Picture Studio Grips.

Keep Crew and Cast Happy

A filmmaker must ensure their Craft Services are crafty and willing to keep the cast and crew happy. It is truly the heart of the film set. It’s like free food for everyone. A popular Craft Services table will offer a variety of healthy foods, such as vegetables, fruits, cheese, and crackers, as well as junk food like chips and candy. A crafty table will keep a hidden stock of delicious food and bring it out when they sense a crabby crew that needs an uplifting snack for their hard labor, like smoothies or homemade brownies.

With each working day growing longer and even heavier when the equipment feels heavier, Craft Services is a calculated move by the filmmaker. The filmmaker is banking on a well-fed crew, and they’ll keep them happy. So, the crew and cast will work until the dark morning hours.

Craft Services Tips

Craft Services Challenges

Whatever the reason behind Craft Services, a filmmaker knows his crew works very hard. The hours can be unreasonable, and the elements can lower their stamina. They need nourishment with a good, strong cup of coffee and find it at the Craft Services table.

The average Craft Services worker has challenges, so the filmmaker needs to appreciate their talent. Consider the challenge of keeping a table well-stocked, clean, and constantly enjoyable throughout a production. The same-old-same-old doesn’t fare well with an overworked crew. Yet, they are tentative about the popular items and keep those well-stocked.

The elements are quite a challenge as well. A production is shooting on location in the blistering, dry and windy desert or an isolated forest high on the crest of a mountain. It’s not so easy to keep a refreshing ice chest of soda, juice, and water when the nearest place to buy a bag of ice is on the other side of the mountain range. Or the sun is beating down at 100-plus degrees. It does not hinder them from preparing large servings or snacks without a suitable kitchen. How tough might it be? Think about your last family and friends picnic or camping trip, creating a complete meal with all its ingredients, and serving it with serving bowls, serving utensils, eating utensils, dirty dishes, and leftovers. It is not a simple task and takes a professional with a kind and patient personality.

The Craft Services work this way without exception. All day, the cast and crew maintained a fresh pot of coffee and then went to a grocery store after the production manager called it a wrap. They purchase worthwhile edibles for the following day. While the cast and crew rest and unwind from the workday, the Craft Services worker is laboring and planning for the next production day. They are bent over a sink, rinsing pots, pans, and utensils while anticipating making a batch of cinnamon rolls for the crew in the morning. Knowing such a treat will ease the tension of production being behind schedule.

As mentioned earlier in this article, most Craft Services personnel start as production assistants. They work through various film production departments and learn to find the right job for themselves in the industry. Eventually, they realize Craft Services is their career because they enjoy prepping food. They make people happy by offering nourishment or a handful of Red Vines.

Help Crew Forget All Their Troubles

A filmmaker knows that keeping the cast and crew happy makes the overall production a breeze. Production crews work super hard; no other industry pushes its employees as hard as the film industry. Production crews start their workday when the moon is still high in the sky. Some crew rarely see their kids before they leave. When they come home, they’re fast asleep in bed. And on the film set, it can be backbreaking. The Craft Services’ task is to help the crew forget the troubles of long hours by maintaining a happy place on the set and lifting their spirits.

A successful Craft Services table tries to gauge the atmosphere of the film set. It’s like putting out feelers to gauge the day’s overall mood. Is the energy high? Is the energy sluggish? The cast and crew are quiet or chatty and upbeat around the table, looking forward to the next scene. A seasoned Craft Services will know that an hour away from lunch, stomachs growl, and the crew needs something to hold them over until the hot lunch comes from the caterer. Some excellent carb options like smoothies, nuts, trail mix, cheese and crackers, salami and crackers, and so on are on the table. They also know the director wants the crew to set up all the equipment for a massive shoot after lunch. Everyone’s dragging their feet. They prepare some food that will boost them into action.

All in all, a filmmaker needs Craft Services that reads the production’s energy. Sure, some are picky about their food. One or two people will not be satisfied, no matter what the Craft Services sets on the table. They are easy to notice because they come to the table resentfully. The table didn’t have the fruit and veggies they liked, or they wanted Pepper Jack Cheese instead of Cheddar. Even though Craft Services makes a note to get Pepper Jack Cheese and places it on the table the next day, the resentful look is still on their faces, never happy. Craft Services tries hard to make the cast and crew happy. They take pride in offering someone’s favorite cookie or apple because it is an art form that pleases people.

Breakroom or Hangout

The filmmaker can consider the Craft Services table the breakroom of a large company or a local hangout. Everyone’s favorite place to chill, take a break and have coffee or soda. All the gossip and excitement of the production is happening at the table. Cast and crew gather and network, too. Relationships are formed where friends begin and last forever. Even creative ideas are discussed or bounced around because the cast and crew are all artists. It’s an innovative environment where cool ideas and concepts take root and stay healthy with good food.

Hiring Craft Services Crew

The filmmaker must ensure that the production manager hires a Craft Services team. The person or persons are not physically weak or feeble-minded. Loads of equipment are involved, like tables, coolers, espresso machines, coffee makers, hot plates, serving trays, paper products, and tons of food. They lift heavy products all day, loading and unloading. They constantly move products from the truck to the sound stage; other times, it’s up a hill or down a gully. No matter the location of the set, Craft Services stays prepared to keep the spirits of the cast and crew high. Since they deal with different personalities and attitudes, they need to be people-oriented, with a lot of care and responsibility. They have no egos. If they do, the filmmaker wants to avoid hiring them. Again, the set buzzes with unique and talented artists, but Craft Services must remain patient and easygoing, even as they work hard to keep everyone happy and healthy. Each person on the set has their own issues and personal goals. They could be thinking about their next project even though they should give 100 percent to the production.

On any production day, close to a hundred people work extremely hard and try to get along with everyone. And every so often, disagreements flare up, and tension rises. The Craft Services can’t be disorganized. They must remain strong and step in with a cool, refreshing treat or special surprise that nobody was expecting and keep the cast and crew working together in harmony.

Keep a committed Craft Services person on your film production team. A filmmaker needs a lot of muscle, smarts, and talent to produce a successful movie. And each department is just as vital as the other. They all support each other like they are a family or a clan. Craft Services is a significant part of the clan, keeping everyone healthy, nourished, and in high spirits.

Organize the Craft Services Table

Now, with all that in mind, the filmmaker needs to hire a Craft Services person or assign the task to a production assistant, because other essential tasks need to be done by the filmmaker. But keep in mind that no Craft Services table is the same. Each one has its own atmosphere and will differ from other productions. However diverse the Craft Services, each must be clean, organized, and helpful. That involves the table having individual snacks in baskets or lined up effortlessly. So, the snacks are clearly defined and separated for an easy grab. A filmmaker doesn’t want to see the crew scouring through boxes of warm soda or cartons of trail mix and teas. There should be a variety of fruit, chips, and power bars, but in general, keep the chips with the chips, the fruit with the fruit and the power bars with the power bars. Coffee is fresh next to the coffee cups, creamers, sweeteners, and stirrers. The Craft Services keeps coolers stocked with a variety of drinks and lots of ice. The trash can is nearby, with no scattered debris around it. In other words, the Craft Services person keeps the garbage in the trash can. Napkins are plentiful and weighted down if the production is outside. Outside productions need open items covered from the elements still accessible by the cast and crew. The table is kept restocked and clean throughout the production.

The filmmaker or production manager must ensure that Craft Services stays within budget. Set the budget and sign the contract, or assign a production assistant to the task. Oddly enough, if the producer appropriates money for Craft Services in the budget, the person responsible for the area will not spend too much on food and other products. The average cost per crew member is $15 to $20 per day.

Here is a simple shopping list for Craft Services for a small-budget movie. The list is not a send-all because every crew and set is different. It’s just something to help filmmakers who don’t know where to begin.

First, Craft Services must be aware of dietary restrictions or preferences. Special requests are common, such as gluten-free diets, no nuts, lots of nuts, vegan, non-dairy, electrolytes packs, non-sugar-free gum, diet Dr. Pepper, yogurt without sugars, cheese sticks, Starbucks coffee only, etc.

It is necessary to consider the set location. Is it inside, outside or both? Is it one location or multiple? Will production constantly move from one location to another? Are there any grocery stores nearby?

Do you need to wrap everything individually? Can you offer sliced fruit? A large container of Red Vines is a must. In principle, people would instead reach into their own bag of chips, but they can set out a fresh batch of brownies for a quick grab.

Basic Shopping List for Craft Services

There are many variables when it comes to Craft Services. Here is an essential list of items to have at the table:

• Fruit (bananas, apples, oranges, tangerines – don’t need refrigeration and are easy to eat)
• Chips (Large box of individual servings)
• Granola bars
• Coffee
• Cookies
• Trail Mix
• Red Vines
• Electrolyte packs
• Gum and Mints
• Sodas (regular, diet and caffeine-free)
• Bottled water
• Sports drinks
• Hand sanitizer
• Napkins
• Trash bags

A filmmaker adds these perks to keep the cast and crew happy:

• Espresso Bar
• Veggie tray with dip
• Hummus and Pita
• Variety of Cheeses and Cold meats
• Grapes
• Bagels and cream cheese
• Olives
• Yogurt
• Simple Wraps (cheese, chicken salad, vegan)
• Plastic ware
• Small plates
• Sliced bread (for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches)
• Peanut butter
• Jelly
• Fruit Tray

The Bottom Line

Finally, the filmmaker needs to invest in high-quality Craft Services. The table makes all the difference on the film set, from cast to crew. It’s not an easy job, so be selective in choosing the person willing to bend over backwards to keep the cast and crew happy, healthy, and nourished.