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At the start of June, I had the opportunity to be a videographer on a local production that required a lot of time in the great outdoors. I had a wonderful time, camping with the contestants and crew, getting coverage of all the challenges and happenings, and helping to bring the show to life!
Despite the fun we had, the three days spent at the campsite were not without their fair share of challenging situations, improvisation, and absolute worst-case scenarios. Both the crew AND cast had to brave the elements and push themselves to the limit to make it through.
I left with some important take-aways about on-set safety that I thought might be helpful to share.
Anything that can will go wrong
Being a part of this set was extremely physically and mentally demanding. The cast and crew were out in 90-degree heat the whole time, some with bulky camera setups, with a full 12-hour day in the middle. And that’s before we even get to the extreme weather.
The first evening brought a torrent of rain that we had to shoot in the middle of, and then the next night brought not only a tornado but a flash flood. We had all the cast and crew evacuate the campsite, and some offered to let others crash at their place for the night. Luckily no one was harmed, though after the calamitous night the Director and Producer made the wise decision to cancel the third and final day of the shoot.
You might not be able to avoid the worst-case scenario, but you can prepare for it if it does indeed come to pass. One of the foundational parts of organization on a set is a call sheet.
Call Sheets
Call sheets, of course, contain information about the when, where, and who of a production. Contacts of cast and crew members are included, in case anyone needs to be reached whether it’s a quick message about something to pick up on the way to set or if there’s an emergency you absolutely must speak to them about. As a safety precaution, call sheets also provide the location of the nearest hospital if, God forbid, someone is harmed on set.
If you're responsible for keeping your cast and crew safe and comfortable, don't forget to look at the weather. I'm not talking about just natural disasters, but also extreme heat or cold. If necessary, prepare enough fans and water for your crew to avoid heat exhaustion. The same thing goes for the cold. Offer heat pads or, if you've got a PA, ask them to keep their car warm if anyone needs to beat the cold. If there's even the slightest chance of a natural disaster, develop an evacuation plan so that everyone knows exactly what to do if things go south.
Time
Another consideration is time. As much as we’d like to control every minute of what happens on set, time might just slip away from you and you can end up behind schedule. You might need to cut certain shots, lens changes, and more elaborate lighting setups to make sure everyone is out on time. But this is where good improvisation can save the day. A genius change in camerawork can make a 12-shot scene a 6-shot scene. A clever change of lighting might be less dramatic, but will cover more area, leading to less setup time between shots.
Have a Kit
Other considerations for your Murphy’s Law preparedness kit:
- First-aid kit
- Supply of food on hand
- Backup equipment if available to you
- Have a production assistant ready to quickly pick up anything you may need at a moment’s notice
- Duct tape (it’s a must)
Murphy’s Law is a pain and a half. We can prepare forever and ever and still, something else will inevitably go wrong. None of us were prepared for a natural disaster, let alone two. But we banded together and formed an impromptu plan to make sure everyone got someplace safe.
Overall, the most important thing is to be adaptable. It truly tests your knowledge and capabilities. Getting creative in the moment certainly provides the most exciting and memorable moments on set. However, having a plan beforehand keeps everyone safe.
