those were the days…
February 7, 2008 by Spadoman
spadoman left me this post before he left to go on the longest walk. as an update on the industry, the writer’s strike is on the cusp of ending with a contract- but as of yet- is entering it’s fourth month. betmo
Back a while when Barb and I were both working in motion picture production. We created many experiences. These were created by being part of the mix and learning the ropes. You see, in the movie business, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. When I got my foot in the door as a truck driver, I met people and watched and listened. I helped Barb get a position as a helper/laborer in the craft service. Craft Service is an important position. Maybe I’ll give you a little Hollyweird History.
The nature of the filming business is to set up the shot and then take the pictures. Many times it must be done over and over. The finished product you see at the theater is a long drawn out process of setting up, shooting, setting up, shooting. During the set up, many different components are needed. Set building. Set decorating, wardrobe, make up, props, special effects, camera, lighting, electrical power. Then, all of this must be kept consistent as each shot is done, sometimes over and over again until the artist, in most cases this is the Director, says this is the way I want it to look.
Not all of these different “crafts” are needed on every shot. Sometimes, the wardrobe is fine and the wardrobe person is not needed at that moment. But the wardrobe person will be in the area and available at a moments notice to come to the set and do their magic.
Back in the old days, as I understand it, there were people who did the crafts and they were hanging around in case they were needed. It was these people that were sent out for a BLT and a cup of coffee for the Producer when times were slack.
In this spirit, the enterprise evolved and another whole department was formed. The Craft Service department. It was the job of Craft Service to have on hand at all times snacks and beverages for those workers that needed a break but couldn’t leave the set in case they were needed at this moments notice.
Depending on the budget of the production, Craft Service could be a bag of bagels and an urn of coffee, or a full blown kitchen on wheels that can feed hundreds anything from a candy bar to a four course meal with as little notice as a nod of the head from the Producer.
When I started in the industry, the person running the Craft Service needed, and was authorized to have, a helper. He was at a loss and the word was out that his usual helper was not available and that he needed someone.
See, it’s who you know. I heard the rumor. I talked to the guy. I called Barb and she came down from Duluth to Minneapolis and started working as a helper on the Craft Service truck. That’s where she learned about the job. But Barb had a special gift. She worked hard and didn’t cheat anyone. She treated the janitor the same as the lead star. If Jack Lemmon liked a snickers bar for a snack, she remembered that and had them on hand for him. But if the janitor liked licorice, she had that too.
The Producer who held the pursestrings wanted the Craft Service to be good, but not expensive. But he also noticed that if the crew was happy and well treated, they were actually a better more motivated and harder working crew. Barb had taught this to a few producers and they liked how things hummed along when the crew was happy.
On one particular show. The regular Craft Service guy was not doing a good job. In fact, one day he was discovered sleeping in his truck, on the floor, in a cocaine hangover and the budgeted money that was suppose to be for food and beverage was gone. He got fired immediately. Barb was there and she was asked to take over.
The producer gave her a float of cash and told her to go out and buy some equipment. A coffee maker, a refrigerator, some tables, coolers, and some food. He rented a truck for her to go put this stuff in and she was in business. When this particular shoot was over, the Producer told her to keep the equipment and go into bisiness.
She was a Craft Service provider and had the start of her own business given to her. She not only knew somebody in the business, but she was in the right place at the right time. But the bottom line was that she did a great job and someone saw it. When they needed someone, she was the natural choice.
She worked on some great shows. “Grumpier Old Men”, “Mighty Ducks III”, “Jingle All the Way”. She also worked on lesser films and commercials, music videos and even photographic shoots. She was in demand. With the money she made, she bought more equipment and had more to offer and made even more money, all from hard work.
There was a catering crew that made meals for the crew at planned breaks during the long shooting days which easily lasted 12, 14, 16 and even 18 hours. The caterers fed everybody at a planned time. The Craft Service was available all the time during the shoot.
On these days when things seemed endless and the hours mounted up, the Union rules stated that the crew must be given a break and be fed within a ceratin amount of time after the first meal. After the caterers served their meals and went home for the day, it was Craft Service that would arrange another meal to appease the Union gods and allow the shooting to continue.
When this happened, the Producer would negotiate and hope the Director would end for the day. But many times, that was not going to be the case. The Producer reluctantly would tell Barb to arrange for a second meal.
Barb was resourceful. She’d set up places that she knew and had places that would make her up sustenance quickly. Subway would make sandwiches, for example or Cosetta’s could send over trays of pasta complete with plates, napkins and utensils.
Some times, the shoot was far away from town or late in the middle of the night. Barb would cook soup and offer sandwich fixings. She seemed to always be prepared. She named her business “Eat This! Catering and Craft Service” Our signs and T-shirts used our own Logo. Our business cards proudly proclaimed we did business in Minneapolis, Los Angeles and Lake Elmo, Minnesota. That is where we lived at the time.
With one Producer in particular, Barb’s services would be contracted before the producer made the decision to shoot the movie. If he couldn’t have Barb on the job, he’d go somewhere else to film the movie. She downplays this scenario, but it was true. When a crew was being assembled, they’d ask, “Who’s doing the craft service?” If it wasn’t Barb, they worked anyway, but knew they wouldn’t have the great mobile kitchen to hang out in or be fed and happy while they toiled.
I worked on many of the same movies that Barb worked on. I was in Transportation or Special Effects. I drove a truck or some piece of equipment. The truck driver brings all the drivable equipment to the shooting location. He waits there until the shooting is done, then moves all the drivable equipment back to a parking lot to be ready to bring it out yet again the next day. Needless to say, the truck driver stands around all day waiting to do his job. The truck driver is the best customer for the Craft Service truck.
Since Barb wielded such power over the Producer, she talked him into letting one of the truck drivers go over to her shop and get a trailer mounted gas barbecue grill at times when the second meal is needed. Since her husband, me, worked on the same show and was familiar with her shop, I was the guy who went and got the grill. Turns out then, that I was also the guy who stopped at the 24 hour grocery and picked up the burgers, dogs, brats and fixins’ and then did the cooking.
I was already on the payroll. I was getting paid and doing my job. Driving a truck to pick up stuff. I cooked as I sat around waiting for the next assignment. Barb would charge the production company as Subway would charge if she were to get a second meal there. We had a good thing going and we made a shitload of money. That’s another constant in the movie industry, the money.
Eventually, Barb tired of the pace and the greed and the overall waste that was Hollywood’s way of doing things. She ended Eat This! and sold the equipment. I was forced into a disability retirement in 2001. It was a good gig for a while, now it’s a memory. Oh, I spent all the money.
I have many stories about this time working in this industry. More to come from time to time. Thanks for coming into my Round Circle.
Peace to All.
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I worked on two movie sets here in Colorado back in the late 90s and I learned a lot about making movies and what that entails, even continuity, since I was wardrobe mistress and props girl. Months before production even started, I was the one on the phone to clothing mfg/stores and furniture stores trying to get their gear in our films and worked with the director and the producer to determine what was needed and threw in my own creative ideas whenever I could. As the wardrobe mistress, I worked very closely with the actors, as well and had to know the script and the blocking as well or better than the actors, themselves. It was a hell of a lot of work, but an awesome experience. Unfortunately, the producer/director (he “used to be a famous actor as a child…I won’t name him except to say that he wrote and directed “Def by Temptation” and co-starred in Spike Lee’s “School Daze”) was involved with some extremely shady financing and the movies never made it past post-production. I quit after the second movie because I was tired of being kicked around by his wife. Because it was a “non-union” set, Craft services was shoddy, at best, but some days it was the shizznit.
(An aside, I left the company that was responsible for the shady financing to go work on these movies. It was the owner of the financing company that encouraged me to audition. I didn’t get the part, but I did end up getting my other jobs on the set due to the fact that I ran a personal assistant business for people on the go who were too busy to do “everything” for themselves).
I got my start doing what I do now (karaoke host/club DJ), by being in the right place at the right time. My show has become popular because I bring gusto, a system of fairness, and I encourage playfulness from everyone in the room, not just the singers. I try to give back as often is feasible and I go above and beyond whenever there is a need. I have gained a reputation as someone who is not only knowledgeable, but honest, and great to work with. And, like Barb, I learned it all on the fly. Learned to cater to the needs of my customers (the singers) and to the clubs where I work. People appreciate it when you go the extra mile and they can tell whether you are sincere in your love for your job or if you are just going through the motions. And, with few exceptions, they’ll treat/pay you accordingly.