Working on the site of a large movie production site may seem like a fantastical and exciting experience to those who have not really tried it firsthand. However, before the directors, actors, and more arrive, each set must be constructed and prepared. If you are fortunate enough to win a contract for a large movie production or you are part of the media crew tasked with seeing this through, this can be an exciting time.
Then, the reality may set in. Getting this part right is fundamental to the movie, its time schedule, and the overall experience of everyone on site, as well as those who watch the final performance either at the movie theater or at home. Therefore, you want to ensure you are properly managing your on-site workers to ensure the sets come to life when they should.
Understand the task at hand
It is very unlikely that you will come across a location that is the same as any other. This can be due to terrain, weather conditions, or specific requests that are asked of you and your team. In order to make sure that you do the best job that you can, you should make sure that you understand the task at hand and are able to relay it to your team in the language and detail that they will understand.
You will also have to draw up a construction schedule so that all the members of your team know what they are doing and when, as it is likely that certain jobs hinge on others being already completed or to a stage when they can merge together.
Move your workforce into the relevant area
If the location is away from your local area, you are going to have to seek accommodation for each member. The accommodation that you choose should be reasonably close to the site to reduce travel times.
You may automatically decide on hotels, but this is more than likely to work out to be overly expensive and, with the comings and goings of other guests, also disruptive to your team’s rest time, especially if their schedules combine extremely early mornings or night working to get the area ready for the next day’s filming.
You may find that it is far easier, cheaper, and a whole lot more convenient for your work team to hire the whole of a property for the duration of the project. With the help of comfyworkers.com, this task can be made into a fast and convenient one, as they will be able to provide you with a short list of properties that will be suitable for your rental purposes. All you will have to do is fill in a short questionnaire on the facilities that you need, along with the desired location.
Ensure all equipment and machinery are available
Of course, it is not just about knowing the task at hand and seeking accommodation for your team of site workers; you will also have to make sure that you have all the necessary machinery on site when your team needs it, as well as any additional pieces of equipment.
Moving your own backward and forward to the site could be costly, especially if the filming is happening in another country. So, it makes far more sense to hire it from a local business, which also has other advantages. You should make sure that you have it on site a day or so before it is scheduled to be used for testing so you can check it works as your team wants it to rather than leaving it to the last minute and holding up the schedule because it isn’t right or doesn’t work the way it should.
All machinery is likely to be dangerous when not used correctly or without the necessary safety gear and PPE. So, you need to ensure that your team knows exactly how to operate each piece and that they are supplied with the correct safety equipment to protect their own well-being.
Take time to brief your team regularly
Information is pretty much key when working on a busy site, and it is therefore important that you keep your team abreast of how they are doing and what still needs to be done. Holding a meeting before work starts is likely to be a good idea; you will be able to assess that your team is fit for the job and focused on what they are going to be doing that day. It will also provide you time to report any changes or feedback that you have received from higher up the command chain.
Likewise, holding a brief meeting at the end of the working day will provide you with a way of assessing all the work that has been completed within that work period so you can alter the schedule and move jobs forward or backward as needed. It will also give you a chance to thank your workforce and find out if there are any unforeseen issues that need to be addressed.
Have an open-door policy
When your workforce is working away from their homes for long periods of time, it is important to be able to provide them with the necessary support that they need. Some workers may find it difficult to talk about their feelings in this matter, so operating an open-door policy and making yourself easily accessible can mean a lot.
Of course, your team is likely to keep an eye on each other as well, so even if the employee doesn’t come to you, another team member may. Knowing how to deal with this is crucial to how your team will interact with you, and shutting out your workers or making a barrier between you and them is not going to help the situation at all.
A few final thoughts
Managing a team of site workers for a movie crew can be exciting and exhilarating. However, it is also a lot of hard work and requires precise organization. Scheduling workloads and working to strict time frames, which could influence the filming schedule, is certainly not for the faint-hearted.
However, if you use this guide as a good reminder about what you should do, you should be able to keep your workforce on track to completing what they need in a timely manner.
