(this article is part of the make-up trainee diary started here )
When you start a film, you are given a lot of papers, and you make a lot of your own. Let’s list them and then go back to each one for details.
- The script
- the one-line schedule
- the call sheets
- the movements of order
- the days-out-of-days
- the locations list
- the unit list
- sometimes, a crowd breakdown
for money matters
- time sheets
- contracts
- mileage form
and some that depends more on the designer’s choice :
- make-up breakdown
- week board with the scenes and their main infos
- main events of the story
- list of main effects to be prepped and their deadline
- lists of specific scenes where loads of make-up is required with the dates of filming,
- the script : as we said in the first article, you need to read the script and try to translate the script into make-up and hair infos. if you come a few days to help, you won’t have it, and don’t have to think about it. At the beginning of the day, you’ll have a brief about what’s going on and what’s to do. Example : “it’s a posh restaurant scene, everyone looks good”, or” it’s a fighting scene, you need to think dirtying down, blood and bruises.”
- The one-line schedule. As the name tells, it’s your schedule for the whole film, with the minimum useful informations : dates and area of filming, what scenes, what caracters, average times (day/split day/ night nshoot) for organisation.
- the call sheet. For each day you are coming on set, you’ll receive a very precious sheet, with a few crucial infos :
- where the unit base is (and the crowd base)
- what is the call time (offical time for the crew)
- the time of the first make-up (think you need to arrive sooner to prep the stations, warm up the appliances etc…
- interior or exterior scene (really good to know what to wear. Always get some waterproof shoes and coat when shooting outside, and in your trunk anyway)
- phone number of the HoD (head of department, which for you is the make-up designer)
- phone numbers of production and AD (assistant director)
- what scenes we are going to do (so you can prep accordingly and get the continuity pictures ready)
- the movements of order. Along with the call sheet will be the movement order : it explains to you how to get to the location and unit base, and any problem you can encounter with that place (like parking space etc…)
- the days-out-of-days. It’s a big spreadsheet that give every working day of your cast. Each line is a cast, every column is a day.
- if you see “W”, it means that cast member works on that day.
- if you see “SW”, it means he starts working on that day
- if you see “WF”, it means he finishes on that day
- if you see “SWF”, then he only works that day (”start work finish”)
- the make-up breakdown (depending on the designer you work with, each team use different things) This is something one of the make-up artist will do, it’s not a production document. For each scene, you can see who is there, what is specific makeupwise, where it’s done, and how many extras you’ve got. It’s really useful to check quickly what kind of thing you need to prep, and take in your set bags for touch ups or if part of the make-up has to be done on set, like during a fight scene, use of blood etc…)
- the crowd breakdow. Another nice and useful spreadsheet, with the list of the scenes where extras are required. You get there more infos about the kind of extras/characters the director is after, and so you can see how much make-up could be needed. I say “could be”, because this also depends on the extra casted. For a period film, if they found men with nice sideburns and moustache are found, obviously, it make your life easier and the make-up quicker.)
- the locations list. Every location is listed there, so you can see if you’ll be away, far from your place or just round the corner.
- the unit lis. Names and contact details of everyone working of the film. Keep that next to you, and have a look regularly, it’s good to know the names of the people on set, and help to see who is doing what.
- the time sheet. Each week, you have to fill in the hours you’re working, so any extra hours can be paid.
- the contract. You are asked to sign a contract, which include the cnditions of filming, any non-disclosure agreement : read it well, it’s important. You sign two and one is given back to you for archives.
Quite a few papers will come in different colors : script, breakdown and one-line schedule are printed in a different color, each time they are changed. You probably will put the new colored sheets in your team’s folder for them. Be careful !
More infos from set soon.
