Selecting the right food for crew members and actors may not be easy on all productions due to various factors including budget, diets and even weather. Film catering is still not rocket science and filmmakers must stay clear of making decisions that will ultimately have a negative impact on their production. Here are the five riskiest catering decisions filmmakers make when purchasing food for cast and crew.
Serving Beer on a Film Set
Drinking alcohol is nothing new in the film community but save these beverages for the wrap party. At least you will know that all of your footage is "in the can" and there is no need to worry about the Director of Photography getting drunk and ruining your master shots. Beer, cocktails, wine and other alcoholic beverages are one of the riskiest film catering decisions to make when it comes to producing a short or feature of value. They should be banned from your film production set in addition to being skipped on the grocery shopping list.
Too Many Generic Brand Foods
Filmmakers can save a lot of money by purchasing generic brands. This practice should be done in moderation and used toward food catering options that are not a big deal. You may be able to get away with purchasing generic brand rice rather than cereal that no one on your crew is familiar with. A good rule of thumb is to write down all of the foods you would not mind eating a generic version of and then survey the cast and crew to find out which of these preferences match up among the majority on your production. The Down and Dirty blogger mentioned that if you give your crew cheap food, they may return the favor by giving you a cheap looking product.
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Not Providing Enough Food
Planning to have food for everyone on a set should be obvious, right? Unfortunately, this is not always the case and can cause problems on a film set. Count the number of cast and crew who will be working on your film for a specific day (including yourself because you have to eat too, right?!!!) and buy enough food to cover all of these people. If your film set is being catered by a third party, communicate with the company or individual so there is an understanding if what is needed. Scarce food selections is one of the riskiest catering decisions filmmakers make that can usually be traced back to the following no-no.
Setting an Unrealistic Film Catering Budget
Not having enough money to cover food for crew members and actors is one of the riskiest catering decisions that is directly related to not having enough food. Sometimes filmmakers can get so wrapped up in securing the right equipment, staff, locations, wardrobe and other factors that food is only provided by whatever money is leftover. In other circumstances, filmmakers set aside a flat rate of what they believe food will cost for a particular day or an entire production. These risky catering decisions will only end up making you look unprepared as the cast and crew suffers from hunger after four to seven straight hours of work.
Set aside a few hours during pre-production to research prices for your planned film catering menu. This works out better than believing $20 will cover you for a day or $100 will cover the entire duration shoot. Planning ahead and allocating the proper amount toward film catering will also keep you from overspending on food.
Serving Snacks on Long Production Days
Snacks may work when feeding cast and crew on a short film production that only lasts 1-2 days. Serving snacks on full production days that consist of four to eight working hours is just plain selfish and very risky. Do not try and expect actors and film crew members to live on beef jerky, potato chips, cookies and peanut butter crackers for long workdays. I'm not suggesting that you prepare a full course Thanksgiving style dinner but have enough respect for the efforts that others are bringing to the table when producing an independent film by feeding them something of substance. It does not take much additional effort or money to provide a few sandwiches or quick 10 minute meals on set.
Which one of these film catering tips do you practice when making movies? Leave your comments below!
The above image is of late Paul Fraser, was actor Jack Nicholson's personal chef and also worked at high end venues. Photo is courtesy of Peter Duke.
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Good ol’ Lasagna
Lasagna is one of the most inexpensive ideas filmmakers can utilize when serving food to crew and cast members. Save even more money on the independent film budget by obtaining homemade lasagna. Many people enjoy lasagna, which reduces the chances of cast and crew complaining about their on set film catering experience. There are a lot of kids who love lasagna as well, so this baked food idea can work wonders for filmmakers who are making family oriented movies. Lasagna can be made using ground beef, ground turkey or other ground meet. Filmmakers can also prepare meatless lasagna when choosing food for film productions.
Although one of my previous tips to saving money on film set catering included home cooking, that does not have to apply on every production. Filmmakers who do not know how to make lasagna can hire someone else to cook this food for crew and cast members. Do not confuse “hiring” with the impression that money has to be exchanged in order for someone to cook a pan of lasagna.
Extra Alternative: Lasagna Rolls are a good substitute for baking one large dish that has to be carved out section by section. Lasagna rolls are also less messy which can reduce the amount of cleanup time on a film set. Save money on pasta, sauce and other Lasagna ingredients using Free Local Grocery Store Coupons to free up some extra cash for film festivals and other expenses.
Honey Glazed Ham
Ham is delicious but varies in quality and can be a waste if filmmakers serve a mediocre one to cast and crew members. There are supermarkets, meat shops and specialty gourmet stores that sell pre-cooked ham for around $30. Purchasing a pre-cooked ham makes the film catering task a little easier because no one has to really “cook” for this food to be made available on set. There is a glaze that should be burshed over the ham from time to time when it’s heating in the oven. A combination of household items including maple syrup, brown sugar, mustard or honey can accomplish this task with ease.
Much like quality, the price for ham varies depending its brand and size. There should be someone designated to cut the ham when it’s ready to be served because this process requires a sharp knife. One main person having the responsibility minimized the risk of some tired crew or cast member accidentally cutting themselves while trying to get a piece of ham.
Some stores also sell ham that is ready-to-eat, which can save a lot of time during production breaks and shorten the film shooting schedule. There are advantages to getting a ready-to-eat ham over pre-cooked ham. A pre-cooked ham may take the film catering person longer to heat up. Filmmakers can prepare a pre-cooked ham while setting up shots for the next scene.
Baked Ziti
Many people like Baked ziti and it’s on the menu of many pizza restaurants so it’s not hard to sample when choosing film set food. Some Baked ziti recipes include ground meat while others keep this ingredient out. Filmmakers can couple this with Lasagna or film set Taco ideas to provide options for vegetarian staff members or those who do not eat meat. It takes less than one hour to cook Baked ziti, if the person in charge of film catering is quick, skilled and organized.
This article was previously published on the topic of Indie Film Warp Parties as part of my AC Film Tips series. These baked food ideas can be used on a film set in addition to being part of the wrap party menu.
Photo by rustybrick
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Tacos
It is rare that you will find any cast or crew member who will pass on the option of eating tacos instead of day-old pizza. Tacos make the list of 10 minute meals because they can be made quickly and are not too complicated to prepare. This provides more time to prepare or film the next scheduled scene on your production. Tacos can be made in a variety of ways but the most simplistic form is relatively easy. Add ground beef or ground turkey to a heated saucepan. Cook the meat until it turns brown and then mix in some taco seasoning.
Continue cooking your taco meat for 6 minutes and warm a good number of taco shells in the oven. Filmmakers can also use soft taco shells if that’s what the cast and crew votes on most. The meal is about ready to serve as son as your meat has cooked thoroughly. Top those cast and crew tacos with some lettuce, salsa, cheddar cheese and sour cream. Serving tacos during indie film productions can be useful because they are inexpensive and require little time to prepare.
Smoked Turkey Breast Wrap
Prepare a turkey wrap for cast and film crew using pita bread, Smoked Turkey Breast cold cuts, tomatoes, cheese and lettuce. Buy a pack of your favorite pita bread from a local grocery store. They come in rather larger sizes and can be cut in half if desired. Pita bread can also be placed in the microwave prior to making this 10 minute meal. A warm smoked turkey breast wrap is a great food idea for indie film productions that take place during the winter season.
Ranch dressing and honey mustard sauce are good additional to have at the craft services table. The two sauces add more flavor to smoked turkey breast wraps. Spread the ranch or honey mustard sauce on the pita bread before adding other ingredients. Place one slice of cheese on a section of pita bread. Follow up with two or three slices of turkey breast, two large pieces of lettuce and two tomatoes. Starting with one of the corners, roll the pita bread closed. Make sure that all of the contents remain in place and serve immediately to your hungry cast and film crew staff.
Fried Hot Dogs
Did you know Host Dogs can be fried? It is one of the easiest food ideas to prepare and may cook faster than broiling hot dogs in a pot. Pick up a few packs of beef, turkey or vegetable hot dogs and buns from the grocery store. Using a knife, slice each hot dog down the middle so that it has two sides. If you do not pay close attention, the hot dog may end up being cut in half which can still work but may require more effort to handle.
Place a tablespoon full of margarine or butter into one skillet. Using a fork, place each hog dog into the skillet and let cook for 5 minutes. Make sure to flip the hot dog over on each side during this time. Fill your craft services table up with the usual containers or packages of ketchup, mustard, sauerkraut, barbecue sauce and relish.
This post was previously published as one of my AC Film Tips Titles. Since all who visit my writing profile does not make movies, these seafood options can get put to better use on Food for Films!
Photo by JaBB
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Shrimp Platter
Grocery stores sell large shrimp platters for around $40 (or less if you can find a sale or couple them with coupons and rebates!). The platters come with two rows of medium or large shrimp. They also include a container of cocktail sauce but it helps to purchase an extra container and maybe some butter to melt as a second option for cast and crew. This one of the many independent film set catering ideas that can be served to small groups of cast and crew members. It can work well for those 49 hour film challenges or narrative stories that feature no more than two dozen staff members.
Crab Cakes
There are so many ways to make crab cakes that they make for a great seafood film set catering option. Crab cakes are not popular menu items at restaurants for nothing. They can be wrapped in bacon or stuffed with vegetables but you can keep it as simple as possible on your film set if preferred. Grill them for a healthier alternative or fry them to serve a lunch or dinner that is familiar. Crab cakes can also be baked but the way they are prepared is all up to you and the needs of cast and crew on your film set. Cocktail sauce and tartar sauce is a MUST when serving crab cakes but find out if your staff has cravings for another sauce.
Snow Crab Legs
Snow crab legs are on sale frequently, giving filmmakers an easy seafood option for film set catering. Many seafood stores and grocery stores make them available as ready-cooked food but snow crabs can be prepared in your kitchen. Getting snow crabs cooked in advance at the store may help to save a lot of time, making it easy to finish your production schedule. Snow crab legs also reduce the amount of mess that has to be cleaned up on your film set.
Fried Fish and rolls
Fried fish is one of the most simplistic seafood ideas that filmmakers can take advantage of when serving food on set. Certain fish like whiting and flounder can be cheaper than Catfish, Swordfish, Mahi Mahi and Salmon but they all make delicious options for independent film set catering. If you're going the fish route, tuna may even be the cheapest of them all, at 99 cents per can. Fried fish is so easy to make and you can by it fresh or frozen, but always make sure to select these items properly when purchasing them and take even better care when preparing this seafood to cook.
Bags of frozen fish may save filmmakers a lot of money on their film budget. Many brands are usually pre-cleaned and ready to cook. Vegetable oil (or whatever oil your staff likes their fish fried with), all-purpose flour and seasoning are the basic items to get when serving fried fish. You can also serve this with some dinner rolls but serve a real side item like vegetables or french fries. This will help to curb the hunger for cast and crew members so they don't expect to get full on a piece of fish alone.
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Photo: biskuit
This post was previously published as one of my AC Film Tips Titles. Since all who visit my writing profile does not make movies, these seafood options can get put to better use on Food for Films!
While they can be used for a movie wrap party, seafood can also be served to cast and crew on film sets working with a medium sized budget!!!
Which one of these items would you serve on your independent film set? Leave your comments below!
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