What Is Meant By Craft Services For The Film Industry?

By Author: Rob Parker
Total Articles: 311
Comment this article

If you have ever been on the set of a television, film, or video production, then one thing that you are sure to have noticed is that these are very busy places. Any type of large or even medium sized production is sure to have dozens or hundreds of different people working on different areas of the film, and they are not all - or even mostly - areas where you are likely to see someone come up and get an Oscar on a Sunday night (although they do earn Oscars, it's just not part of the public perception).

Most of the hidden areas of film production fall under what are termed as crafts; those parts of film development that the average person is not likely to read about in the credits. These jobs are usually filled by trained and skilled professionals - those in charge of art direction, makeup, props, camera, electricians, and so on. It is important to recognize the distinction of these areas termed crafts from others as they are represented by separate unions and have different needs than other areas of the film industry such as design, directing, writing, acting, and so on.

In fact, the film industry is so huge that ...
... there is a whole separate industry that serves the crafts, known appropriately as crafts services (and referred to colloquially as Crafty). These services are responsible for providing drinks and snacks in a buffet style for the personnel who fulfill various crafts positions. The craft services department is also responsible for providing various types of security on set, as well as for set protection; setting out layout boards, covering up after completion of filming for the day, and so on.

Although food is a part of the crafts services department's job description, they should not be confused with catering. Catering refers to the provision of the actual meals on the set of a production; these meals are sit down and take place every six hours for either an hour or half an hour. An outside company provides catering, whereas crafts services are usually filled by the crewmembers working on a film. Many catering companies have the ability and the employees needed to fill this need in the film industry if called upon, plus they also have food service equipment, plus table and chairs available for rental should the need arise.