There's nothing more uncomfortable that having to inform a client that their property incurred damage during your production—except for maybe having to pay for that damage. Luckily, there are ways to protect not only yourself, but your clients as well from the wear and tear of film production, including equipment use and crew traffic. In this video from The Slanted Lens, Jay P. Morgan shows you a few ways you can safeguard floors during a shoot. Check it out below:

Here are the tips Morgan mentions in the video:

  • Lay down paper: It's important to lay down paper in high traffic areas, as well as where you'll be setting up your gear. This keeps your tripods, cases, and other equipment from scratching or scuffing up floors. You can use pretty much any kind of craft or construction paper, heavy duty Ram Board, or even furniture blankets in case you need to quickly put equipment down in an area without paper.
  • Be cautious when putting down tape: Gaff tape is usually pretty safe, but the adhesive on it could end up damaging floors and other surfaces. Just be aware before putting it down, because the last thing you want to see when pulling it up is that it took some paint with it. When in doubt, avoid it.
  • Use booties: Dirty shoes track in messes you don't want to deal with, whether it's on a client's brand new oriental rug or muddy footsteps all over a white set. Ask your crew to make sure to put on booties before entering a client's home or walking onto a clean set.

The quickest way to turn a client into an enemy is by being negligent with their property. If they're taking on the risk of allowing a film crew to shoot in their house or business, then you need to do everything you can to reduce that risk by taking all of the proper precautions and leaving the space better than when you found it.

What are some other ways to protect a client's property during production? Let us know in the comments.

Source: The Slanted Lens

setsproduction
Cinematography & Cameras