What Is Film Production Catering?
As noted in last week’s blog post, there are two different departments that handle food for film crew – catering and craft service. While craft service refers to the food and drinks that are available to cast and crew throughout the day, catering refers to the hot sit-down meals that are served during 30-60 minute breaks. Catering and craft services are not typically handled by the same team as they both require attendants with specific responsibilities needed in different areas.
The first catered meal is generally served six hours after the start of the work day. A second meal is served six hours later if the crew is still working. However, for some productions, there is no break for meals. This is referred to as “French hours” or “Northwest hours.” In these cases, cast and crew members must eat whenever they have a chance, and they receive monetary compensation in the form of “meal penalties” (learn more).
Catering companies offer different methods of serving film crew. Some catering companies like to provide a buffet-style service while others like to offer a traditional, plated meal service. On very large productions, the cast and crew are scheduled to arrive at staggered times to help make sure that everyone has enough time to eat.
For shoots that will take several weeks or months, it is important for catering companies to secure food purveyors for each filming location. Fresh produce and fresh ingredients are typically used to help save space since a freezer is not necessary, and neither is defrosting time. Securing food purveyors in advance of a production also helps catering companies anticipate weather conditions that may delay shipments so that they can communicate changes in food delivery early on.
In Nevada, we have many catering companies with experience serving anywhere from small to large-scale television, commercial, and feature film productions. Some of their credits include Jason Bourne, American Ninja Warrior, Tanked, and more.
If you are looking for an experienced catering company for your next production, check out our online Nevada Production Directory for a list of catering companies in Nevada or drop by our office and pick up a free printed directory!
If you have a catering company in Nevada and are not yet listed in our Nevada Production Directory, you can learn more about how to sign up for the NPD here.