I’ve been asked several time to write a post about set conduct and etiquette. A lot of you who have stumbled upon our little site are hoping to find out where movies and TV shows are being filmed so you can have a chance to see or meet celebrities. I think its fun to see celebs too but also know it can be daunting if you don’t know what to expect. So here are a few tips from my own experience and a few tips I’ve learned from our readers about visiting an on location movie or TV shoot.
[photo: Benjamin Teper, On the set of Damages]
Be patient!
First of all, remember that patience is a virtue. If you are waiting outside of a set for a certain celebrity, you may have to wait a few hours before getting a glimpse of them, if you see them at all. There are no guarantees you’ll get to see a celebrity, let alone get to take a picture with them or get an autograph. I always go to a set assuming I’m not going to see anything but a bunch of Haddad’s trucks and if I see more, great, if not, I try to make the most of it anyway.
The crew can be helpful, as long as you’re not a pain.
Its also a good idea to talk to PAs, truck drivers, and others on set as they may have some good tips for you and are usually pretty personable. But, remember, they have a boss to report to too so don’t be upset if they won’t give you any details about what the shoot is or when a particular celeb will emerge. And with that said, don’t be too bothersome either, after all, they do have a job to do.
Many of our readers have also been quick to remind us that the crew does not have the right to push anyone around either. If they are filming on the street, it is public property and if you are just standing there, out of their shot and out of their business, you have every right to be there. That’s why its important to be quiet (especially if they are shooting and tell you to be quiet), follow instructions and be polite.
Its rare to know the exact time a celeb will arrive or when they will actually shoot the scene.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the NO PARKING signs, filming permits or call times that our tipsters often send us give a general time of when the production will start setting up or when it will be completely shut down but it won’t tell you exactly when the movie’s star will arrive or when they will begin shooting. We can’t tell you exactly when a celebrity is going to come out of their trailer or arrive on set, the people working for the movie probably don’t even know for sure, like any workplace, schedules fluctuate slightly throughout the day so go with low expectations.
You might have to explore a little before finding the exact shooting location.
Its also rare that we will find out in advance exactly where a shoot is taking place. All of our tips come from readers who see a permit sign or hear about something filming which means our tipsters are just regular folks, not industry insiders.
For example, if someone sees a no parking sign on a NYC street for Gossip Girl, it might not be outside the exact filming, it just means they need to park their trucks there, but it also means they will obviously be filming in that vicinity. You may have to walk around a little, but chances are you’ll be be able to figure out where they’re actually filming pretty quickly. Look for signs too. There are usually signs posted around that will say “set” (that’s where they are shooting) or “holding” (that’s where the extras hang out in between shots).
Don’t chase, scream at, or harass the stars once you see them.
It can be exciting to see a celeb, especially if you’re a huge fan and you’ve waited all your life for a glimpse of them, even I’ve acted inappropriately (i.e. the Jimmy Fallon grab), but remember they are there to do their job. How would you like people standing around your cubicle screaming your name and trying to grab you while you were working, it wouldn’t be good.
You never want to approach a celeb while they are shooting or preparing to shoot. The best time to approach them may be as they are entering or leaving their trailer. Trailers are usually parked within a block of the actual location. If it looks like it may be a good time to approach them, ask politely for an autograph or picture and usually, if they have time, they will oblige. If they say no, just thank them and walk away, causing a scene won’t win you (or the production) any points with anyone.
Do you have any other tips that have helped you meet a celeb on a movie set? Share them in a comment below!
when meeting a celeb act natural, i know its great to meet a celeb but remember they are just people like you and me but were giving great talents so treat them like you would treat a friend. if you do get the chance to meet a celeb take a deep breath that usually helps me.
You are so right on these tips. They exemplify my experience with a set situation in Vancouver. We were patient, polite, had fun hanging with crew, and followed their rules. We were there for 12 hours but were able to watch stars come and go from the circus to the set and eventually get a short conversation and autograph from one.
I enjoyed the whole day and found it fun to see how the movie operated.
It’s true about asking the film crew for tips. Just last week we spotted some film crew for the Vampire Diaries and was told that the set was closed for the day but did tell us when and where to come back the following day.
Since I wasn’t too interested in seeing how they film shows (I just wanted to meet the actors!), I decided to take a slightly different approach when I was on an SVU set. The first thing I did was walk around the premises and find out where the trailers were. From behind the scenes photos on other websites, I quickly knew when I had found Chris’ and Mariska’s trailers. I stayed a respectful distance away (about 20 feet) and I leaned on buildings on the sidewalks the trailers were parked on. I got great results!
I was actually very surprised at how personable the crew members for SVU were! One of the SVU guys started a conversation with me, asking where I was from, how long I was in the city, etc. He even told me that Mariska wasn’t in her trailer and wasn’t due to set for a few hours and told me when to come back later to maybe see her. I came back later and caught her going into her trailer. She took a picture with me and I had a pen for her to sign a magazine for me. She said, “It won’t work, babe. Dave, do you have a Sharpie?” and she ended up giving me the Sharpie of the crew member, too, that she used to sign the magazine. xD
I also waited by Chris Meloni’s trailer and we didn’t crowd him and he gave me a pic and an autograph as well. The set guy even took the picture for me using my camera.
Ya I also went to an SVU flming and they were all so nice. one of the grips asked me questions too like where im from and how i found out about the filming location. It was a great experience. I got lucky and saw the within the hour I got there! (Chris and Mariska) Mariska’s oown bodygaurd actually gave me some advice, “don’t swarm her or she’ll get scared.” Mariska is like my role model so i really needed him to tell me to calm down lol. it worked out great!!!
I am requesting any information on The Motor City Movie set for September or October 2012. I’d appreciate any information as to how to meet and greet Gerry on the set of Motor City in Atlanta Georgia as to where he may be shooting movie & where fans as myself can meet him onset?
Will it be an open or closed set while filiming Motor City. Will be the public be allowed to be able to watch the movie being filmed?
act like you belong there and you will get behind the scenes and see celebs, if anyone asks tell them you are looking for ‘extras holding’ .
Interested in extras for atlanta’s movie sets…HADDADS company workers are a wonderful group of people…
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