ABSTRACT
Finally, after all the weeks of preparation, we are actually going to show up on the set and shoot something. Every set follows a common routine. There are, of course, individual variations on exactly how things are run. But the key thing to keep in mind is that the way you and your crew—and everyone else working on the set—conduct themselves will have just as much impact on the quality of your cinematography as all that planning you did during preproduction. The guiding principle should be that the more artistic and creative freedom you want for the work, the greater the corresponding level of discipline and order you need. If some of this seems militaristic, it is. Well, let's say it requires military discipline. But it is also absolutely necessary. There is zero tolerance for chaos on a film set. So let's consider some of the unwritten laws of set behavior.
