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Call times


orionflood

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What is the general call structure on a professional set/union set for a sound? I hear it is usually 30 minutes till shoot call and not general call. I work for a company that calls me at general call but says it is only because they don't give me per diem but provide breakfast and basically to make sure the the generator is in the right location...which I also feel like should be taken care of in preproduction. Most of the time I show up and wait for several hours...just wanted to see what the correct way is of doing this if there is one.

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On just about every project I am brought in at call.  From time to time I have had an industrial or something where they swear they won't need sound for many hours after call, like stunts, in which case I'll take a later call.  But 30 minutes before shooting call seems awfully foolish.

 

I'd just stick to general crew call, have time to get everything right, and collect the extra $$.

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I always prefer to show up at general call, but sometimes I'm happy with a"post-call" as long as the ad has left me enough time to properly setup, wire, etc. i usually state that i need to be there for blocking/ rehearsals etc if they are considering calling me late. On days i think i need it, i will all for pre calls too.

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With occasional exceptions, I too prefer to show up at the regular call time. 

 

Some of the adventures that prompt me to say that:

 

-- All nearby parking being filled when you arrive later.

-- Showing up twenty minutes prior to sound's later call time only to be met by a frantic AD saying they've moved the schedule around and need sound to be ready in five minutes!

-- Generator too close and noisy and you get a look that says, "If you'd told me earlier we would have parked it elsewhere, but now we're locked in to where it's at."

-- and, of course, when some of the best goodies have already disappeared from craft services!

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Mostly get called at crew call, sometimes even a pre (on drama)

On commercials, there has been a few times getting a late call and all too frequently the production then rings asking if i could get there as quick as possible because things have changed.....

Late calls can often mean a rushed setup.

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-2 for Whit and Vas, here.

Showing up a bit early to get breakfast, or to get yourself in order is one thing... Showing up to get a head start on the work of the day is another. If you feel you'll need more time on a particular day, request a pre-call. Otherwise, carts stay on the (or at least at) the trucks until "we're in!".

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Sorry but I will give you example.

When one store say: We open at 9:00am, doesn't mean the workers going to office 9:00am and start to work.

 

Is in the store 15 or 30 minutes before opening time.

 

I have learn something from olders (and from different industries).

Go to work at -1 minute. Not +1 minute. Otherwise at 0 minute you lost beautiful things at work.

 

:)

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I get it. Like I mentioned, if one needs time to get one's personal affairs in order for the day, I totally get that. Aside from maybe a casual conversation, however, business begins once we're on the clock.

I have, on occasion, worked with some very eager new camera PA's who begin their push to set prior to the company being "in". In my market at least, this is a behavior to be quickly corrected.

Some Teamsters will not even drop the gate or lift until we're in (usually only if it has become an issue). This is to protect all of us.

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I get it. Like I mentioned, if one needs time to get one's personal affairs in order for the day, I totally get that. Aside from maybe a casual conversation, however, business begins once we're on the clock.

I have, on occasion, worked with some very eager new camera PA's who begin their push to set prior to the company being "in". In my market at least, this is a behavior to be quickly corrected.

Some Teamsters will not even drop the gate or lift until we're in (usually only if it has become an issue). This is to protect all of us.

Exactly how I feel. Eventually I'm assuming everyone will want a family at one time or another, another reason for the 12 off 12 on idea. We are not robots...people have lives. 12 hours although I enjoy the job is particularly hard...it usually takes me an hour or two to even unwind for me to be able to get to sleep. Why would anyone in the sound department get there 45 minutes early. If anything, go over the shooting schedule in your bed with your wife or kids for those 45 minutes...or if your on location...stripper or prostitute (jk)

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I show up 10-15 minutes before call time, just to be sure I'm not late. But that's it. 45 minutes is waaay too much IMO, why are you giving production free work time?

 

45 - 30 = 15. Here you go. Like you. Who's said 45 minutes?

 

Example: Call time 09.00.. Start work 09.30.. I will be here 08.50..

 

No one enjoy the coffee at work? Or the pleasure to smoke without anxiety?

I'm f**** to old for that? Hahahaha

 

:D

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" Call time 09.00.. Start work 09.30.. I will be here 08.50.. "

for a lot of us, particularly in big cities, it is way too easy to be delayed by 10 minutes, so planning to arrive a half hour early gives us an appropriate comfort zone in case of traffic jams, etc.

 

hehe, I normally do the same and still do. Except once I had expected traffic and left one hour ahead of my usual time into Santa Monica, a trip I've made several times prior..... Still I arrived an hour late, damn LA traffic:-P

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I always aim to get to location at least 15 to 20 min prior to call. NY traffic is unpredictable and I hate being stressed in traffic.

If I'm early I will sit in my vehicle and check what has been posted on JW sound.

 

+1 Jack :D, but not so much car traffic as "train traffic ahead of us."  Or the L train being under construction forever haha...

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