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Craft Services and Snacks
FEED YOUR CAST AND CREW PROPERLY
SFTV students work on each others sets free of charge. Classmates will work diligently with the expectation that the director will provide all the thoughtful, nourishing and nutritious meals and snacks they can afford. This arrangement is foundation of the esprit de corps that binds SFTV together and makes it one of the top film schools in the world. Providing healthy food and drinks on set is not only a good investment in your crew’s creativity and productivity, it is also a matter of safety: people working twelve hour days need easy access to food and drink throughout their shift.
Crafty, Coffee, and Snacks
The human body runs on chemical energy sourced from food. Without food, the body will not function safely, which leads to accidents. Feeding your cast and crew a nourishing lunch, providing abundant snacks, providing cool water, and hot coffee will not only allow your crew to have the energy to work hard, but sends the signal that you respect their time and contribution to your show. Not planning out your crafty and snacks sends the message that you are a poor planner and do not value the well being of your colleagues. Word will get around quickly and your classmates may be less willing to work on your next set.
Production Planning and Budgeting For Crafty
Your budget for crafty, lunch, water, coffee, and snacks should inform the size of your cast and crew and how many days you can shoot. If you can afford $10 per person, per day, for three days of production and you plan to have 10 people on your set that equals $300 dollars for lunch and snacks. During your budgeting and scheduling phase, if you discover you cannot source enough snacks, lunches, and water for $300 you must make an adjustment. You will either need to increase your budget, lower your crew size, or reduce your number of shooting days.
Student Film Set Menus
Filmmaking is a physically and mentally intensive undertaking and cast and crew need calories to stay strong and alert. Consider the following tips when planning your menus for your film shoot:
| Bottled Water | Water is mandatory. Have enough water on hand for every crew member to remain properly hydrated all day, every day of production. Smaller 80z bottles create less waste than the standard 12oz bottles because they don’t get half finished and left lying around. |
| Coffee | You should provide coffee on set. A $12 coffee maker will last you for years and save you from going to Starbucks at 6AM during production. Also, your UPM or a PA can brew a fresh, hot pot all day long. |
| Individually Wrapped Snacks | Bananas, oranges, and other peeled fruits are essential. Single serve packs of chips, fruit snacks, granola bars will help crew keep up their blood sugar and stay alert all day. Sugary items are fine, but mix in protein-rich snacks if you can. Be sure to replenish at the end of every shooting day. |
| Dietary Restrictions | Send a mass email asking your cast and crew about their dietary restrictions before your first day of production. It is your responsibility to make a reasonable accommodation for your classmates and actors so they can be nourished and well fed on set. If you have a dietary restriction, advocate for yourself and tell your UPM. You are not being difficult and deserve to eat well for your work. |
| Lunch | Make sure you know your cast’s dietary restrictions and do not take for granted that meatless items are vegetarian. For example, no entree at Panda Express is vegetarian, even the meatless items are seasoned with beef and/or chicken stock. |
Failing to properly nourish your cast and crew can create safety hazards and will create the impression that you do not respect respect those volunteering their time to make your show the best it can be. Budget wisely and ensure you have assistance during production so you don’t run out of food while you’re shooting.
Film LA Permit Process
To apply for a FilmLA permit follow these steps on the FilmLA website. For SFTV permit support, contact the SPO Graduate Assistant or Production Administration.
FilmLA has undergone a change in permit acquisition, meaning that students will have a new process of applying for FilmLA permits. Below are important key pieces of information for the application process, as well as a slideshow showing the step-by-step instructions on how to apply online.
Fees
The basic film permit application fee is $863; however, if you apply and show that you are enrolled in LMU and that your project is specifically for course credit the student discounted permit application fee is $50, or $124 for a larger scale project. This includes up to 5 locations on a permit and 2 consecutive weeks of filming. If you are required to have a FilmLA monitor on set, their rate begins at $41/hour.
Permit Schedules
Schedule for Permit Applications:
To best serve you and our partners, all filming requests are due by 10 a.m. at least three business days prior to your first production date. Certain activities/areas require additional time. Visit FilmLA.com for details. LA City deadlines:
• To film on SATURDAY, SUNDAY or MONDAY, submit application by 10AM Wednesday of week prior
• To film on TUESDAY, submit by 10AM Thursday of week prior
• To film on WEDNESDAY, submit by 10AM Friday of week prior
• To film on THURSDAY, submit application by 10AM Monday of same week
• To film on FRIDAY, submit application by 10AM Tuesday of same week
HOLIDAY WEEKENDS MAY AFFECT DEADLINES – Check FilmLA.com for details.
Timing
For basic permits, FilmLA needs 3-7 business days to process a permit, with locations in other jurisdictions needing 5 to 7 business days.
Insurance
LMU projects are covered under LMU’s film insurance policy.
Grid Locations
If your set has 10 people or less and all handheld equipment, you may qualify for a walking or driving grid location, meaning you can pick 4 streets that intersect to form a square and then you can film anywhere inside of that square as long as your impact is minimal.
Drone Use
Drones are not covered by LMU insurance. Students have to pay for drone insurance if using drones.
Filming Surveys
Community Filming Surveys are sometimes requested by FilmLA if you are filming outside of standard business hours (before 9:00 a.m. – after 10:00 p.m.) or have high impact activities like gunfire, street closures, or filming in a sensitive neighborhood (neighborhoods that see a lot of filming).
As posted on the FilmLA website:
The Filming Survey is not a request for permission to film. These surveys are purely an information gathering tool, which FilmLA uses to gauge neighborhood concerns. Not all filming activity requires a filming survey; and for those shoots that do, community participation is strictly voluntary.
When you apply for a FilmLA permit, you will be assigned a Coordinator. The coordinator will contact you about parking (see parking note), film surveys or other location specific questions they might have.
If a Filming Survey is required, it is the production’s responsibility to create a radius map of usually 300-ft around the desired location AND create a list of the addresses within the 300-ft radius for FilmLA.
The production will leave behind a survey form for residents and business owners to complete. The survey will provide a deadline for the survey and how they can respond (leave survey for pick-up by production or email their responses directly to FilmLA).
Other Helpful Information
- Be sure to look up the Area Requirements for your location before applying for your permit.
- Here’s a link to the survey packet on the FilmLA website.
- Within the packet, you’ll find Guidelines for Conducting Filming Surveys that includes a sample survey, a Notification of Intended Filming letter to download, and a sample survey map.
- Apartment Managers can sign on behalf of their tenants.
- Here’s a tutorial on how to create a radius map. Here’s a sample of a 300-ft radius map from Playa del Oro.
- Under the For Filmmakers tab, under Tools & Resources, you’ll find NavigateLA, a web-based mapping application. This is a bit tricky but can be helpful.
Key Terms
- Location Authorization (LA): A location authorization is a formal request to use a specific location, for a specific timeframe, for specific activity. An LA can authorize one location.
- 14 consecutive days: Permits in MyFilmLA are valid for 14 consecutive days. The 14-day window starts after the first LA is entered.
- Payment: The FilmLA permit application fee is collected once a production submits their first LA.
Proof of FilmLA Submission
A Draft Permit, Proof of Payment and the Final FilmLA Permit must be uploaded to either a student’s Box Folder or to SFTV-On-Tap. For instructions on how to download a draft permit from FilmLA, please click here.
To download your permit, follow these steps:
- Log into your FilmLA account.
- On your dashboard, you will see a section called “My Location authorizations”.
- Right click on your submission, which should be titled something like “Production, Basecamp, Crew Parking”.
- Click on Summary.
- Click on Download
Below is the application process on the FilmLA site:
Nudity, Simulated Sex, and Intimacy
KEEPING YOUR ACTORS SAFE
Please contact Production Administration to learn if your project is allowed to have scenes of intimacy.
As a general rule, SFTV does not censor student projects or disallow nudity or simulated sex scenes. However, there are general guidelines for intimacy and nudity scenes that must be followed.
Once the student has met with PAT and reviewed any intimacy scenes in their film, the filmmaker will implement these project-specific guidelines in coordination with the producer, 1st AD, and, if required, an Intimacy Coordinator.
Refer to the following resources for more information.
SFTV On TAP
YOUR PORTAL TO PERMITS AND PRODUCTION
SFTV On Tap is used for project submission.
To submit or review projects you can visit the SFTV On Tap Dashboard. Using the Select Your Workflow drop down window, choose the SFTV Film Production Request and the Start Workflow button to begin.
PLEASE NOTE: You must press the “Save” button at the bottom of your project submission page whenever you are done making changes, adding contact info, or uploading documents, etc. Exiting the browser page without saving your edits/additions will result in a loss of your changes.
SFTV On TAP is the online portal where students submit their projects to Production Administration for Project Approval and upload the requisite paperwork for production. SFTV On Tap is no longer used for on campus film permits.
Project Approval for Introductory Courses
All projects at SFTV must first be reviewed and approved by Production Administration before they move into the production phase. Students producing an Introductory project will apply for Project Approval through SFTV on TAP Rehearsal and Production Portal. Through the TAP portal Production Administration will review applications and either approve, deny, or ask for project revisions.
Students producing a DIY At-Home project must submit for Project Approval no later that 5 business days before production begins. Students producing a non-DIY-At-Home project must submit for Project Approval no later than 8 business days before production begins. Failure to submit for project approval on time may result in your Project Approval request being denied and failing to meet curricular deadlines.
For a workflow for submitting Introductory Projects for approval, click here.
Project Approval For Intermediate and Advanced Projects
Students producing an Intermediate or Advanced project will upload their Project Approval documents to Production Administration through the SFTV On TAP portal no less than THREE WEEKS before the scheduled beginning of production.
The Filming Protocols and Guidelines by Course and Forms sections of the Production Handbook outlines the specific documents required in your Project Approval Pitch Pack.
For a workflow for submitting Intermediate/Advanced Projects for approval, click here.
Studio Booking and Equipment Checkout
RECORDING ARTS HAS ISSUED GUIDELINES FOR BOOKING STUDIO TIME AND CHECKING OUT EQUIPMENT
Registering To Reserve An Audio Suite or Checkout Equipment
To reserve an audio suite at the Westchester or Playa Vista campuses, or checkout equipment, first you will need to fill out and submit the RECA Studio Agreement. You will need to fill out the Studio Agreement once each semester.
Once you have filled out this form, it will be automatically submitted to the Recording Arts Office. An account at the www.recalmu.com booking website will be created or your account will be re-activated for the semester by the RECA Office staff. Your login information, the booking policies and instructions, and the link to this resource page will be emailed to you. You will NOT be able to create an account, re-activate your account, or re-set your password on your own. Someone from the RECA Office will have to handle that for you.
Audio Suite Booking Instructions
1. Go to www.recalmu.com and log in.
- Find and reserve the time and date that you would like to book.
- You may reserve a maximum of 3 hours per booking and 2 reservations per day.
- You may have a total of 4 reservations on the schedule at any one time.
- Sessions can be scheduled a maximum of 4 weeks in advance.
- You may NOT make 2 consecutive reservations in the same room.
- You must leave at least 4 hours between reservations in the same room.
- Recording Arts Juniors enrolled in RECA 361 and RECA Seniors may reserve Studio L for a maximum of 8 hours per booking, and may schedule their sessions more than 4 weeks in advance if necessary.
- If you make a reservation and then don’t show up for it your time may be given to another student. Repeated no-shows may lead to loss of booking privileges.
- To cancel a reservation email the RECA office at james.watts@lmu.edu.
- Once you have reserved a time on the www.recalmu.com reservation calendar you must complete step 2. Your reservation will NOT be approved if you fail to submit your Studio Booking Form.
2. Fill out the RECA Studio Booking Form.
- Please fill out and submit a separate form for each room you are reserving. So, if you want to reserve 2 time slots in Blue Room and 1 time slot in Red Room, you will submit one form for the 2 Blue Room reservations, and one form for the 1 Red Room reservation. This will be uploaded to the RECA office for approval and then returned to you once it’s approved. You will keep this approved form on hand during your approved studio time, however it will not be necessary to post a printed, approved form in the door.
IMPORTANT!!! You must submit your booking request by 6pm on the workday prior to your desired booking time for reservations on the Westchester campus. You must submit your request 24 hours before your desired reservation time for reservations on the Playa Vista campus. If you wish to book on a Monday you need to submit your request by the previous Friday.
For reservations on Westchester campus, keep in mind that the RECA office hours are M-Th 10am – 8pm and Fri 10am – 6pm. You will need to pick up your key card the day before your booking if you reserve a session starting before 10am or a weekend session.
For reservations on the Playa Vista campus, access will be added to your OneCard for your reserved time.
3. If you have any questions or special needs, please email the RECA office at recabooking@lmu.edu with your requested room # and reservation date and time, and any special requests or questions you may have.
4. You must watch the appropriate orientation video or attend a TA orientation session for the suite in which you will be working and affirm this with the head of the RECA Office before you do your first session in that audio room.
Blue Room – Recording
Red Room – Setup and Monitoring
Recording Foley in 013/014
Studio L – Orientation
Studio L – Basic Setup v1 – Recording to Pro Tools from the Large Faders and Monitoring from Pro Tools
Studio L – Basic Setup v2 – Recording to Pro Tools from the Small Faders and Monitoring from the Console
Studio L – Basic Setup v3 – Creating a Mix on The Console and Patching a Stereo Mix to Pro Tools or the ATR-102
5. IMPORTANT! If you have any tech support issues while you are working in an audio suite, please contact us by phone or email, or walk to the RECA office in person.
Recording Arts Desk: (310) 338-7368
Jim Watts – Senior Audio Engineer: (310) 568-6662
Equipment Checkout
1. To reserve equipment from the RECA Office, first click here to fill out the RECA Studio Equipment Checkout Form. You will only need to fill out your identifying information at the top of the form, and the quantity of the items you would like to reserve under the column labeled “QTY.” The rest of the form will be filled out by RECA Office staff. Once you submit the form it will be uploaded to the RECA Office for approval and preparation.
2. If you have any special requests or needs, send an email to recabooking@lmu.edu with your name and date of your reservation and your questions.
3. Equipment for use in Studio L will be delivered to the studio prior to your reserved booking. For any other equipment, you will pick that up at the RECA Office.
4. IMPORTANT!!!Equipment reservations must be submitted 24 hours in advance, except for iLoks and headphones. Those may be done on the same day. If you wish to reserve equipment for a Monday you need to submit your request by the previous Friday.
SFTV Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions? The Student Production Handbook has answers!
Do I need a film permit? What if I film on campus?
Generally, you must permit a location before your shoot, even on campus. Unless Production Administration has made a specific exception for your course, SFTV always requires a permit.
See Film Permits
Where can I find crew for my set?
The best way to find crew is to be on your classmate's sets. Help out your fellow filmmakers and they will help you out. SFTV also keeps a directory of student writers and filmmakers so you can list your availability and search for crew.
See SFTV Crew Directory
How do I reserve equipment?
Each services department has their own reservation forms and guidelines. See their sections in this handbook or stop by in person and someone will be happy to assist you.
Can I use SFTV gear and post-production rooms for personal projects?
You must be currently enrolled in an SFTV class to use SFTV resources and facilities. SFTV does not issue equipment for outside of class projects and the film school’s insurance policy cannot cover independent projects.
What is the lottery and how do I participate?
To reserve your camera and lighting and grip packages you should participate in the lottery on the Thursday two weeks prior to your shoot.
See Camera Lottery and L&G Lottery
My film has a scene with water, do I need a lifeguard?
Any production activity that takes place in a body of water (pool, river, ocean) must have an appropriately certified lifeguard on duty during the water shot(s) or sequence. If a cast or crew member so much as dips a toe into the water a lifeguard is required on set.
See Lifeguards
How will I know if I need a stunt coordinator?
During your approval meeting with Production Administration, any script action that reads like a stunt will need to be discussed. If it is determined the action can be achieved safely and without the use of a stunt person, then Head of Production will tell you. However, if the action requires a stunt person or stunt coordinator, then you will be required to you hire them.
See Stunts
How will I know if I need an intimacy coordinator?
Intimacy Coordinators are trained and accredited professionals who protect the safety of actors by ensuring scenes of intimacy are performed to previously consented upon choreography and blocking. Production Administration will review your scenes of intimacy during Project Approval and inform you if an Intimacy Coordinator is required.
What is the RECA Desk?
RECA is short for Recording Arts, the recording and audio engineering major at SFTV. The RECA desk services students who book recording studio time and issues equipment for editing in Pro Tools.
How do I earn safety badges?
In SFTV's continuing effort to mirror industry practices and to emphasize safety on set, we have created a Production Safety Training Program. Students are both required and expected to embrace “safety first” as the on-set mantra. The program consists of four training sessions that address key safety issues. One of these is mandatory for all SFTV students working on sets, two are strongly recommended for all SFTV students working on sets and mandatory for all students working in Camera, Grip and Electric, and Sound on set, and one is optional. Please refer to the table on the Safety Badges page to learn which sessions you’re required to complete.
You only need to take each mandatory quiz and receive each mandatory badge once during your time at SFTV unless otherwise noted. Most trainings can be taken over the summer unless you are a first year and just beginning at Loyola Marymount University, in which case trainings will be available starting at the time of your orientation. We encourage everyone interested in being on set to take the quizzes and trainings as soon as possible so that they may be on set immediately.
See Safety Badges
How do I upload my film to the server?
Delivery is the final export and upload of your project. Once your project is uploaded to the designated location on the server it is considered Delivered and final. Your instructor will inform you of when and where you will deliver your film.
See Post Production
I have so many questions! Who do I contact?
The SFTV Student Production Handbook lists staff contact information in each Services Department section. If you have a general question about SFTV, contact SFTV Production Administration and their office will direct you to the appropriate resource.
Acknowledgments
About This Resource
The Mission of SFTV Student Production Handbook is to provide a current, definitive knowledge base of SFTV policies and resources, freeing students from information gaps and enabling them to reach their highest artistic goals.
The online Handbook was created in the summer of 2021 by Ivan R Salinas, under the direction of Laura Greenlee. Much of the content was first written by John Syrjamaki and various editors from 2003-2016 and updated by Ken Ornstein and SFTV staff from 2017-2020.
New sections were conceived and created by Ivan R Salinas and Sophia Costanzo with editorial assistance from Andrew Van Heusden and Sebastian Reyes.
Holidays and Blackout Dates
KNOW YOUR OFF DAYS
The LMU schedule will affect when you’re able to shoot on campus and when faculty, staff, and Production Administration can offer support to you and your project.
Before you choose your production weekend, check the Blackout Dates calendar to make sure your shoot does not land on a day that cannot be permitted.
It is possible to request an exemption to film on a university Blackout Date. Requests need to be submitted a month in advance and are reviewed by the Event Manager in charge of the Tier 1 Event that falls on the date of your film shoot. You can submit your request using the Tier 1 Event Exception Request form. Follow up with Conferences and Events Services at scheduling@lmu.edu. Have a Plan B in case the answer is no!
Also, refer to the Holiday Schedule to learn when the University is closed for observed holidays
Film Permits
PERMITTING YOUR FILM
To apply for a FilmLA permit see FilmLA Permit Process.
Obtaining a film permit is one of the fundamental responsibilities of filmmaking. A film permit authorizes your production to occupy a location and substantiates to neighbors and law enforcement that you are allowed to film in a specific place. Unless an expressed, written exception is granted to you by Production Administration you are always required to obtain a film permit before beginning production.
Permits are required for shooting both on and off campus. Production Administration and the Student Production Office will assist you in applying for your film permit wherever your desired location may be. For information on how to submit your on campus permit through Mazevo, click here.
Be aware that film offices, such as FilmLA, have a specific turn-around period, keep business hours, and do not work weekends. It is your responsibility to begin the permitting process early enough so that your application can be approved or amended in time.