Good Food On Film Sets Is Important, The Penguin says so
"Let them eat cake" - Marie Antoinette, right before the art department beheaded her
Last night I watched the Golden Globes and the biggest moment for me was not once again realizing I need to finally buckle down and watch Shogun (every awards show has made this screamingly clear to me), but was Colin Farrell’s acceptance freak out about Craft Service on The Penguin:
Carolena! She kept the whole crew going! When Colin Farrell had this impassioned response I was so excited that I took an iPhone picture of my TV to capture it (upon further reflection, the above video of his actual speech does the moment more justice). I loved this so much because Mr. In Bruges is right - Craft Service is massively important on a set. I say this as a man who was once complimented (?) by a fellow producer on a TV show when he observed me 5 minutes before air time inhaling snacks and said “I’ve never seen anyone crush crafty like you”. Love it or hate it, this is true. I will graze a craft service table like a locust initiating a biblical famine. Hershey’s miniatures, Nature Valley granola bars that are actually just sealed wrappers full of crumbs, Slim Jims…it doesn’t matter. I must sample. (Coincidently the show where this was complimented (?) to me was a 2010s late night show I worked on co-hosted by Nikki Glaser, this year’s Globes host who knocked it out of the park.)
If you’re not familiar with craft service or ‘crafty’ as it’s called, it is basically this: snacks and drinks when you are on set. That is the most basic definition and does not do justice to the vitality of what craft service to a set. It signals to a creative crew they are being taken care of. In her indie film handbook Shooting To Kill, famous independent film producer Christine Vachon, (The Brutalist, Past Lives, A Different Man, and shouted out by Sebastian Stan in his Globes acceptance speech, so many other films) nods to the importance of craft service in the first 10 pages. This may be a foreign concept in other jobs, but if you have worked in a corporate job where an email goes to staff saying “Donuts in the conference room because it’s Flag Day, Enjoy!” and you see people leap from their cubicles and power walk to Conference Room B3, that is the same thing! It’s a treat to staff and can actually get you through your day (I’ve also worked in corporate settings where they don’t offer you healthcare as a full time freelancer but offer you pizza on occasional Fridays as a mood booster, and that’s not the same thing as craft service - that’s less “care for”, and more “carrot dangling”). Other industries do similar things - restaurants often start service with family meal and I’ve heard chefs talk about how this can change the tone of the night as it begins.
Mr. Banshee of Inisherin is correct - craft service is a nourishing balm to the soul and forms bonds amongst a crew (just see how he enthusiastically gestured to others at his Globes’ table about how great Carolena from Crafty was). I believe this wholeheartedly and will tell you with my mouth overly full of Welch’s fruit snacks while standing on the back of a camera truck. As much as this newsletter is a home for my snapshot photography and food writings, it is also about the philosophy that food has a way of connecting and bridging gaps between people. Just as a photo can capture a moment in time and make it more than it is, quality interactions with food can greatly enhance moments in time amongst people. Virginia Woolf said “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well” and if you are on a set you will notice spirits lifting when people are digging through snacks at the craft services table, or someone is brought a coffee while they’re working.
This brings me to my recent experience of producing a proof of concept shoot for Dream Baby Dream, the feature I’m at work on currently. My producing partner, writer/director Roland Ellis, and I have talked many times in our podcast about the movie about how important craft service is at setting tone on set. We’ve talked to other filmmakers about it. Part of my job on this recent shoot was craft services (in low budget indie film you wear a lot of hats and food is one I am ok with wearing). So now I want to ask you, discerning readers with discerning palates, what do you think our top craft service item was? If you’ve been on a set, use that felt sense experience - if you haven’t, think about visiting, standing around for an hour or two, wandering over, and filling up with a snack…what do you go for? I’m searching for an actual correct answer here (revealed below) but go with your gut:
No matter what this poll says, there is one clear winner. Before I reveal the winner I do want to say drinks were not included in this list, however I don’t think they would hold a candle to the winner. From popular culture you would think Celsius drinks would be a clear #1, but they were far down on the list surprisingly.
The clear winner was…a tub of Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels! By a MILE. A friend told me this a while back who said he’d bought them for his office and people devoured them. I did not believe him. Then I couldn’t stop. On our proof of concept shoot, I kept hearing people say “Whoa peanut butter pretzels?”, “Dang these are so good”, “It’s something with the salt, but also protein”, “Hey lemme get a few more of those” etc etc. I can also attest that I went back and ate more every time I tried to walk away. I love mangoes, I love Peanut M&M’s (I’m a big JK Simmons fan!), but Kirkland Peanut Butter Pretzels really took home the Golden Globe for Best On Set Snack.
All this to say thank you Colin Farrell, not for shouting out the little people, but for bringing to light what is so true on a film set and also true in life. A good snack keeps the wheels turning and helps get everyone to the finish line. And if it’s the Kirkland Peanut Butter Pretzels get there soon, because they’re gonna go fast. If you’ve got other suggestions for craft services, leave them below. Always open to new ideas (but I’m telling you, I don’t think these PB Pretzels can be topped).
The clear winner is dried mangos. And the first time i had those was from you so I know you are a fan. PB filled pretzels are too good. Too addicting. Get them off the set.