Tongue Tied -- Feature Film

Earlier this month, I saw a post within a Facebook job group. A Craft Service PA named Brett had recently had other engagements come up that would have prevented him from finishing his gig with a feature film, entitled Tongue Tied. However, Brett made it his duty to find a strong replacement that could commit to the last few days of the film shoot. Because it was in the area and because I have had experience with working in the craft service department, I reached out to him showing interest for the position. The more we discussed it, the more it seemed like it would be beneficial to both me and the production. A few days later, Brett and I met so that he could hand over some of the craft service snacks that I would need to take to set the next day. He also provided me with the next days' call sheet, contact list, and a list of snacks that people were asking for on set. Overall, I felt pretty prepared going into the production the next day.

It did, however, start out a little rough. I had to find the craft service that had been left on set, and for a time we had trouble locating the coffeemakers. As most people in the industry know, a good film set absolutely runs on coffee. Luckily we found them soon enough, and this actually helped to acquaint me with the people and the set hierarchy. I met many cool people, and by the end of the day, I felt in control of my new position.

On set, most of my duties were craft service related. I made multiple runs to the grocery store to pick up snack items including ones appropriate for dietary restrictions, coffee supplies, and other necessities like paper towels and plates. I also had to handle the petty cash and stay within budget. During production, I organized all foods in an easy to access manner and kept the area clean. I occasionally ran food and coffee orders to the crew as well. During meal times, I organized assembly lines, served portions, and once again took care of the trash.

In addition to my craft service duties, I also got to help move equipment and become an extra in multiple scenes of the film. This was awesome but also uncomfortable, as we had to go without jackets during shooting on a cold night. I enjoyed the experience overall, however.

After four days of shooting, we completed everything that was shooting in the LA area. A skeleton crew would then be sent out to finish in Arizona. I really hope that the rest of the shoot goes well and that I can see the completed film within the next couple years. To my understanding, it centers on a racist talk show host who has a car accident, after which he can only speak Spanish. From this premise and from what I saw being shot, it definitely looks like it will be a funny and well-done film, and I am very grateful for the friends I made on set.