I’m Head of Production and a new mom: Here’s how the production world can do better in 2022

One week after my newborn’s birth, in the dark of the night – sleep-deprived from an endless cycle of nursing, diaper changing, and soothing – I was texting with a producer friend of mine who was up for an early call. 

My friend was giddy to be returning to set for the first time since the pandemic, but I felt my stomach drop. How will I ever return to set and to the production world while balancing all that is now required of me as a parent? 

These were conditions that would have made being a new or expecting mom – or a parent in general – nearly impossible. 

I reflected back on all the times when, as a producer and head of production, I oversaw shoots in dirty warehouses, chose shooting locations with little access to bathrooms, sent call sheets just eight hours before call time, approved four hours of unplanned overtime, improperly budgeted for decent hotel rooms, and failed to consider my crews’ long commute. 

These were conditions that were entirely in my control, but that would have made being a new or expecting mom – or a parent in general – nearly impossible. 

Above: Elyse Preiss [third from left] on location for a commercials shoot. 

Looking ahead to the new year – keeping top of mind the important conversations around working conditions taking place in the production industry – I believe that, as producers, we need to establish a new set of policies and expectations to enable parents to work in our field in a sustainable and healthy way. 

Here are a few of the improvements that myself and my team at Portal A will be making immediately:

Provide safe and clean working conditions 

While the script might call for dusty warehouses or a location in the middle of nowhere, it is up to the production team to capture the right look while also providing the basic necessities for the crew. We need to budget for trailers and bathrooms, and make sure they are within a few minutes walking distance from the set. Waiting 15 minutes for a van, another 15 minutes driving to the bathroom, then another 15 minutes to go back to set is broadly intolerable, but especially so if you are pregnant or nursing. This must end. 

It is up to the production team to capture the right look [for the shoot] while also providing the basic necessities for the crew.

In general, producers need to optimise for the wellbeing of their crews and their convenience on set, including providing healthy and easily accessible food, safe and clean basecamps, and putting safety personnel and precautions in place. 

Above: Easy access to amenities should be a given on any shoot. 

Ask the right questions and normalise having a family

We all need to do better at checking in with our crews to get a feel for what they need. This, of course, includes the basic requirements for the on-set environment, but it now needs to also contemplate the realities of being a working parent. Typically, a call sheet asks only, 'Do you have any dietary restrictions?'. This is a start, but it isn’t enough. 

Ask your crew what they need on set to take care of their own wellbeing, and that of their families. 

Ask your crew what they need on set to take care of their own wellbeing, and that of their families. For example, for new or expectant mothers – do you need a place to pump? Do you need a fridge to store milk? Do you need to have a chair at your station? Do you need frequent breaks? By standardising these questions, producers can normalise the realities and requirements of being a parent (or an expectant parent) on set.

Above: Asking questions of your crew, making provisions for their mental and physical wellbeing, is crucial. 

Schedule in advance and stick to it 

Although I’ve been a parent for less than a year, I now realise that an ever-shifting production schedule impacts new parents in very unique ways. As the labor union negotiations have highlighted, call sheets should always be sent at least 12 hours in advance of filming, and ideally 24 hours in advance. While this new guideline is a positive advancement for all, it will also allow parents to plan appropriately for childcare, pickups, and more. 

Call sheets should always be sent at least 12 hours in advance of filming, and ideally 24 hours in advance.

Sticking to the schedule is also critical. Going into extreme and unplanned overtime can create a nightmare situation for parents who don’t have anyone to pick up their child or care for them. Those who are the lowest paid on set, or who lack a solid support system, will often suffer from these changes the most.