Everything You Wanted To Know About Set (But Were Afraid To Ask)
Walking onto a set can feel like stepping into a professional kitchen at peak dinner service. There’s ritual, timing, a shared language, and a reason for all of it. Set etiquette exists to protect three things: safety, speed, and story. When those three are protected, the work feels effortless. When they aren’t, minutes leak, tempers flare, and shots get lost.
This isn’t about being precious; it’s about doing complicated, expensive work cleanly. Below is the “why” behind the rules, plus how to avoid the easy bad habits that make actors look green, or worse, make them a liability.
The quiet machine (and why you’re told not to talk)
When the 1st AD calls “Picture’s up,” the set becomes a live instrument. Sound is rolling; comms are humming in headsets; operators are hitting marks; electrics are holding hot lights; safety eyes are everywhere. One stray comment, even whispered, can contaminate a take or block a safety call. That’s why you’ll hear “Quiet on set,” why voices drop near camera, and why side conversations belong at holding, not in the working area.
You’ll hear the ritual words: “Last looks” (final hair/makeup/wardrobe checks), “Speed” (sound is recording), “Rolling” (camera is recording), “Action,” then “Cut.” Between those words is sacred space. Treat it that way.
Coming to set vs. being on set
Coming to set is everything from check-in to readiness: 2nd AD gets you through the pipeline, wardrobe dresses you, hair/makeup refines you, sound mics you. You rehearse blocking with the Director; camera/marks get set; you wait in holding until called. If you need a quick bathroom break, tell the AD team “10/1” (you’re close and reachable). When you are truly, fully ready, wardrobe, hair, makeup, mic, props in hand, at your mark, you or the AD may say “Talent is 100%.”
Being on set is the working zone near camera where silence, precision, and safety rule. Here, economy is love: move with purpose, protect lanes, hit marks, reset cleanly on “Back to one,” and let the department heads do their jobs.
The chain of command (and why it keeps you safe)
A set runs on a single source of truth. On a film, the Director is the creative captain; on TV, the Showrunner carries the season’s vision (often alongside a Director for the episode). Executive Producers hold ultimate authority over scope, budget, and big calls. The 1st AD runs the floor: time, safety, order of operations. The 2nd AD moves bodies and information: call sheets, wrangling, making sure everyone is where they need to be, when they need to be there.
Your performance notes come from the Director (or Showrunner on TV); your logistics live with the AD team. Continuity of dialogue and action routes through the Script Supervisor. Mic rub or beltpack pain? Sound. Prop questions? Props. Camera marks/eyeline? Camera (often the 2nd AC). Hair/shine/lip? HMU. When in doubt, ask the 2nd AD to route your question. That keeps the whole machine aligned.
The easy bad habits (and how to avoid them)
1) Talking too much on the floor.
The habit: filling the air while departments are working or while the AD is calling cues.
The fix: if you’re near camera, assume the mic can hear you and the crew needs silence. Save socializing for holding.
2) Workshopping character during blocking.
Blocking is primarily for camera, marks, and safety. If you turn it into a dramaturgy seminar, you’ll slow the day and confuse departments tuning the shot.
The fix: bring performance questions to the Director before blocking or right after a short tech rehearsal, not during lighting or when the crew is setting. Keep it crisp: one clear question, one adjustment.
3) Answering another actor’s question.
You might be right, but you’ll create a second source of truth. That’s how continuity drifts and notes conflict.
The fix: if asked, smile and route: “Great q, let’s confirm with the Director/Script Sup/AD.”
4) Going missing without telling anyone.
The fix: always tell a PA or the 2nd AD “10/1” for a quick bathroom; if you need longer, give them a time (“Need five for HMU”). Never vanish.
5) Fixing problems that aren’t yours.
Moving sandbags, tweaking a light, ad-libbing prop swaps, well-meant, but risky.
The fix: if something feels unsafe or wrong, tell the 1st AD. Otherwise, let departments do their jobs.
6) Not actually being “ready.”
Saying you’re set when your mic pack is loose or you’re missing a prop burns takes.
The fix: don’t call 100% until you truly are: wardrobe settled, mic checked, props in hand, phone silenced, sides away.
When to ask what and to whom
Think in beats, not minutes.
Before blocking: big-picture performance or story intention → Director (on TV, Showrunner if it alters series intent).
During blocking: keep questions tactical: marks, eyelines, handoffs; save character debates for after.
Between setups / after “Cut”: concise performance notes with the Director; continuity specifics with Script Supervisor; logistics/schedule with the AD team.
Any time safety is in question: straight to the 1st AD immediately.
A useful phrase pair: “Question, performance” (Director) versus “Question, logistics” (AD). It shows you understand the lanes.
The culture of speed (and how you help)
Sets are expensive. Every minute saved gets re-invested in better takes, more coverage, a safer pace. Your craft contributes to speed when you:
Hit the same action the same way unless directed otherwise (continuity loves you).
Land your timing within the shot’s shape; if you’re ADR-minded, listen for rhythm.
Reset quickly and quietly on “Back to one.”
Keep choices simple and repeatable until asked to explore.
Offer alt reads when invited, and give clean, distinct options so editorial has something to cut with.
You’ll sometimes hear “wild lines” (recording a line without camera) or a request to “shotgun” lines (rapid-fire alts with slight changes in emphasis or energy). Say yes, breathe, and deliver clean variations with tiny pauses between, sound and editorial will love you.
The lingo, woven in
You’ll hear: “Crossing” (announce when you pass in front of camera), “Turning around” (we’re shooting the reverse), “Striking” (light going on/off), “Second sticks” (reslate), “Abby Singer” (second-to-last shot), “Window” or “Martini” (last shot). These aren’t cute traditions; they’re how departments sync. Learn them, and you’ll move with the current instead of against it.
What professionalism feels like
It’s not loud. It’s not performative. It’s calm, prepared presence. You know your lines and marks; you protect the take; you route questions to the right humans at the right time; you own your readiness; you respect the silence. You’ll be surprised how quickly the crew relaxes around you when you work this way, and how often you get asked back.
Bottom line: etiquette isn’t about rules for rules’ sake. It’s a shared operating system that keeps people safe, keeps money on the screen, and keeps the story coherent. Honour it, and you’ll do your best work while making everyone else’s job easier. That’s the actor people remember.