What does Craft Services mean on a Film or TV location?

So, what exactly are Craft Services? In movie, TV or video production, craft service (UK, France and Europe) or crafty (USA) refers to the department that provides food service, buffet style snacks and drinks and hot beverages to the other departments or crafts. The crafts in film usually refers to departments such as camera, sound, electricians, grips, props, art director, set decorator, hair and makeup. Hence the term CRAFT SERVICES.

Whilst Red Radish can provide both there is a big difference between crafts service and the regular location catering we provide across France and the UK. When catering we usually bring in a catering truck or marquee and our chefs and crew base themselves there and cook the regular hot sit down meals that the film crew require and are entitled to every six hours when working on location. This usually last between thirty minutes and an hour unless of course you are in France where lunch can often take a little longer! Good food is more often than not the single most important meaning of a happy crew on location.

Crafts service is a lot different and can often be a crew position from within the movie production team, although most decent sized UK and French production companies these days bring in an outside caterer like Red Radish. Usually there are one or two craft service stations, set up on manned tables with a wide display of snacks and drinks available to keep everyone fed and happy during the day or night filming. The food provided can vary widely with low budget productions often offering very limited food.  Generally though (and especially at Red Radish!) a craft service table will offer generous food, fresh fruit and drinks plus lots of other goodies such as homemade cakes and delicious sandwiches and cookies. Great coffee is also an important part of the Red Radish craft Services table. The craft service tables can often be asked to move around the set so at short notice so it is essential that all our team are fit, strong and very responsive to the heavy demands of a film location.