An independent, informational guide to food trucks, craft services and on-location catering for film, TV, commercial and video productions. Written for producers, production coordinators and indie filmmakers planning how to feed a crew — and for food-truck operators curious about production work.
Plain-language explanations of how crews get fed on location, what to ask a catering vendor, and how the food-truck business works.
“Crafty” is the all-day snack and drinks station; catering is the scheduled hot meals. Learn how the two roles differ and how productions budget for each.
Headcounts, meal timing, base-camp power and water, and communication between set and caterer — the practical details that make location meals run on time.
Why some productions use food trucks instead of (or alongside) traditional catering trucks, and what makes a truck operator “production-ready”.
Whoever you hire, a clear brief makes quotes comparable and avoids surprises on the day. Typical items to send a vendor:
Union and guild agreements can set meal-break timing and penalties. Confirm the rules that apply to your production with your production office or the relevant guild — don’t rely on rules of thumb.
Ask any caterer or truck operator for current health permits, insurance certificates and references from recent productions before you book.
Shoot days often run long. Agree in advance how a second meal or extended craft service will be handled and priced.