Snack Ideas for Indie Film Productions

It is essential for independent filmmakers to have snacks on set during a film production. If there is nothing else left in the budget for other food, snack foods are a must. Snacks have the ability to hold cast and crew members over until lunch, dinner or the end of the shooting period. Popcorn, chips and pretzels and cookies are great snacks for independent film productions. Popcorn and pretzels and chips can be purchased in small bags or in a large family size bag. It may be more efficient to purchase a large bag of each and place small amounts in sandwich bags. This will ensure that everyone has an equal amount of snacks. Even if someone picks up two sandwich bags, it is better than realizing that your boom operator has eaten the entire bag of Doritos.

Try to select a durable brand when purchasing chips. This may sound pretty rough since I am speaking about food. However, chips such as regular Lays or Herr's chips are flaky and have the potential to cause a mess. I am not a fan of having chips on set for this very reason. If you are getting regular chips, I would recommend purchasing Ruffles or wavy chips. Doritos are a great choice because they are thicker than the average Lays potato chip. This means that there is a smaller chance of Doritos chips breaking and crumbling. This may not seem like a big deal to some filmmakers. However, crumbs should be avoided at all costs when shooting at someone else's house or location. This applies to productions that take place outdoor as well.

The city officials in any town will not have a high tolerance for deliberate littering. Your production will not be welcomed back to shoot if you trash the local park or city property. Filmmakers should keep this in consideration when selecting snack items for the cast and crew. The importance of a clean location should also be covered during production meetings. Cast and crew members must understand that they are not welcome to litter or cause a mess while on location. The reputation of a filmmaker is at stake. I am sure that fellow filmmakers do not want to have problems with the local city officials. These people have the ability to make it very difficult for a filmmaker to shoot an independent film on certain properties within the city.

Fruit Snacks are great snack additions as well. They offer the same sugar satisfaction as cookies. Fruit snacks should be purchased while on sale. A box of fruit snack will cost a few dollars. This can add up quickly if you are buying multiple boxes. Cookies may be the better choice for filmmakers with a small budget. A pack of Chips Ahoy or Oreos cookies and be purchased and then divided up into sandwich bags just like chips and pretzels. Filmmakers may be surprised to have snack bags left over after shooting. If the production is scheduled for multiple days, the leftover snack bags can be saved and given out on the next day of shooting.