My On-Set Essentials

Taking care of yourself for long days on a non-union set

Tons of water:

You can never have enough water. I don’t know what it is about sets, but nowhere else do I get so dehydrated. You always think you have enough water- I’ll often bring my 30 oz Stanley cup with me, but often I’ll be hard-pressed to find a refill station. They’ll give you the tiny water bottles a lot of the time on sets that are maybe 4 ounces of water and not much help. cause you have to drink 10 for to do anything so bring your huge bottle of water and maybe two

A stury and streamlined go-bag:

If you’re gonna be at all high maintenance (or, we’ll call it hyper-prepared) a duffel bag will your best friend. You can fit in everything you might need and still not take up too much space, keeping everything compact. I love my duffel bag from Baboon to the Moon . It is so sleek. I even take it to my acting classes all the time because I need to bring a lot of props with me and it really does it all. It’s so versatile. I love just a plain black one, but they have tons of cute designs and colors. They feel so sturdy. I’ve never worried about it. Feel so nice so it’s been like two years.

Hygiene

Deodorant: self explanatory. Tide stick: self explanatory. Feminine hygiene products, self explanatory. You never know what’s gonna happen. You don’t wanna get yourself in stuck in a sticky situation when people are counting on you.

Entertainment

As exciting as being on set sounds, you will almost always be doing a good amount of waiting around. Bring books, bring something to write in, any other work you could catch up on. Anything but scrolling on your phone all day. And don’t forget chargers! A portable charger can be a lifesaver as well.

I also like to bring a little massage ball cause my feet get very sore, especially if I’m in heels all day, so I roll my feet out every once in a while to rebalance myself. Colgate wisps, gum, mouth spray, etc. Eye drops my eyes get super dry all the time (I think it’s the lights). And if you’re on any kind of diet or have particular needs, I would always recommend bringing snacks that fit your goals. This may sound like overkill, but these long days can definitely take a toll on you if you’re not prepared.