Shanghai craft services keep refreshments available during a shoot: drinks, small snacks and an organised place for crew to take a brief break. The planning task is continuous supply across changing setups. Main meals belong in a separate catering brief, with their own headcount and serving window.
Define the refreshment service
List the expected crew size, hours on site, drink and snack preferences, and whether supplies must move with the unit. Ask which items, serving materials and staff are included. Avoid describing a few delivered boxes as a staffed all-day service unless that is what the supplier has agreed.
Choose a practical station
Agree the station with the location contact. It should be accessible during the working day without occupying a camera position, equipment route or area the host needs to keep clear. Confirm water access, storage, waste collection and the arrangement for consumables. A Shanghai fixer can help coordinate the host interface.
Plan replenishment by the day’s pattern
A stationary interview day and a moving documentary unit need different supply plans. Record when the crew changes locations, who moves the station and how additional supplies are requested. Name the person who monitors quantities and checks the next location rather than assuming someone will notice when items run out.
Handle preferences without assumptions
Collect the requirements needed for the order and ask the supplier to confirm its response. Identify items clearly and make unresolved requests visible to the coordinator. Have the venue and supplier establish the relevant handling arrangements for the actual site; the refreshment list alone is not a complete service plan.
Keep craft services distinct from main meals
State when the station opens and closes, whether staff remain, what happens during a location move and who clears the area. A main lunch order does not automatically cover refreshments before call or after the meal. The Shanghai production brief should list both functions if both are required.
Request the right scope
Provide the call time, expected wrap, crew count, site addresses, move times and desired service level. Agree stock, staffing, replenishment, waste and extensions in writing. For a coordinated production enquiry, send the working plan to [email protected].