What does Company Move mean?
Company Move refers to the relocation of a film or television production from one shooting location to another during the same production day. Company moves require the entire cast and crew to travel to a new location, often involving the transportation of equipment trucks, camera gear, lighting rigs, and wardrobe. They are one of the most time-consuming events in a production day and must be carefully planned by the assistant director and production manager to minimize lost shooting time.
Example:The call sheet noted a company move after lunch — the morning scenes would be shot at the school exterior, and the afternoon scenes at the park two miles away, requiring the entire crew to load out and relocate between meals.
Example: The production coordinator warned the child actor’s parents that the day included a company move, meaning the actual call time would be at the first location but they should plan for a longer day than usual to account for the travel and setup time at the second location.
Did you know?
Company moves are so costly in terms of lost shooting time that experienced producers try to schedule all scenes at one location before moving to the next — even if that means shooting scenes out of story order. A single company move can consume one to two hours of a production day, which at major studio rates can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
You can also find “Company Move” and related terms in this category: Planning and Pre-Production.
