There may be writers' room hierarchies or above-the-line and below-the-line prejudices in Hollywood, but the call sheet is the one unifying document in a production. Everyone expects you to know how to read one but nobody teaches you how. Until now!

I spent months building SETIQUETTE. It's the 58-page guide I wish I'd had when I started out in the entertainment industry over twenty years ago.

My first Hollywood lesson came when my boss, a well-known Producer, asked me, "What's shooting today?" He noticed me panicking over the call sheet and kindly pointed out where to look. Here I was, a film school graduate, and nobody had taught me this one vital thing?! I was mortified but grateful for that Producer’s guidance.

In that second, I decided I needed to really learn the call sheet not just for him, but for my own future working in the entertainment industry. I was floored by how much information was on that two-sided piece of paper.

Sadly, or luckily, I wasn't alone in this blindspot. I've seen and heard other horror stories:

• A fellowship graduate staff writer who was about to visit set for the first time but had to ask the Writer's Assistant for help reading the call sheet.

• A director who showed up to set at crew call, not realizing her actual call time was on the back of the call sheet. Arriving an hour late, she lost the crew's trust (and respect) before she ever said, “Action!”

• An actor who was shocked when I mentioned he had scenes to shoot the next day. He was relying on the ADs, and his agents and managers to guide him. You better believe he was prepared from there on out.

Over the years, mentoring up-and-coming writers, I’ve shared production tips and tricks. But I always thought there should be one go-to guide. So I made it.

Inside Setiquette you'll find:

• How to read a call sheet (front AND back)

• Complete call sheet glossary — what all the jargon and abbreviations mean

• Who's who on set — every department explained

• Set lingo, walkie codes, and the NATO phonetic alphabet

• Explanations about safety memos and maps

• The filming sequence, step by step

• What NOT to do on set

• Union and Guild resources

• Pre-set checklist, weekly planner and more!

Who’s it for?

• Aspiring Writers

• Working Writers

• PAs (Production Assistants)

• Personal Assistants/Executive Assistants

• Actors

• Directors

• Producers

• Film Students

• Film/TV fans who are interested in how the TV/movie sausage is made

Setiquette gives you the confidence to walk onto any set in any location and know exactly what's happening around you. A future in the entertainment business is always uncertain, and gatekeeping in Hollywood is the norm. But I believe in helping others and not letting information stop you from succeeding.

Thanks for buying, and I hope to see you soon on set…

-Julie Benson

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