Life on Set: Actor Trailers, Unit Base and What to Expect on a Shoot

Your first day on a professional film or TV set can be confusing. Where do you go? What is a unit base? Why are there so many trailers, and which one is yours? Who is the second AD and why do they keep asking where you are?

This guide explains how a typical shoot is organised from an actor’s point of view, including actor trailers and dressing rooms, and how to behave so you make a good impression.

Unit base: the production’s home

On location shoots, productions set up a unit base, a temporary camp near the filming location. It usually includes:

• Actor trailers or dressing rooms
• Hair and makeup trailers
• The costume (wardrobe) trailer
• Production offices
• Catering and a dining area
• Toilets and facilities
• Parking for cast and crew

Unit base may be some distance from the actual set, with transport running between them. On studio shoots, the same facilities are often inside the studio building.

Actor trailers

Trailers give actors a private place to rest, prepare, change and wait between scenes. What you get depends on the production’s budget, your role and your contract.

Types of actor accommodation

• Star trailers: large, single-occupancy trailers for leading cast, often with a lounge area, bathroom and kitchen.
• Double or triple trailers (“two-bangers,” “three-bangers”): a single trailer split into two or three separate rooms, each with its own door. Common for supporting cast.
• Honeywagons: trailers combining toilets with small dressing rooms, often used for day players and smaller roles.
• Shared holding areas: for background artists and sometimes small roles, a room or tent where people wait together.

On low-budget and independent productions, you might have a corner of a room or a car to change in. Being adaptable goes a long way.

What’s usually inside

A small dressing room typically has a seat or couch, a mirror, a clothes rail, heating or air conditioning and sometimes a small bathroom. Your costume may be hung there ready for you.

Trailer etiquette

• Keep it tidy, and don’t eat in costume unless you’ve been told it’s okay.
• Lock up valuables or leave them at home.
• Don’t enter other people’s trailers without being invited.
• Always let the assistant directors know if you leave your trailer.

Who’s who on set

As an actor, the people you’ll deal with most are:

• Second assistant director (2nd AD): prepares the call sheet and manages cast schedules and arrivals.
• Third AD or runners: fetch you from your trailer, keep track of where you are and walk you to set.
• First assistant director (1st AD): runs the floor and the schedule. When the 1st AD speaks, listen.
• Director: guides your performance.
• Hair, makeup and costume teams: prepare your look and keep it consistent.
• Script supervisor: tracks continuity, such as which hand held the cup.
• Camera and sound teams: will tell you about marks, eyelines and microphones.

A typical day for an actor

1. Call sheet: sent the night before, with your call time, location and scenes.
2. Arrival at unit base, often very early. Check in with the ADs.
3. Costume, hair and makeup.
4. Wait in your trailer until you’re called.
5. Rehearsal on set with the director and camera team, followed by lighting setup while you wait.
6. Shooting the scene from multiple angles.
7. Breaks and meals, then more scenes or waiting.
8. Wrap: return costume, remove makeup and sign out with the ADs.

Expect a lot of waiting. Long days of twelve hours or more are common.

How to use downtime

• Stay focused on your scenes. Review lines and your character’s journey.
• Rest when you can, especially on long days.
• Eat and drink well. Catering is there for a reason.
• Keep your energy steady rather than burning it all in the morning.
• Bring a book, headphones and something warm.
• Stay reachable, and never wander off without telling the ADs.

Professional behaviour on set

• Be on time, always.
• Know your lines and be ready to adapt.
• Respect everyone, from runners to producers.
• Stay quiet on set during takes.
• Keep your phone away while working.
• Don’t post photos or details unless the production allows it.

Final thoughts

Understanding how a set works helps you relax, focus on your performance and make a strong impression as a professional. Whether you have a star trailer or a corner of a room, the job is the same: be ready, be kind and do your best work when the camera rolls. For on-camera technique, read our guide to acting for film, and for your first projects, see acting in short films.