The call

My history includes work  in retail sales, as a secretary, as a waitress, as an artist, as a writer and editor, plus probably a half dozen other things I cannot think of off hand.  In all of those jobs I would get told what days and times I was working, or what my hours were, Then I would show up at the assigned time, clock in and get to work.

Sometimes I would know my schedule weeks in advance, I would write the dates and times on a paper calendar in my date book and get ready to be there.  

Then I started to work in production.

The first time I got the call, I was charmed.  

"Hi this is Richard from work and I wanted to tell you your call time tomorrow is 8am,"  the voice on the other end of the line said.

"Right, thanks, I plan on being there," I responded. 

It was a new job, they did not know me and I figured that they might have gotten the idea I did not know I was booked.  I went in to work on that Friday and did not think more about it.

Saturday and Sunday were my days off, then Sunday afternoon the phone rang.

"Hi this is Richard from work and I wanted to tell you your call time tomorrow is 8 am,"  the voice on the other end of the line said.

  

Charmed, I allowed as I planned to be there. Again.

The most amazing thing is that every day I work on a show where I have not worked the previous day, I get that call.  On production, it is so essential that we all be there and do our job, If one cog in the works is missing, it can stop the whole "train."

So a production assistant or associate producer goes through the show staff list, calling every member of the crew, confirming they will be there.  

I find it charming and it is unique to the business, as far as I know.