7 Takeaways: Behind The Scenes Of NCIS
3. Let's Eat!
Napoleon famously once said, "An army marches on its stomach." Or maybe it was Frederick the Great -- anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that film crews, like armies, perform much better when they're well fed.
Although I can't recall exactly what was served on set, I can tell you with absolute certainty the chow on NCIS was first rate. Having Mark Harmon (see entry #1) as your executive producer doesn't hurt.
It may seem unimportant, but a good meal goes a long way. Seriously. Several years ago, I shot a low-budget feature in Mexico, where members of the director's family cooked meals for the entire cast and crew. We all worked long, brutal hours -- but it was a true collaborative effort -- and much appreciated.
Now that I think about it, there was even one particularly frigid night while shooting in the mountains, in which a generous supply of tequila was provided to keep us warm and in good spirits. It worked.