If you're the AD who sent this to me, please don't fire me.

That hurts my eyes, Terry.

Nah, I think that there's a chance that (1) they might not understand internet etiquette, or (2) like previously stated, they could have a dragon breathing down THEIR neck.
 
Sounds just fine to me. Not harsh, just strict. They are clearly putting their expectations out there - read what we write, be on time, and expect to work hard.

I think they are looking at avoiding the whole "Oh, I didn't get the e-mail." or "Oh, I got confused - you put too many times on the call sheet and I read the wrong one." or "I got lost and couldn't reach anyone." In a word, they are covering themselves in case the shoot doesn't go as expected - if people are late or end up in the wrong place, this way it is definitely their fault, not production's. After all, they have to have received the e-mail (I'm guessing if crew doesn't confirm the e-mail pretty quickly, they will get a few more e-mails and phone calls in short order). And the call time is definitely clear (large, bold, red letters). The location is explicitly linked, and they plan on putting up signs. And there are multiple contacts listed, making it easy to get in touch with someone if something goes wrong.

In other words, they are taking this seriously and won't be held responsible for the mistake of crew members who fail to arrive at the right place at the right time. I wouldn't be offended - it's not like they are breathing down your neck specifically - they are just making everything very plain for the entire crew (who very well may contain some less responsible or less trusted members).
 
If it wasn't you that was late or caused the particular formatting of the call sheet, I wouldn't worry about it.

As others have said, I too have seen some call sheets that seem rude, but I give them no nevermind. Everyone knows, the best rule of thumb is "early is on time, on time is late". I adhere to that, productions know it, but I still get the "You must follow the information on this call sheet. Read it thoroughly." kind of admonitions.

It's just a by-product of the AD's being burned in the past. I actually have fun with it, "sorry, I am color blind, what did that one line in red say?"
 
Ryan, yeah I agree, let it go. But maybe keep an eye open, especially how he handles it if someone screws up.

Those blacked out bits make it hard. ;0

Cheers.
 
Searcher said:
No everyone does NOT know this. I spend my life waiting for other people.
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As someone who has also waited for people, I knew early on in my career that that was unacceptable. I adopted that adage and it has served me well. Been bumped up on my role for a TV show, gotten me much more work, and stellar recommendations from EVERY production I worked.
 
It's really hard to read a person's tone on email, and all caps and red letters seems common knowledge to me as "comes off harsh" but I've also been surprised where people who should realize the tone it sends meant it an innocent way (i.e. I just wanted to highlight the most important information, or mix up the size/spacing to draw the eyes attention to key details, etc.). Some people, as funny as it seems, don't realize that there are people who interpret this as angry.

My impression from reading it: To me it didn't come off as angry or condescending, my first thought was "sounds like this guy has had some bad experiences and wants to be sure people are there on time." And on that note, I will say I've been shocked some of the "professionals" in the industry I've worked with who are chronically late, or call 30 minutes late saying they are lost and 30 minutes away. REALLY? So I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this has happen to this guy one too many times.

Don't take it personally. Get on his good side and be the guy that's always on time and reliable. I probably wouldn't have sent back the snarky email because in this industry as all areas of life, it's all about connections. If this guy has had bad experiences, better for me, I'll easily become one of his go-to guys and who knows who and what that will connect me to in the future. OR, I could get super defensive and sensitive and take it personally.
 
Seems like a dilligent AD. He's trying to account for everyone to be there on time especially since the location has poor cell reception and getting there is tricky. Message seemed all business. And the coloring emphasized the most important information that people half glancing would need to catch. If you read nothing else but the red letters you would have all the info you needed. Perhaps that was his point, for those who just want to glance quickly, your eyes go to red. You email back to confirm and you show up on time.

My bias is that I have been 1st AD before and if you don't have something like this in place you end up making phone calls the night before and eating up your precious time that is better spent on scheduling the next day. From an AD standpoint it isn't personal, if you aren't scheduling and sticking to a twelve hour day, or handling the pressure of temporary locations then you don't understand the stress that's there. It's much easier to think the AD is being a dick if you are a grip, running sound, or something else specialized that doesn't require that the whole machine run smoothly and on time. It's the AD's job to be a bit of a dick when everyone wants to take an extra five minutes for a cigarette or is getting that post lunch sleepiness. AD is a bit of a dick, but it's not personal, and if all goes well it frees up the director to focus on performances. That's it.
 
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