The Stills Day
Boxed meals delivered to set, for small crews, photography days and units moving between locations.
- Boxed breakfast at call
- Boxed lunch at the lunch break
- Snacks, fruit and water
- Delivered to set or unit base
Johannesburg & Gauteng
Film catering Johannesburg, packaged per shoot day
Breakfast at call, craft services through the day and a hot lunch on set, priced per crew member per shoot day. Film catering Johannesburg productions can book from one call sheet, for stills, commercials, TV and long-form shoots.
4Shoot-day packages
1Rate per crew per day
10 yrsCatering Gauteng
The Shoot Day
A full shoot day of food, delivered and set up at unit base. For commercials, music videos and corporate shoots.
- Breakfast at call
- Craft table: snacks, fruit, water, tea and coffee
- Hot buffet lunch: 1 protein, 1 starch, 2 salads, bread
- Set up and cleared at unit base
The Full Unit
A chef and team on set for the day, so breakfast and lunch are hot and craft stays stocked through every setup.
- Hot breakfast at call
- Craft services replenished all day
- Hot lunch: 2 proteins, 2 starches, 2 salads, bread
- Afternoon snack
- Chef and service staff on set
The Production
For series, features and multi-day shoots, where the same crew eats with us for days or weeks.
- Everything in the Full Unit
- Lunch menu changed every shoot day
- Second meal for long days and overtime
- Crew dietary list kept per person
- Dining tent, tables and chairs available
What each package covers
| Item | Stills Day | Shoot Day | Full Unit | Production |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast at call | Boxed | Delivered | Hot, on set | Hot, on set |
| Craft services | Snacks and water | Craft table | Replenished all day | Replenished all day |
| Lunch | Boxed | Hot buffet | Hot, two proteins | Hot, changes daily |
| Afternoon snack | — | — | Included | Included |
| Second meal | — | — | — | Included |
| Chef and staff on set | — | — | Included | Included |
| Dining set-up | — | — | — | Available |
Anything in a higher package can be added to a lower one, and packages can change day to day on the same shoot as the crew size and location change.
Built around the call sheet
Film catering runs on the call sheet, not on our kitchen's hours. We plan the day from yours, and adjust when the schedule moves.
PrepCall sheet
Send the call sheet with crew numbers, call time, location and unit base.
CallBreakfast
Breakfast ready for the crew at call, and craft set up with it.
LunchHot lunch
Lunch served when the first AD calls it, not at a fixed hour.
WrapClear
Unit base cleared and equipment collected after wrap.
A crew will forgive a long day. They will not forgive a cold lunch called forty minutes late.
Film catering is catering on someone else's clock. Call times move, locations change overnight and lunch is called when the scene allows it. So we price per crew member per shoot day, plan from the call sheet, and keep one contact on our side who knows your production.
Everything is cooked in our Fairland kitchen in Randburg, which puts studios and locations across Johannesburg within easy reach, from Sandton, Rosebank and Midrand to Fourways and the West Rand. Productions further out in Gauteng are quoted with travel.
Add to any shoot day
The packages cover the crew. These cover everything around it, and are quoted per shoot.
Client and agency lunch
A separate lunch or platters for clients and agency at video village.
Boxed meals for splinter units
Individually packed boxed meals for second units and moving locations.
Early breakfast
Pre-dawn call times covered, with breakfast ready before the first setup.
Dining area
Stretch tents, tables and chairs for unit base.
Night shoots
A hot meal and craft services timed to a night schedule.
Which film catering package suits your shoot
The Stills Day
Photography days and small crews
Boxed meals that travel with the unit and need nothing set up.
The Shoot Day
Commercials, music videos and corporate shoots
A proper breakfast, a craft table and a hot lunch at unit base, without a team on set.
The Full Unit
Larger crews and long shoot days
A chef on set keeps food hot and craft stocked through every setup and delay.
The Production
Series, features and multi-day shoots
A changing menu, a second meal for overtime and a crew dietary list that follows the shoot.
Crew dietary requirements
Send the crew dietary list with the call sheet. Every vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and banting meal is counted in and served to the person it belongs to, including cast with specific requirements.
We prepare Halaal-friendly meals on request using Halaal-sourced ingredients where specified. We are not a certified Halaal kitchen and cannot guarantee full separation of preparation areas, so tell us before the shoot if crew or cast need certified meals.
Allergies and intolerances must be sent in writing before the shoot. Our kitchen handles nuts, dairy, gluten, egg, soy, sesame, fish and shellfish daily, so we cannot offer an allergen-free environment — but we can prepare and serve affected meals separately when we know in advance.
Film catering questions productions ask
How much does film catering cost per crew member?
We quote one rate per crew member per shoot day, based on the package, crew size, location and call time. Send the call sheet and we will come back with the rate, usually the same working day.
What if the call time or location changes?
Send the updated call sheet as soon as it is out. We plan from the latest version, and a changed call time or location the night before is normal on a shoot.
Do you cater night shoots and early calls?
Yes. Meals and craft are timed to the call sheet, whether call is before dawn or the shoot runs through the night.
What happens if we go into overtime?
The Production package includes a second meal for long days. On other packages, an overtime meal can be added on the day if we have notice.
How small a crew do you cater for?
Most shoots start at ten crew. Smaller stills crews are usually best served by boxed meals.
Can you supply a dining area at unit base?
Yes. Stretch tents, tables and chairs are available, and are included as an option on the Production package.
Where do you cater film shoots?
Studios and locations across Johannesburg, including Sandton, Rosebank, Randburg, Midrand, Fourways and the West Rand. Shoots elsewhere in Gauteng are quoted with travel.
Film catering Johannesburg: choosing a set caterer
Every film caterer promises good food. On set, what matters is whether breakfast is ready at call, whether lunch can be served the moment it is called, and whether the caterer keeps up when the schedule slips.
The Imagination Box has catered in Gauteng for over ten years from a kitchen in Fairland, feeding crews on commercials, stills shoots, corporate video and television, alongside corporate catering and event catering across Johannesburg.
We quote per crew member per shoot day, with staff, dining set-up and extras itemised, and one contact who knows your production from the first call sheet to wrap.
Send the call sheet
With the shoot dates, crew numbers, call time and location, we will come back with the right package and a rate per crew member per day — usually the same working day.