Greensman

A Greensman is the lone wrangler of all fauna on a film set. This means when you’re a Greensman, you handle, maintain, arrange, reconfigure, fabricate, alter, and manage every other aspect of on-set greenery, including live plants, fake plants, and plant-related props. Your work helps create the landscapes, backdrops and props ordered by the Film Director and Production Designer.

As a Greensman, you might spend an entire day weaving vines through a gate to create the impression of a rickety, time-worn picket fence, then spend all night building a fake rainforest canopy from scratch materials. Once the camera starts rolling, your job is to make any adjustments required by the camera crew, art department, or production crew.

This is a gritty, ground level position that appeals to those who aspire to be a Set Designer or some such thing. The payoff is your foot in the door. Your daily grind puts you on the set and in the action, so the inner workings of set design and construction are hard skills not to pick up. Beyond what you learn, you are likely to make professional contacts that will help you climb up to the next rung.