We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Roles

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Do Greensmen Do?

By Alicia Sparks
Updated: Mar 03, 2024
Views: 10,656
Share

Greensmen are the workers on film sets charged with taking care of any plants and other landscaping materials. Usually, a greensman works with television or movie set plants. Depending on the production and location, his services might be used for indoor or outdoor theater, too. Greensmen, also called greenskeepers, don’t usually receive formal greensman-specific training, but they do often have training and experience with horticulture. The process of a job as a greensperson for film sets can vary from acting as an apprentice for an established greensman to signing up with an employment agency that provides various workers for the film industry.

A greensman is in charge of taking care of and maintaining all the greenery on a set. He handles flowers, ferns, bushes, trees, grass, and any other kind of flora a set requires, and this flora may be real or artificial. Since greensmen are often in charge of developing the additional landscaping that surrounds the plants, their duties often extend to other materials. For example, a greensperson might be in charge of setting up the rocks involved in a garden or stones that line a park’s walkway. He might also handle the sand for a beach scene.

Often, a greenskeeper is in charge of more than just maintaining a set’s plant life and landscaping tools. Depending on the production, some greensmen are in charge of creating the plant part of a set’s scenery from the ground up, so to speak. This makes the greenskeeper responsible for choosing the plant life and other landscaping materials, as well as positioning them in attractive ways appropriate to the scene. In such a situation, it’s common to think of the greensman as an extension of the production’s art department. He must understand certain facts, such as the kind of flora indigenous to the story location and how that flora would look under normal circumstances.

Typically, there is no formal, official training an aspiring greensman can undergo to become a licensed greenskeeper. Still, a greenskeeper has a certain skill set. He might learn it working as an apprentice under other greensmen or while employed in related businesses. For example, someone with experience working in a greenery or greenhouse or for a landscaping business might do well as a greensman on film sets. Even a person with a “green thumb,” who has a passion for gardening and landscaping, might have the skills necessary to work as a greenskeeper.

For greensmen, getting a job usually isn’t as simple as checking the classifieds or sending out resumes. These methods are certainly options, but sometimes it takes a few more steps. Since greensmen work almost exclusively on film sets, it’s beneficial for them to have some connection to the film industry. Sometimes, a greenskeeper will begin working as a movie extra to become familiar with sets and get his foot in the door. Other times, he’ll register with an employment agency that provides temporary and permanent help to local film industries.

Share
Practical Adult Insights is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.practicaladultinsights.com/what-do-greensmen-do.htm
Copy this link
Practical Adult Insights, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

Practical Adult Insights, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.