Greensmen* are responsible for procuring, placing, and maintaining any vegetation (foliage and other greenery) on film sets. Greensmen are specialist advisors who may or may not be employed on films, depending on the production budget and script requirements. Liaising with Production Designers, Greensmen use foliage and greenery either to transform a location to fit script requirements, or to build a landscape in a studio. Projects vary enormously and, depending on individual production requirements, Greensmen may have to outfit a conservatory, landscape the lawns of a period mansion, or create alien swamps. Greensmen must expect to work long and irregular hours in all kinds of weather and terrain. On large-scale productions, Greensmen may oversee a team which includes Greens Foremen*, Standby Greensmen*, and Nurserymen*.

Responsibilities
During pre-production Greensmen are briefed by the Production Designer. They plan how best to execute the designs, and what materials should be used. Greensmen may need to carry out research into the appropriate habitats, plants and foliage for the production. They source and select the necessary plants and materials, transport them to the location or studio, and construct the designs.

Greensmen may transform the location to comply with script requirements by concealing unwanted location features, known as 'greening out', or they may landscape the area, working from the Production Designer's brief. Greensmen may recreate natural environments in studios, or they may work with the Art Department to create sets where some of the landscape is artificial, e.g., using mechanised trees, artificial rocks, rubber plants, silk trees and flowers etc. As well as being responsible for all foliage and greenery on set, Greensmen also deal with any organic surface treatments, such as sand or forest litters, and they may work with other materials within the landscape (stone walls, wooden fences, etc). Greensmen must be present during the shoot, to ensure the continuity of foliage and greenery between takes, and to care for any plants that need regular water or feeding. After the shoot, Greensmen dismantle the environment, and return the plants and materials to their sources.

Skills
Greensmen must pay great attention to detail, and have an eye for recreating realistic natural environments, either by blending in new foliage on existing locations, or by creating convincing habitats in studios. They need creative problem solving skills, and must be able to work to a quick turnaround in pressurised conditions. The role normally involves significant manual labour, and can be physically demanding. An in-depth knowledge of plants is essential, as Greensmen work with all kinds of foliage and greenery. Specialised skills such as masonry, woodwork, or the ability to make artificial foliage (silk flowers, etc.) are also useful.

Qualifications/Experience
Greensmen need no standard qualifications or training, and there is no set route for promotion within the Art Department. However, experience in a related horticultural area, such as landscape architecture, tree surgery, forestry or gardening, is desirable. Knowledge of the film making process is helpful, but not essential.



*this is a generic term, and may refer to a man or woman