Why the TV and film industry uses portable toilet hire
Why do TV and film productions need toilet hire? Surely studios have permanent toilets. Well, of course studios have permanent facilities but not all productions are filmed in studios. Think of all your favourite TV shows and movies and many of them are likely to have been shot, in part, on location – think Jurassic Park (Griffith Park, LA), Pretty Woman (Beverly Hills), Harry Potter (Leadenhall Market was used as Diagon Alley), Vera (Northumberland), the list goes on. So whether your cast and crew are in the wilds of Northumberland or in the middle of a Californian shopping district, they will need to use the toilet.
Why location managers choose portable toilet hire
Location managers do not want to find the perfect location only to have to pass it by because of the lack of facilities and portable toilet hire means that never has to happen.
Where permanent facilities are insufficient for the number of users, portable toilet hire can serve as a great complement to the existing loos. This means that users will have access without having to travel too far or to queue, saving time and . ultimately, money.
When filming in public places, the influx of personnel can easily overwhelm existing facilities so portable toilet hire can relieve pressure on the existing infrastructure.
Luxury toilet hire allows amenities to be available 24-hours a day, leading to minimum disruption on overnight or after dark shoots.
There is a wide choice of luxury toilet units available to hire, allowing any size shoot to be accommodated.
Location Managers working on TV and film productions are a bit like the ringmaster of a circus, they have a thousand myriad things to organise and ultimate responsibility for the success of the shoot.
If we continue with the circus analogy, a film set is like the Big Top – there are vehicles, performers, and equipment to install before, finally, a performance can take place. Unlike a circus that will usually be in one place for a short run, however, a film set may be in situ for just a day or several months. A location manager must therefore set up as quickly and efficiently as possible to avoid costly time delays.
Along with utilities’ connections, work spaces, parking and rest areas, a vital part of the infrastructure on a set location is the toilets. Hiring portable units has many benefits, not least that at JB Event Facilities we can deliver, install, empty and remove all units at a time that is convenient to you.
Safety and hygiene on location
Despite the glitz and glamour associated with the film industry, the needs of everyone involved in it are the same as anybody else. On a busy set, perhaps with hundreds of people, eating and drinking regularly throughout the day, bathroom facilities are vital. The health and mental wellbeing of all is important, especially in remote locations, far from loved ones, so your performers and crew deserve better than a standard plastic portable toilet. Our luxury portable toilet, with high-end, indulgent consumables included as standard to make everyone feel pampered and valued, making them ideal for locations off the beaten track.
Reduce the risk of delays from illness
Flushable toilets are vital for limiting the spread of disease and clean hands help to maintain the health and safety of all. Our luxury portable toilet units feature flushable toilets plus water, and we are able to provide mobile shower hire too. Additionally, for a large set, to provide accessible hand hygiene in convenient locations, our hand wash station can be positioned in heavy footfall areas as required.
Portable toilets are used across the world in a whole variety of situations. It is only inevitable that they would show up in some of our favourite films and TV programmes. I thought I would take a look and see some of the starring roles performed from portable toilets. These range from action films to children’s animated shows.
Appearances
The Sopranos (1999 – 2007) –
In Season 5, Episode 9 Meadows boyfriend Finn gets a job on the mob run construction site. A classic location for a portable toilet is something which we know all too well about. We then get a scene of Finn inside a portable toilet using it (He doesn’t wash his hands by the way) when he steps outside, he is approached and intimidated by high ranking mob member Vito.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRWDwP6tjuM
Regular Show (2009 – 2017) –
In the Cartoon Network animated tv programme Regular Show they actually have an entire episode named ‘Portable Toilet’ (Season 5, Episode 16). In the episode the main two characters Mordecai and Rigby get stuck inside one before it then levitating and is used by the military as target practise. As far as portable toilets go it is nice and clean, however it does have a window, something that we would not recommend as nobody particularly wants to see inside one or be seen using one.
The Simpsons (1989 -) –
As the longest running American TV show with 695 episodes to date it was inevitable that there would be some references to portable toilets along the way, these were the ones I was able to find but I’m sure there’s many others hidden in there.
Family Guy (1999-)
Season 7, Episode14 – Family Guy managed to get a joke out of these toilets too. Peter enters one promising that he won’t look down, but we soon hear his screams in horror as he does.
The Festival (2018) –
This is a film from The Inbetweeners creators set entirely at a festival. Naturally there is a lot of portable toilet action throughout.
Casino Royale (2006) –
This is right at the beginning of Daniel Craig’s first outing as James Bond. He is in a huge 8 minute fight scene throughout a construction site. Near the beginning we see a few portable toilets destroyed in the chaos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZxNbAwY_rk
Jackass
Possibly some of the most famous uses of portable toilets (for all the wrong reasons). The Jackass franchises frequently use them in stunts and pranks. Warning that these are quite disgusting and something we especially do not want done with our toilets.
Not only do they star in these TV shows and films, but they have a more important role than you might expect on the majority of film sets. Often filmed in remote locations, the film industry depends heavily on portable toilets for their cast and crew. We here at Davlav have ourselves supplied toilets to film sets.
Be sure to get in touch if you are looking to hire toilets for your production. Or in fact any other uses you may require them for such as construction sites. Just please not for the same purpose as the Jackass guys used them for!