10 Tips for Pulling a Film Crew Together
So you want to be an independent filmmaker, but don’t yet have a film made. To do so, you need to find a production crew. This can be tricky for anyone, but it gets even trickier when you have a small budget or no budget at all. And just like no two films are the same, no two production crews are the same. So here are a few tricks and tips to go about finding and keeping a good production crew. 1. Create A Budget Okay, so this is a given. The more money you can offer, the more likely you are to get a really experienced, professional crew. But sometimes you don’t have that money, and we understand that. However, that doesn’t mean you should ignore the idea of a budget. Creating a budget (even if no one sees it) helps you plan, organize and consider your crew and your assets. And if your film does make a lot of money, you have to know how much to pay all those people that you promised you would pay if the film made money. 2. Know The Positions In particular, know which crew members you need, and why. Do a little bit of research if you don’t know, and you’ll be surprised how much you’ll learn about a film set. This way you know what to look for in a crew member. It’s also important to know which position is responsible for what, otherwise you risk being under-staffed or creating a hectic film set where no one knows who is responsible. This is frustrating for a crew, and can even be dangerous. 3. Don’t Use Your Buddies Unless they’re film professionals or want to be, most of the time using your friends as filmmakers is a mistake. They tend to be less respectful of your authority as a producer or director, and, honestly, they don’t know what they’re doing. If you want your film to look good and run smoothly, use people who are both passionate about filmmaking and know what they’re doing. 4. Use Your Buddies In a different way. The best way to find good crew members is through recommendations...