Producer Thoughts: Finding Your Dream Team
We’ve all heard the stories about film projects with bad crews. Those projects where people didn’t know what they were doing, everyone was upset and people were yelling and snapping at each other. But how can you bring together a crew that will not only complete the project but do it without biting each other’s heads off? Let’s take a look.
Cast and Crew shot from the film Counter Column.
1) Understanding Your Constraints and the Project
The first aspect to bringing together a good team is knowing what the script requires and what the budget allows. Breaking down the types of shots, the amount of cast, extras, locations, etc. in a script will help you determine how many people you might need in art department, or whether you need someone who is certified to fly a drone. Then there is that word everyone loves to hear, “budget”, that can determine a lot about your crew. You may want a certain director or editor but do you have the budget to pay him? If you didn’t budget enough are there ways you can free up budget elsewhere without compromising on the quality of the overall project. Another big area the budget affects is the size of a crew. It might be preferred to have a five person G&E team for the shoot but if the budget only has room for a three person team then you might have to rethink your rental package, or the amount of time that you give for doing each scene.
Understanding these aspects of your project from the very beginning can be a lifesaver as it keeps you from promising something you can’t deliver and allows you to be open and up front with the people you are talking to about the realities of the project
2) Understanding the Director’s Vision
Director, Jacob Waldorf, and Producer, Micah Versemann, discuss details and vision on the set of Wheelchair by Fantasmil Films.
The next step to having a good crew is taking the time to form the team. A lot of the projects that I have seen where the crews weren’t a cohesive unit were brought together at the last minute, so they weren’t prepared or didn’t understand the vision for the project ahead of time.
The first step to avoiding that situation is for you as the producer to sit down with the Director and really understand his vision for the project. Find out what type of look in wants for the film, what moments or aspects of the story are most important to him, and what attracted him to the project in the first place. As the producer, knowing the director’s answers will better help you communicate about the project when talking to potential crew, especially the department heads.
Part two of this step is allowing enough time for the Director to talk with potential department heads so that they can really understand the director’s vision and see whether they can bring it to life. Some of the best sets I’ve been on have been ones where the Director talked with the DP, AD, Art Director, etc. ahead of anyone signing onto the project. However; and I can’t stress this enough, if you plan to set up meetings like this make sure you have the time to do it in your pre-production schedule.
3) Let Your Department Heads Be Involved in the Crewing Process
Director of Photography, Ethan Hill, and 1st AC, Johnick Petry, discuss the upcoming shot on set of Stand Firm by Brothers in Christ Productions.
I find this point is easily forgotten in the independent circle where people are having to wear more hats and usually have shorter production timelines. But just like giving the director a chance to talk with the department heads before signing them on, giving the department heads the chance to recommend people to work under them or help interview people you are considering will lead to an overall better set. Just like the Director is trusting the department heads, the department heads are having to trust the people underneath them. Your DP doesn’t need to be worrying about whether their AC knows how to use the type of camera the production is renting when you’re behind schedule. Having the chance for the department heads to know those answers before a contract is signed will greatly relieve the stress level of your crew.
4) Be willing to Work with New People
As filmmakers we make friends and build relationships while on each project. However, I want to encourage you to never reach the point where you are unwilling to consider someone for a crew position just because you have never worked together before. Especially if the person is being recommended by your department head or someone you trust in the industry. Several projects I’ve worked on found me bringing people onto the crew I had never worked with before but had come recommended and in the end, they were a great asset and people I would love to work with again.
5) Communicate with Your Crew
Department heads discuss the upcoming week on set at the 2019 Motion University On-Set Experience.
This aspect of having a dream team is not just for during pre-production but during every stage of a production. The better communication is, the better everyone on the crew is going to feel. Whether that means production meetings with the whole crew in the pre-production process, nightly meetings with department heads during filming or just coming up on set and asking a crew member how they are and if they need anything (when the moment is right) will always lead to a happier, better working crew. The more people communicate and feel like they know what’s going on, the less surprises there will be which means fewer times that tempers could flare.
6) Don’t Harbor Feelings
The final tip for having a dream team crew is to not let disagreements and moments of anger go unattended. Some of the worst blowups happen when one crew member annoys or angers someone and instead of talking to that person about it they focus and stew on it or start gossiping about the moment to the rest of the crew. Take the time to talk problems out, ask for forgiveness and admit you were in the wrong, if that is the case. Stopping production for 5 minutes to handle a situation in this way is well worth it as opposed to having a crew member quit in the middle of production because of the way they were treated by someone else.
In closing, will following these six recommendations lead to you always having the perfect crew? No, in fact the number of times I’ve been on projects where there was a prefect crew are easily counted. But, by implementing these ideas on your next shoot the chances of you ending up with a crew that doesn’t work well together, is hurting each other’s feelings and doesn’t know what is going on will be much smaller.