Over the last 20 years, I have employed a lot of people for crew positions on features that I have produced and directed. As much as I would love to say I use the same crew every time, unfortunately, that is not always the case. When starting out, the logical choice of course is to hire people with the most credits on their resume, however, that is not necessarily the smartest approach. As I reflect back on the films I have crewed, I have learned a few things that I would like to pass along to you. Here are some tips for hiring the right crew...

#1 - Hire People With Good Taste Over Experience

Early in my career, I got the chance to direct a WWII film called “Saints and Soldiers.” Like most first-time Producers we focused on hiring people with the most experience over people who were new and looking to get their first big break. Since we were shooting mostly in the forest and using period uniforms and props it was a pretty paint-by-numbers type production with little room for creative license or “world-building” as I like to call it. Overall, it was a great experience and the crew was great. As I went on to make more movies I noticed that it was not always a home run when it came to working with people with big resumes. I remember on one show having a lengthy conversation with our Production Designer about the set dressing for a certain flashback in the film. I had shown them plenty of ideas and we seemed to be on the same page. Trusting their years of experience I was shocked when I came to set the morning of the shoot to see that the choices they made were simply, just bad. Even though it was done on time and budget it was not going to look good on screen. So how could this have happened? They had a ton of movies under their belt. Lesson learned: Experience does not necessarily mean good taste.

On my next film, I hired someone with less experience, but with what I would consider to be a good eye. I quickly discovered that people with taste and less experience will find a way to compensate for being somewhat new at their job. Why? Because they are driving to find a way to make sure what is on the screen is right for the film and in line with something the director will love also. Where there is a will, there is a way seems to be their mantra. As a director the less you have to worry about the better. You need to focus your limited energy and time on things that only you are responsible for, like working with the actors, rather than losing your mind over the worst prop you have ever seen. Not everyone on your crew is in a position to make choices that are dictated by having good taste, but your department heads certainly will. Your DP, Production Designer, Editor, Costumes, Sound, etc are all people who can throw a wrench in the works if they have bad taste. So make sure to see their past work before you seal the deal. Choosing someone with good taste over experience will almost always yield the best results for your film because nine times out of ten they will come up with something better than what you were thinking of.

#2 - Reviewing the Department Head Wish List

The first people you hire are your department heads and they appreciate and for the most part, expect that you will entrust them with hiring the rest of the crew for their department. Before you engage a department head think about the people they normally hire. There could be a bad apple in the group. You want to get ahead of that. Bad apples are crew members who always seem sour on every film they work on. They happily take the job, but somehow forget the day rate they agreed to and then on set they talk like they were forced at gunpoint to be there. You don’t need these people. Then comes the people who like to “nickel and dime” you. These are people who don’t care if they work with you again. They will offer all kinds of things; conveniently forgetting to mention there is a fee, then expect compensation for the services provided when the show is wrapping out. When someone offers anything on set it is good practice to assume it is not free. You want to treat your crew fairly of course, so I suggest you always ask what they expect in return for the gear or services they are offering, even if they make it sound like it’s being offered for free.

It is very common for crew to have a “kit rental” these days, but just make sure that their kit actually has things in it that are worthy of what you are paying. I’ve seen people charge $100 a day for a kit that I could buy for $200, which means after two days you have basically paid their kit off. On a feature film, you can end up paying for it many times over. Every producer is different, but in my opinion, if you are paying much more than 10% of the value of the kit on a weekly rental, then you are probably paying too much. Just be careful when it comes to working with people who look for every opportunity to make extra money off of you. More often than not these are the same people who go over-budget in their department and complain all day about how the food should be better. So when you hire your department heads be honest and upfront about the kind of people you want on your crew. Good department heads will get this and make sure to bring on people who are like-minded and love being on set.

#3 - The Right Crew for the Right Budget

You want to hire people who are used to working on films in your budget range. Be very cautious about hiring crew on an independent film if they are used to working on studio-level productions. I’ve seen it time and time again where the crew has become accustomed to certain things that might not be possible on a smaller budget, resulting in them becoming disgruntled rather quickly. This is especially true with craft services and meals. I have been on some big shows where craft service has an endless supply of every possible thing you could ever want and the caterer comes with a ton of options for lunch. But on a smaller film, you might only get a small craft service table with a cooler of water and a meager spread of snack choices. Not all budgets are the same so just be clear on what they can expect so they are not sad when there is no sushi or prime rib on set. If there is one way to lose a crew, bad meals, and bad craft service will do it. It is important to feed them well. They will appreciate it. I would much prefer to cut a day from the shooting schedule than to feed the crew poorly.

As a Producer or Director, you have to be organized to stay on schedule and budget. You simply don’t wing it, right? You should expect the same from your crew, especially from your department heads. If they are not organized then there is a high probability they’ll go over budget. When you tell a department head how much they have to spend on the production make sure that they are clear on how realistic that is to pull off based on their breakdown of the script and your expectations. Ask them how confident they feel about staying under budget. You don’t want to find out later that they knew they were going to go over budget and simply figured they would tell you about it when you wrap the show. Trust me this happens more than you would think, especially when you hire department heads who are used to large budgets and contingency if they go over.

People are motivated by all kinds of reasons to work on a film. But you want to make sure the people you hired are excited about the opportunity to work with you, and that working with you is something that they see as an enjoyable collaboration. I have worked with Cinematographers who simply want cool shots for their reels. They try to talk you into all kinds of funky setups that would look cool in a montage but not necessarily be good for the edit or the story you are trying to tell. They are simply putting what you want second to what they think will bolster their career. So when talking to potential crew make sure they are in line with your vision and want to support that.

#4 - Paint the Worst Picture Possible

When it comes to hiring crew you don’t want to scare them off, but you want to be real about what the set experience could be like. Producers have a tendency to talk up how awesome an experience it will be for everyone, and the crew can see through that spiel in a second. Be honest and upfront about possible conditions that could make things hard, this way they will come to set prepared for the worst and will only be pleased to see more often than not things are running smoothly. I have worked on sets where Producers hire you and conveniently forget to tell you things that might have swayed you from taking the job in the first place. Don’t be that kind of Producer. Crews do not like to be tricked. So tell it like it is. “Hey the location is not very easy to get to.” Or “lunch options are going to be limited based on where we are filming.” Or “Due to our budget, you’ll have to share a truck with another department.” You want to make sure they are aware of the size of the show they are signing up for.

At this point, you might be saying “Well Ryan that all sounds great but what if I don’t know anyone? Where do I find my first crew?” When you are first starting out there are a handful of places you can look. Stage 32 has great resources and a full database where you can find like-minded filmmakers for all the needed crew positions by searching through their browse page HERE. You can also post a specific job opening on the Stage 32 Job Page HERE, whether it's paid or unpaid. You can even post in the Stage 32 Your Stage Lounge to share that you're looking for crew on your next project and tell the community about the positions that you're on the hunt for. You may have members reach out to you with interest, refer people they know, or provide you with further advice. There are also Facebook film groups most likely in the area where you live. Start chatting with them. Grab a coffee and talk about things you have in common, favorite movies, etc. This is a great way to see if they have good taste. When I don’t have any options for certain crew positions, I reach out to fellow Directors and Producers I know and ask them who they have had good experiences with. They will know someone who is good and reliable.

#5 -You Found a Crew so Now What?

You have assembled your A-Team and you are ready to move into production. So what can you do to make sure it goes smoothly and these people want to work with you again? Be a straight shooter. Be honest. Don’t burn bridges by taking advantage of your crew. Feed them well. The ROI (return on investment) on that is off the charts. The crew will work harder for you if their bellies are full of good food. Always try to praise them in public and criticize them in private. Simply put: if things are going great be vocal on set and tell everyone they are killing it and it’s better than you expected it. If someone does something wrong, quietly pull them aside and ask them why things are going sideways. Most likely it will be resolved and emotional damage will be minimized. No one should ever be blasted on set with the rest of the crew watching in the wings. Nothing good will ever come from that. When you call wrap don’t jump in your car and zip off. Go around and tell everyone you appreciate their work. They won’t always remember what you said, but they will remember the way you made them feel.

The more films you make the more good people you will find. You’ll quickly discover your favorite people to work with are the ones who relish the opportunity to make movie magic with you. They certainly expect to be paid and treated fairly, but most likely they are not there for the money alone, but for the chance to work with like-minded filmmakers (with good taste), who love the collaboration process of this crazy industry.

Have You Joined In On Stage 32's July Filmmakers Club?

If not, what are you waiting for? I'll be hosting an all-day Ask Me Anything in the Stage 32 Filmmaking Lounge TOMORROW- Wednesday, July 10th! The post is already live, so you can go comment with all of your questions for me HERE.

You should also go join in on this week's July Filmmakers Club Challenges to be eligible for a free prize giveaway on Friday!

Week Two Challenges:

1. Comment on this week's fantastic July Filmmakers Club Week 2 Blog: What Are The Roles You See Yourself In? (by clicking HERE) sharing which production crew roles you'd like to learn more about this July!
2. Post in the Stage 32 Filmmaking Club Lounge sharing a favorite story from your time on set or posing a question that you'd like answered about set etiquette, crew roles, or production (You can find it quickly by clicking HERE).
3. Comment on at least 3 other members' posts in the Stage 32 Filmmaking Lounge to offer insights, words of encouragement, or support!

Make sure you're following @Stage32 and @rbwalksintoabar to keep up with all of the exciting July Filmmakers Club announcements all month long!

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