How do I find a crew?

S

Stryfe

Active member
All I need is a DP and an audio guy.

Since it's my first movie and I'm the lead actor I need a DP that knows what he's doing. Besides the fact I barely know what I'm doing in that regard. I've got Barry's book but that isn't the same as expereince.

I also need an audio guy that hold my boom, listen on headphones, and know that it's good sound.

I've got all the equipment besides a mixer.

It's hard to find someone in Arkansas. There's a community college a litle over an hour away but I'm not sure if I should trust a student filmmaker from there.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
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Stick up a sign at the college, or post on craigslist etc. as suggested.

There's a community college a litle over an hour away but I'm not sure if I should trust a student filmmaker from there.
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Keep in mind that the "right people" are always there. They are often hidden amongst the rest, they might not even be studying film, but they'll be there.

It can be pretty hard to find a crew sometimes, which is why it's always good to make connections and network with everyone, even people who aren't filmmakers, because people know people, and well, you get it. I'm in a similar sort of situation living in New Zealand, where there really is no craigslist, no mandy, a few pretty poor film schools, no real support for anyone, everything is expensive as hell and you can't just go round the corner to get a boom pole (or whatever) you have to order it from half way around the world. :)
 
You've always got Peter Jackson to use as inspiration though. I've got...Billy Bob I guess.

I'll try Craigslist and Mandy.com.

I'll try the filmschools but so far no one has seemed interested in even reading the script or anthing, according to the professors that passed out the notice. Lazy people down here.
 
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Yeah we are so spoiled in Los Angeles, way too many talented people and a lot of them will work for pretty cheap if times are slow.

I find that money is the only real guarantee (besides close friends) of having a professional crew be loyal, however. If your pay sucks, they may sign on, but you will easily lose 20% of your crew to flaking out before you shoot. If your pay is somewhat ok, you'll hopefully only lose 1, maybe 2 people, hopefully replaceable. That's why I always make sure the most essential people get paid well. What do I care if a grip flakes out? I can make a few phone calls and get another in 5 minutes. I have like 100 contacts for grips, haha. But if my DP or production designer or something flakes out near the shoot, boy, I'm screwed.
 
Yeah, LA's great but I don't want to film anything there because the movie looks...like every other movie. That's one of the reasons for moving back from there to shoot the movie.

That and the fact it's a lot easier to self-finance a movie in somewhere other than LA. It's enough trouble just paying rent.
 
Stryfe said:
Yeah, LA's great but I don't want to film anything there because the movie looks...like every other movie. That's one of the reasons for moving back from there to shoot the movie.

That and the fact it's a lot easier to self-finance a movie in somewhere other than LA. It's enough trouble just paying rent.
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Well, I can't say I agree about the look of the film, that's really up to the production designer and how you choose to shoot it. I mean if you film inside, an apartment looks the same in Los Angeles as in Portland or in Chicago or anywhere else. If you're filming lots of exteriors, sure, I get your point.

But I totally understand and agree with your other points. For one, if you film in Los Angeles, everyone is out to rape you, especially if you are a company. Who cares that I'm just a one-man production company with very little profits right now, to someone who has a location I'm a corporation, a film company, that wants their location, and they will charge me a buttload for it if they think they can get it. In other parts of the country, they are a LOT more film-friendly, which is ironic. But basically you can get people excited about just having their location in a movie, it's a big deal to them, and people in general are more excited about the idea of a film. Here they are like, "Oh god not another film shooting near me, this is so annoying." It's a daily occurrence. Every day in downtown L.A. where I live, yet another thing is shooting near me, and every week there's something shooting within 2 blocks. The other day I saw a car being towed on a flat-bed type of truck, with a camera car and a crane mounted to it following behind, and 4 motorcycle cops escorting. That's not the first time I've seen that, it's not even the second time, haha. It happens all of the time.

Also the cost of living in L.A. is quite high, so yeah, it's harder by far to set aside more money. I've thought about this myself. For me, I'm not sure yet what I'll do. If I am making really good money I want to stay here, because I love the weather and basically everyone who is anyone in the industry lives here. I can get the best actors, the best DPs, the best everyone here, so that makes any of my work a lot more likely to be highly professional. But if I'm mainly doing corporate work, I feel like I can live anywhere for that, because the fact is I have to travel for most of that anyway. Just because a client is in Seattle doesn't mean I'm going to turn down the work, and my corporate work field I'm focusing on is all over the United States. I'd prefer to stick with the West Coast, however. The advantage to being here is hopefully to get some record label music videos, to make connections that will get me closer to being in feature film directing, etc.
 
Arkansas is a hard place since I can't think of any films shot there so there probably aren't any pro crews. You may want to scour the local TV stations for possible talent (though it may cost ya).

It's really important you take the time to get your act together. Everyone makes mistakes but it's really disrespectful to a crew and to your actors if you do things half-assed when they're giving you so much time and energy.

Stryfe said:
All I need is a DP and an audio guy.
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Ummm....great but those are the crew positions you should be starting with rather than filling last. In both cases they may need support people.

Since it's my first movie and I'm the lead actor I need a DP that knows what he's doing.
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Out of curiosity, how ambitious is this film? I've seen a lot of movies go horrible wrong because we have an actor who decides he can fill double duty as director and then basically expects his DP to run the show. It's AMAZINGLY hard to be both a good director and actor at the same time. Clint Eastwood can pull it off. Woody Allen. Orson Welles. Not many more (and in all three cases I've mentioned they all say they prefer not to and tend to star just so they can get funding). I see a TON young directors who insist on staring and directing and essentially letting the whole project become and ego trip at the expense of quality.

I also need an audio guy that hold my boom, listen on headphones, and know that it's good sound.
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Very true. You may be tempted to have anyone boom but you'll quickly find that it's really a challenge. Hell, I've had so many films where I had to pull in an in-experienced boom guy and spent hours trying to explain to them to point it right at the mouth (not the forehead, not the nose, not slightly to the left of the mouth).

I'll try the filmschools but so far no one has seemed interested in even reading the script or anthing, according to the professors that passed out the notice. Lazy people down here.
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I had the same issue with my last project because I was in a new town and didn't know any crew. All the students where happy that summer was approaching or they were gearing up for the summer film. I ended up just hiring some local guys from the low-budget/corporate world. It's a shame because, now that I'm more plugged into the film scene down here, I know a lot more people I could have used...

Yeah, LA's great but I don't want to film anything there because the movie looks...like every other movie. That's one of the reasons for moving back from there to shoot the movie.
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Not really true. LA is a sprawling place with a big variety of looks. It's part of the reason the industry is based there.

That and the fact it's a lot easier to self-finance a movie in somewhere other than LA. It's enough trouble just paying rent
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I'll agree there. I've debated going to LA for the generally more talented crews but I have enought trouble getting by now.
 
Stryfe

Where are you located?

I have a nephew up there and if you are close to him I will see if he wants to help. He and a friend of his do some stuff they post on youtube so he might be interested in helping.
 
Warren AR. Small town in the south east. Whole town survives off of High School Football.

I'm this close to just making the movie without a DP if I can't get one in time.

Wouldn't be that hard to do it by myself. It's not trying to be anything beyond what a first time director would do with a micro budget.

It's kind of like Clerks in the South. Few locations and a lot of dialogue.

I understand show don't tell and all that crap. But it's my first movie and like Dov Simens says "KISS".

And according to all the reviewers at Triggerstreet.com and everyone else that's read it, the dialogue is very funny and realistic.

But that doesn't matter if I can't get good audio. Luckily I've studied a lot of it and have Barry's Sound DVD. So I can probably teach one of my friends how to hold the boom. I've got great equipment recomended to me by the pros and the DVD.

I'll keep searching though. I'm sure I'll find someone.
 
Stryfe said:
I'm this close to just making the movie without a DP if I can't get one in time.

Wouldn't be that hard to do it by myself. It's not trying to be anything beyond what a first time director would do with a micro budget.
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So.....you're starring along with being a first time director AND dp?

It's kind of like Clerks in the South. Few locations and a lot of dialogue.

But that doesn't matter if I can't get good audio. Luckily I've studied a lot of it and have Barry's Sound DVD. So I can probably teach one of my friends how to hold the boom. I've got great equipment recomended to me by the pros and the DVD.
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Word of advice. If you manage to pull this off and make a great film then you're clearly some kind of genius and you'll make all us naysayers look like idiots. If, ont he other hand, this thing ends up crashing and burning; try to remember that this is your first film and a learning experience. Know that you may put your heart and soul into this and get out a product that you'll feel embarassed to show your Mom. And remember that this is natural and is something you'll have to do for a long time before you even start to get a sense of your craft.

Just remember that it's easier to learn when you're not doing several different jobs at once, none of which you have any experience in. I feel better when I know why something went wrong rather than having to wonder, "did that suck because my acting was off, my directing was shoddy, my cinematography blew, or the sound stunk?"

On the other hand, I've never listened to all the harsh warnings people give me about taking on too much. I always need to fall flat on my face before I accept a given limitation so who am I to lecture?
 
I'm an actor that's going to direct. Not a director that's going to act.

I know I can direct acting from my experience of directing on stage and improv.

How hard is it to DP? It's a one camera shoot. Put a camera on a tripod and press record. Forget all the artsy crap and get what you need. I've got a script so I know where I'm going.

Lighting is nice but there's lots of indies winning awards in big festivals only using natural lighting. Makes it more realistic anyway.

I might be a genius. We'll see.

If I fail, who cares. It's my first movie and I've only spent 3,000 dollars on equipment that I can use all over again. I'll be better on my next movie.

You're telling me I can't do better than this on my first movie, even though I have no experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf0ksFCaeI8

It won lot's of awards too.
 
Stryfe said:
How hard is it to DP? It's a one camera shoot. Put a camera on a tripod and press record.
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Yep. That's all there is to it. Honestly I don't know why these guys get paid so much.

Forget all the artsy crap and get what you need. I've got a script so I know where I'm going.
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You got a script? Why didn't I think of that? I wonder if this is why all my movies stink...

You're telling me I can't do better than this on my first movie, even though I have no experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf0ksFCaeI8
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I can't tell you how many times I've heard this. "It'll be fine. It can't be any worse than [horrible film they dug up at blockbuster/youtube.]" Then, just to teach everyone a lesson, so many actually DO manage to make something worse :D

Seriously though, good luck on your first film. Like I said, many of us have to try something first hand before we see why certain things are important. Just promise that if it's not brilliant you'll come back here and complement all the DPs on their button-pushing skills.
 
Stryfe,
Your script is the key. If it's great then you have a chance. A talking heads script has to be original. Napolean Dynamite used very little camera movement...static shots...but very original. Find people to boom and DP and teach them as much as you can. Practice to get them up to speed so you increase your chances of success. Practice working with the lighting...whatever lights you will be using. Cinematography and sound are extremely important and add to the film so don't underestimate the importance of either one.

Send me your script and I'll be glad to take a quick read on it. I'm always willing to throw in my two cents worth to anybody willing to go for it like you!

Curtis
www.filmschoolnow.com
 
Stryfe,

If you're going to do it, wipe the attitude.

I strongly believe that you can direct. Actors of all people often make great directors.

However.

Stage is different to film. Directing film has a lot of other elements to it. Film acting is also different from stage acting. You have to know how to shoot a scene! it's not just point the camera and shoot. That's a crap attitude to have. As Curtis said above me, a talking heads script has to be original or pretty clever. Otherwise people will get really bored.

What I'm saying is, if you do want to do this - then take some time out to learn the craft of directing...even just the basics. You don't just hit record. There are moments when the camera needs to do all sorts of things to enhance what's going on.

As for that film you posted. It looks alright - it looks like it has some decent acting and a story...but one thing that annoys me is the lack of production/art design. The walls are all white! It makes many of the shots look visually boring.

If you want to create something mediocre, then that's up to you. No matter what skill level you are, most peoples first films suck anyway, you have to learn somehow.

I wish you the best of luck but please take some time to learn a few things before you just "put the camera on a tripod and shoot". At the very least check out the book "Shot by Shot".

Oh and I almost forgot - TRY and find a DP! You will love yourself for it. Having a good D.P around will make sure your film visually won't suck - that way if the film is bad, it'll be the acting/script - stuff you can put a lot of time into on preprod. There must be someone out there. Hell, I live in Lower Hutt, a pretty small town in a tiny country - New Zealand. There are hardly filmmakers here who have the right mindset. But I can still manage to scrape a crew.

Good luck!
 
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Don't get so defensive. I'm not trying to insult DP's. On anything else I'd say it's definite you'd need a DP.

But I've only got one camera and it's mostly interior shots of dialogue. Like Clerks and the movie I pointed out earlier. So the DP would only need to do little. I still want one though, but I'm not going to postpone for months because I can't get one.

But whatever, arguing isn't helping. I'm contacting people and searching on the web for local talent as we speak.

No matter how much the directing or whatever might suck, I know I'll have great acting and writing and those are the two most important things.
 
Stryfe,

I'm not being defensive. I'm a director, not a D.P. :) I'm not arguing, I'm just stating facts. Getting a D.P will help you. Learning to direct before you shoot a film will help you.

I definitely agree that acting and a great script is the key to any movie, but if it looks bad visually, that's just going to let the side down. I hope it goes well though, I really do. I'm not trying to argue or anything.
 
I don't know how much film experience you have, but find as much info as you can on shooting...shot selection...so you can use your shot selection for pacing, drama, comedy, whatever kind of story you are shooting. Use all the tools you have at your disposal so you make up for a lack of money and top notch crew. There is nothing I like to see more than someone making films. Most people talk about it but have trouble pulling the trigger. You are going for it! Make your first film a great one...don't just settle for making a film...put in the time to make it as good as you can. If you have a great script then find a few more locations to up the ante. Think of the locations you can get for free. We all know we can get a bar...a restaurant...home interiors...offices...church...stores...factory...just about anything. Approach people and ask. Simply ask them. Walk in carrying a big duffle bag and a tripod and tell them this is all the equipment I am bringing into your location. Most people think you will have truckloads of equipment and mess up their location. Many outdoor locations that are unique to your area can be had for free. use the owners as extras. If you need a Porsche...find the guy/gal that owns one and give them a part...a few lines. Expand your locations on what your area has to offer. Find that unique restaurant and ask them. Tell them you will have their place in the film and people will see it. They can't buy a better kind of advertising. Tell them you will show the film in their restaurant when you have the wrap party. That is how you will pay them back. Go for it! Think big! You are thinking big...but think bigger.

Curtis
 
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