How do I get people willing to work for free with me?

[Melvin Harris]

And, if your projects are crap, and are just being made for the sake of making them, why are you a film maker? Why would anyone want to be a film maker to make crap films? The people who succeed as film makers are the ones with vision, with stories worth telling, and the determination to get them done right.

If you want to play around with your digital camera and your home editing software, that's fantastic. Do it. Have fun. Make mistakes. Shoot everyone and everything, and make hundreds of stupid little movies and post them on youtube. You'll learn mountains of useful things. It's a fantastic way to develop your skills. But don't impose on other people, who are trying to make their own way, create their own careers, don't insult their skills and talents, by asking them to work for free.

Don't agree with this. Making stupid movies is not a fantastic way to develop anything... perfect practice makes perfect, and that may include a willing crew. There are just things that one has to do to earn them, and I think that has been covered quite well.

A friend of mine told me, recently, "The problem with you artists is that you're all crackwhores when you should be callgirls." I blinked and requested an explanation. He said, "A crackwhore will do anything for $20. A callgirl will do anything _you_can_afford_." And he's absolutely right. Because taking on these freebie jobs not only devalued my time, my talent and my effort, it also devalues everyone else who does what I do. Why should anyone ever pay their crew, when there are idiots like myself willing to turn ourselves inside out for free?

Yeah, but a Callgirl needs a pimp. A callgirl without a pimp is a crackwhore with a phone number. A good pimp is hard to come by, and so are sources of money with which to make deserving movies. Remember, this is so much a subjective business filled with conjecture and speculation, and money is given based on said conjecture and speculation. Who's to say that money people will believe your script deserving, they have been wrong before, so, you may have to do it yourself before they will help you, and if you're not independently wealthy, then there will be money issues. However, they may love your script and story and the Touching Home thing might happen with Ed Harris and Brad Dourif and free cameras and sh*t... Who's to say? There are absolutely no absolutes. How does one become a professional with out calling shots, breaking down scripts, managing a crew, etc.

Don't discount everything you have accomplished, free or paid, it has made you who you are (marketable), and I understand your frustration, believe me, but there are professionals willing to help young content producers become talented filmmakers; one just has to respect the gift they've given and act accordingly.

 

[lambert]

"There's more to making movies than having a great script." That should be the starting point El Director, otherwise it's a camera test with craft service.

 

[draven4]

I am speaking as a director who made a feature film with a free crew. The only person paid was the makeup girl.

Keep your crew small if you can. Always always feed your crew and have food on set (craft service table)

Try not to take advantage of your crew. If you are making them drive out to far locations, long hours and demanding a lot from them then you should think hard and do only what you would want done to yourself working for free.

I know producers who make a ton of films one after another with free crews. I would say if you absolutely have no money and it is your first film you are doing for experience and for the love of it then go for it. But try not to make it a habit to not pay people.

They are spending their time working on your stuff when they can be getting paid to do other things or spend time with friends and family.

We all have passions for film making but you an only go so far for so long telling people there is no pay but we believe in this project.

Side note:
If you are young then it is easier to use a small crew because you might find friends to help and most late teens and early 20 years olds need something to do anyway and by doing this they can be creative and have fun. Most at this age will not have a set career too or a family and kids to take care of or a career job to go to. So I would tell young people to take advantage of this time.

Lastly if you have no money shoot small. If you only need to do simple shots keep it as simple as director / dp actor. I have done it and the shoot often times becomes more intimate.

 

[Belief Pictures]

Getting people to work for free is never the problem. I've done this the question comes what are you expecting in return knowing that you aren't paying them?

 

[Angelshare1]

I one time helped a friend move. We got there at 10 AM and he had three other guys there to help with the sofa. We sat around and talked for a while, then went in the house and talked a bit more. Then we moved the sofa. At around 1PM two of the friends had to leave. Next we got to his old place at 3PM to help with the boxes. There were about 87 million boxes to move and me and the other guy got to help him ourselves until 11PM.

I guess the moral of the story is don't waste people's valuable time. If you can, by the grace of god, get a professional to help you for free, make every effort during the initial meetings to ensure them their $100 an hour free time won't be wasted by having a plan and knowing the answer to all the questions. "hmmm we're still looking for a location and we haven't gotten a good schooting schedule down" would be poisonous.

I don't have a big crew on my shoot but I do have a lot of talented actors. I always make the greatest effort to instill in them that their time won't be wasted. No "we're shooting Saturday". It's "your scenes are Saturday 9AM-11AM."