What Essential film crew members do you need for a film set?

If this is your first production, and it sounds like it is, then I would hire an excellent, experienced director and then let him or her help you decide what crew is needed for your particular script and budget.

If you need to get the budget written so you can obtain the money, then find a director willing to commit to the project (again, an excellent and experienced director) and advise you on crew needs for free, with the committment that he/she will be hired to direct the project once the money is secured.

I can't stress "excellent and experienced" enough. And be sure he/she is experienced at making the kind of movie you're trying to make -- a great horror director isn't necessarily the best choice to direct a romantic comedy, for instance.

Good luck!
 
Kid_Filmmaker said:
I have another question and I couldn't find it after researching online. For a low budget (meaning under $100k) film, who are the main crew members do you need to have to make a great film run great? I have listed:

Producer
Line Producer
Associate Producer
Boom Operator
Director of Photography/Camera Operator
1st. Assistant Camera Operator
Crew Production Assistant (1)
Crew Production Assistant (1)
Still Photographer
Electric/Lightning/Best Boy
Swing Gang
Make-Up Artist
Key Grip
Script Supervisor
Film Editor
Server (1)
Server (1)
Cook
Drivers (2)


Is that essential to what I need for a digital, low budget film set or do some of these positions I don't even need at all - and if there are some I don't need at all, which ones do I not need on a low budget film set?
Click to expand...

This is a list for a $1M+ feature film.

If you are going to make a nolo budget feature film you are going to have to find 5 people who can do 5 different disciplines with sufficient capability as to produce a watchable film.

Why $1M... because a group that large is not going to work for 'free', 'imdb credits', 'pizza', or the 'wrap party'.

On the other hand if you have a trust fund that pays out about $10M a year... heck why not.

Occasionally one hears about a success, that is, someone made an under $100k film and it got on the PR gravy train of the fest circuit... even rarer, one hears that such a film got a distribution deal...

In terms of 'pages per shooting day'... the estimates range from 1-3 pages, 3 pages seems to be a typical 'hollywood' number, but then one reads 7-10, maybe 15... but what most estimators usually say is 'action' is longer than dialog heavy drama... which of course is why TV is filled with dialog... it soaks up viewing time, but doesn't cost as much to produce...

So, say your script is such you can shoot 5 pages a day... for a 100 page script that's 20 days of shooting... say, with nolo budget you shoot only on weekends... perhaps a few 3 day holiday weekends were everyone rather than drinking beer, eating hotdogs, (or thanksgiving turkey, depending...), they work on your film... that's 10 weekends, provided each weekend day is filled with shooting...

That's about 3 months, if the weekends are consecutive...

You would have to have a killer script to keep people going for that length of time, eliminate all conflicts, etc. and for no monetary remuneration...

Have people done it... sure... "Eraserhead"(1977) took about 5 years to shoot... but the 'core' production crew was about 5 people. Others would work and then move on.
David Lynch is listed in 7 departments... and often the only one, such as 'editing', or 'art direction', in addition to 'writer/director'. He also received money from various crew members to continue the work.

Such dedication is rare...
 
FYI:

We did a low-budget feature length movie 95% shot outside.
We had the absolute minimum crew:

1) director/producer
2) assistant director/prod. designer
3) line producer/driver
3) dop/camera operator (was me)
4) AC/2nd operator/lightning/driver
5) audio mixer/driver
6) boom operator/set runner
7) driver/ production assistant/ clapper

8) cook

We did the shooting 5 weeks last year and some solo days this year.
Some things still missing. All shot on BMCC with a budget of 65.000€.

Most of the money spent on technical department, board and lodging,
cars/gazoline.

We started without a line producer, because of illness. This was the most annoying
time. You need a producer, who communicates with the director to organize everything,
communicate with the others and keep the director from to much business other from directing.

Even the actors helped us, when manpower was needed for transportation of equipment.

It was a very hard time but in the end we all are very proud of what we achieved.
As the DP and head of technical department I really learned how to do things fast enough,
even with our "simple" equipment. It's always a problem on low budget shooting:
Waiting for the technical department (camera, lightning).

If you have your crew (found with someone experienced!!!) do a one day test shooting or at
least don't start with important scenes of the film.
 
Surely it's impossible to be accurate without knowing the production. I'm preparing for one job at the moment, and the production manager is constantly tweaking as new information becomes available. One crew area just went up by a person when it was discovered that just one section needed 4 people on one thing, leaving the other vital areas unmanned. The extra cost was eventually agreed by the producer but I may be able to lose one member of the LX team because for once, they're not going to be especially busy. I've got a second sound person, and one stage manager is also going to do some doubling.

Somebody just needs to itemise what actually needs doing. I like 'Cook' singular. The list of job titles suggests that 'cookS' could be more appropriate. How many LX people do you need? Just 1?? Even driver is a bit vague. Do you need an HGV driver, or somebody else who may be willing to double?

Best advice I heard revolves around the 6 'Ps" Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
 
I have done over 200 productions. It all depends BUT the super basics are:
- director
- dp
- line producer
- sound
- AC
- gaffer
- PA

There are specific examples when we went with less but for the most part less than the list above = more: more money spent, more time needed.
 
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