What do you want/expect from a Crew Database?

Hey folks,

We're currently in a transitional period for PTP. New logo, new ventures, and it will start with the launching of our new website to solidify the establishing of the "brand".

However, we're at a crossroads on the possibility of running a "Crew Database" on the website.

Ideally we would want it to be a "go to" place for crew/work opportunities. (Much alike Shootingpeople/Filmcrewpro etc)

Here are a few points we've made already on the specs of how it would be run.

The first is a question of a "Subscription fee". We're posing the questions of WHY people would pay, WHAT resources/exposure/networking opportunities we would provide.

• Subscription required to participate or view. (6 month membership)
• "Feedback score" for members to credit other members after working with eachother (Similiar to Ebays system)
• All messages or Job opportunities MUST be approved by a PTP staff member.
• Bulletin board for "EMPLOYERS" to post their jobs. (Must be approved/validated by a member of PTP)
• User profiles of SPECS only. (Occupation, availability, crew position, website, favoured genre, name, past experience)
• Embedded showreels.
• "Reccomended for you" (Email updates) - according to your details of preferred genre/availability/crew position stated.

What do YOU want/expect from a "Crew Database"?

How do we keep things "Fresh" and bringing members/employers BACK to the site?

How have you found the likes of Shootingpeople, Filmcrewpro in the past? Helpful? Useful?

Any suggestions would be fantastic. If you could bulletpoint your suggestions, that would be very helpful. (Both to myself, and other members reading. Easier to jot down for their own musings)

I've put further talks with the web designer on hold until Wednesday.

Cheers (I'm British, I can say it)

- Daniel

PTP

Sounds interesting but, at the same time, sounds very similar to existing websites.

I'm not a member of Shooting People just because it kept screwing up every time I was trying to pay for my membership, so I can call you on that one. But I do use FilmCrewPro, TalentCircle, Mandy and Filmmakers United so I get my share of crew databases.

From where I'm sitting this is what I see: This is a really complex bit of design/coding. I'm rebuilding my site at the moment and we're hitting all sorts of problems with the programming and it's a much simpler job than what you're proposing. If you want to do this, therefore, I think you should go for broke.

Google+ is an interesting model and I suspect it could be adapted to fit what you're looking to do. Perhaps you start off by inviting a hundred or so filmmakers and crew and urge them to invite all the other people who they know. Then you'd have a userbase who are all, on some level, connected.

I really like the eBay style feedback system and I think it could be taken further. Perhaps rather than automated 'Recommend' emails being sent by the website, there could be a 'Recommend a Friend' button on each job listing so that if I'm reading a job offer for a Sound Designer but I happen to not be a sound designer YET I do know a good sound designer, well, I can recommend him for that job. Then the ad poster would get a link to his profile to contact him and he'd (or she'd) get a link to the job so that they could always apply themselves.

You might want to check out http://filmmakers-united.com if you haven't already. It's quite small and, to be honest, the functionality isn't 100% there yet. But it's quite interesting as a model that does a lot of the things you want your site to do.

Brilliant points, Nick. The "Refer" element is perfect. It's the type of "community" vibe that the bigger CDB's adopt.

Don't worry about being able to create it. We're working with a team of designers with years of experience, and it is going to set us back a pretty penny. This isn't something we're going to do by half. If we do it, then it's 110%.

I'm yet to use Google+. So I can't offer much opinion. But from what I've heard, I believe we're on the same wavelength.

Alot to think about.

Cheers, Nick.

Papertwinproductions said:

How do we keep things "Fresh" and bringing members/employers BACK to the site?

Click to expand...

The hard way - there needs to be a lot of employers who pay.

I don't use any of the sites but a friend of mine is just getting
into the business and has been using several of them. His main
complaint is 90% of what he reads are no pay gigs. And by the
time he sees the paid gig and calls or e-mails the job has not
only been filled, but they already have 100 applicants. What
would really draw more crews to a site are paying jobs.

Frankly there are a lot of places already for filmmakers who need
to find crew. Few crew members are actively looking for unpaid
work as is evident by reading posts here on indietalk. Filmmakers
all over are looking for crew but they can't pay and are finding
it difficult to get people to help.

Quite the "catch 22" isn't it?

directorik said:

The hard way - there needs to be a lot of employers who pay.

I don't use any of the sites but a friend of mine is just getting
into the business and has been using several of them. His main
complaint is 90% of what he reads are no pay gigs. And by the
time he sees the paid gig and calls or e-mails the job has not
only been filled, but they already have 100 applicants. What
would really draw more crews to a site are paying jobs.

Frankly there are a lot of places already for filmmakers who need
to find crew. Few crew members are actively looking for unpaid
work as is evident by reading posts here on indietalk. Filmmakers
all over are looking for crew but they can't pay and are finding
it difficult to get people to help.

Quite the "catch 22" isn't it?

Click to expand...

It sure is.

It seems there needs to be sufficiant numbers on both the "Paid" & "Unpaid" gigs. Yet, ofcourse, it's very, very likely the paid gigs will recieve copious amounts of replies, as you said.

For what I've put in bold above, is the key aspect of the resource I want it to be. We want to KNOW what people are looking for, and we want to notify them of those jobs as soon as they arrive. It's basic customer care. But it's alot of upkeep, and relies very much on the crew member updating their details.

Does Mandy.com have this as a resource? I just Googled "film crews" and a bunch of links popped up.

Papertwinproductions said:

For what I've put in bold above, is the key aspect of the resource I want it to be.

Click to expand...

Then I would wonder what you will do that the dozen of
current data bases don't do. I wonder if better customer
service is what crews are looking for.

But I guess I should stay out of this because I do not use
them. I'm not looking for service - I'm looking for a job.

I think it's great that you're doing this. I wish you the best.

Flicker Pictures said:

Does Mandy.com have this as a resource? I just Googled "film crews" and a bunch of links popped up.

Click to expand...

It runs a similar service. Hire and be hired.

But, it's a disjointed one. I'm not sure whether it's just me. But does anybody find it to be immensely cluttered?

It's my least favourite out of the numerous available. It doesn't have character. It lacks any such appeal.

But alas, I'm aware of what a massive task it is.

directorik said:

Then I would wonder what you will do that the dozen of
current data bases don't do. I wonder if better customer
service is what crews are looking for.

But I guess I should stay out of this because I do not use
them. I'm not looking for service - I'm looking for a job.

I think it's great that you're doing this. I wish you the best.

Click to expand...

That's the challenge.

Cheers, Rik.

Wednesday is decision day, so we'll know by then whether we'll be choosing to do it.

Wow, that's a big venture.

Im afraid i cant offer much here since i have only browsed sites like those in a cursory manner.

But wish u the best of luck and success no matter which decision you make on wednesday.