Crew advice

me-only-me

me-only-me

I was wondering how meny (minimum recomended) crew members and the positioning are needed. Some info on the project it is a featture length low budget production. It has 12 princable actors and some extras. So I would like to know the bare bone minimum you guys would recomend for crew to handle this. Also what crew positions are mandatory and what positions can be easily doubled up on. Right now I have a director and producer in one (probily a few more by theend) and a casting director. What else will i need. I realize I could in theroy do itall myself but will probaly end up burnt out at the end. Some positions I know I need are as fallows:

camera operator
make up director
sfx director
editor
sound director
costume director

Is there any thing else i need? Thank you in advance and sorry about the scatered brainedness and bad spelling.
 
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In preproduction you can double and triple up without too much
stress. Even in post people can do double or triple duties unless
there is a short time frame. On set, especially for a feature shooting
over six days, you really need a minimum of 19 people.

DP/operator
1st AC
1st AD
script supervisor
gaffer
dolly grip/key grip
grip/electric
grip/electric
grip/electric
makeup/costumer
set dresser/props
mixer
boom op
craft services/caterer
5 PA’s

With 12 princable actors (five or more on a single day) you will need
at least two make-up artists or you will lose valuable time. Even using
contemporary clothing, I would have two costumers.

Depending on the locations and how many total shooting days having
only five crew can really slow you down and cause a lot of stress on
those five people. Splitting the grip and electric departments can save
valuable time even though it will cost more money. On any days with
extras (more than five) you really need a 2nd AD.

So a good crew would look like this:
DP/operator
1st AC
1st AD
2nd AD
script supervisor
gaffer
dolly grip/key grip
best boy grip/electric
grip
grip
grip
electric
electric
electric
makeup
asst. makeup
costumer
assit. costumer
set dresser
props master
mixer
boom op
craft services
caterer
5 PA’s

For a total of 29 people.
 
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directorik said:
In preproduction you can double and triple up without too much
stress. Even in post people can do double or triple duties unless
there is a short time frame. On set, especially for a feature shooting
over six days, you really need a minimum of 19 people.

DP/operator
1st AC
1st AD
script supervisor
gaffer
dolly grip/key grip
grip/electric
grip/electric
grip/electric
makeup/costumer
set dresser/props
mixer
boom op
craft services/caterer
5 PA’s

With 12 princable actors (five or more on a single day) you will need
at least two make-up artists or you will lose valuable time. Even using
contemporary clothing, I would have two costumers.

Depending on the locations and how many total shooting days having
only five crew can really slow you down and cause a lot of stress on
those five people. Splitting the grip and electric departments can save
valuable time even though it will cost more money. On any days with
extras (more than five) you really need a 2nd AD.

So a good crew would look like this:
DP/operator
1st AC
1st AD
2nd AD
script supervisor
gaffer
dolly grip/key grip
best boy grip/electric
grip
grip
grip
electric
electric
electric
makeup
asst. makeup
costumer
assit. costumer
set dresser
props master
mixer
boom op
craft services
caterer
5 PA’s

For a total of 29 people.
Click to expand...

Just like in the credits of a major motion picture. So, with salaries, costs, and insurance, we're talking about (guess) 25-30 grand a day for a modest production?
 
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Thank you for the advice so far i would apprceate more. Some more info is is it is a 30 day shoot. about 10 - 15 locations. directorik ty for the advice on more then one make--up considering there is going to be allot of prostetics in volved i prob shold have 4 or more on each day. I figured on caterer but i did not consider them "crew" but they were in the list. I totally forgot about lighting thank you for the cetch on that Cam. One other question why is a script superviser so important that it needs to be seperate from a director. My casting director i have can he double on some thing else? any other advice is still appeciated.
 
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I have written and/or produced and/or directed at least 10 films
using the second crew list (actually more because I had a larger
art department and make-up efx) with a total budget of $40,000
to $80,000. Not per day - total.

I am in no way suggesting a movie cannot be made with five or less
people. I know from experience they can. I just cannot imagine producing
or directing or even working on a feature of over six shooting days with less
than 19 people.

And 30 days with 12 actors and 15 locations....

Yikes!
 
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me-only-me said:
directorik ty for the advice on more then one make--up considering there is going to be allot of prostetics in volved i prob shold have 4 or more on each day.
Click to expand...

Now you're talking about something completely different. A movie
with a lot of prosthetics is going to need more people. Prosthetics
take a lot of prep time. And most make-up artists who do the day
to day make-up are not experienced in prosthetics.

me-only-me said:
One other question why is a script superviser so important that it needs to be seperate from a director. My casting director i have can he double on some thing else? any other advice is still appeciated.
Click to expand...
The scripty is in the running as the most important person on the
set (the 1st AD is the other). If your casting director is an excellent
scripty, fine. If not, get an excellent one. If your casting director is
an excellent 1stAD, fine. If not, get an excellent one.

And the scripty should never be the director. Ever. Two very different
jobs doing two very different, very important things. Never, ever, double
up director and scripty.
indietalk said:
Re: Script Supervisor

Because their sole job is continuity.
Click to expand...
And timing and slating and production reports and editing logs.
 
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directorik said:
I have written and/or produced and/or directed at least 10 films
using the second crew list (actually more because I had a larger
art department and make-up efx) with a total budget of $40,000
to $80,000. Not per day - total.

I am in no way suggesting a movie cannot be made with five or less
people. I know from experience they can. I just cannot imagine producing
or directing or even working on a feature of over six shooting days with less
than 19 people.
Click to expand...

I understand and thanks for answering. At my level, the numbers start to spin like drawings of fruit on a slot machine. I'm just happy to have the reality check.
 
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CamVader said:
I understand and thanks for answering. At my level, the numbers start to spin like drawings of fruit on a slot machine. I'm just happy to have the reality check.
Click to expand...
At your level you set your total budget and then a shooting
schedule and then figure out how many people you can afford.
If it's five - it's five.
 
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Now you're talking about something completely different. A movie
with a lot of prosthetics is going to need more people. Prosthetics
take a lot of prep time. And most make-up artists who do the day
to day make-up are not experienced in prosthetics.
Click to expand...

What am i talking about there for my info.

If your casting director is an excellent
scripty, fine. If not, get an excellent one. If your casting director is
an excellent 1stAD, fine. If not, get an excellent one.
Click to expand...

My casting director is great at talking, dealing, and convincing people to do things. He has no experience in anything filmmaking but has contacts (in the form of friends). I just do not know if those qualities are good in any other spot of crew.

And 30 days with 12 actors and 15 locations....
Click to expand...

Is this going to kill me? Some of the locations could probaly be doubled just dressed a little diffrent.
 
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indietalk said:
I considered it all continuity because the end result is continuity. Hopefully ;)
Click to expand...

I don't. Continuity is keeping track of props, costume changes, which
hand an actor holds a drink or book or gun, where items are in the
shot, shadows, amount of liquid in a glass, length of a cigarette.... A
good scripty will handle all continuity, but if they do not keep track of
the editing logs and the slate the post production will suffer. In my
experience continuity and the slate are very different. Continuity and
the editing logs are different. I have never considered them "continuity".

I believe this is why over the years the title has changed from "continuity
supervisor", "continuity clerk" or "script girl" to "script supervisor". The
duties of this person have expanded.
 
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me-only-me said:
My casting director is great at talking, dealing, and convincing people to do things. He has no experience in anything filmmaking but has contacts (in the form of friends). I just do not know if those qualities are good in any other spot of crew.
Click to expand...
He might make an excellent Line Producer or UMP (Unit Production
Manager)

me-only-me said:
Is this going to kill me? Some of the locations could probaly be doubled just dressed a little diffrent.
Click to expand...
I don't know.

I don't know your total budget or your experience as a producer or
director or the experience of your crew. You may be able to pull it off
with just a few crew for almost no money. Or a 30 day shoot with 12
actors and 15 locations could kill you.

I know it would kill me.
 
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And 30 days with 12 actors and 15 locations....
Click to expand...

That's not just going to kill you, it's going to massacre your entire cast and crew wholesale.

15 locations across 30 shooting days and a maximum of 1 company move a day that means you never have any walk-aways.

That means a 2 load ins and 2 load outs every day, while making sure that all of those people can get from location A to location B without getting lost, taking too long, getting stuck in traffic, getting a flat tire, running the grip truck out of gas, dragging the side of the RV or Grip Truck across a couple of parked cars, or any other number of variables. (Note: Really real life examples I have seen happen on company moves)

Company moves add time. A lot of it. And headache. Without at least one experienced AD on your team, they can be an absolute nightmare. It's not impossible, but I would really look around for a solid 1AD who can bring along a good (if green) 2nd and a good Key PA. Actually, while I am on the subject, have a good Key PA. They are worth their weight in gold. One good Key PA can turn your PA team from a bunch of inexperienced, shy lookie-loo's into a well oiled support machine.

Are any of those locations trim, like "we only need one or two shots" trim? Any that can be done without electric and with minimal grip?

If someone came to me with a schedule like that the first thing I would look for would be opportunities to cluster some of those locations into B-unit days where a small crew can move quickly from spot to spot. Knock out 4 or 5 of those locations without dragging around all of the crew/cast/gear/etc.

If you are talking 30 calendar days, then you get like 24-26 shooting days and the numbers get uglier. :D
 
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