More and more creatives are turning to the independent film world, and it’s easy to see why. By producing a feature or short independently, you don’t have to wait for approval from a studio or streamer. If you can raise the money yourself (or with the help of the ScreenCraft Film Fund), you can work with the right team while maintaining more control over the story and final product than studio executives and dozens of producers This cannot be done.
If you’re about to start working on your first feature or short film, it can feel overwhelming. It’s often more complicated than pointing a camera at a few actors who already have their lines memorized.
So if you want to make a movie on a budget but also want the end product to be great, you need to invest in the right team to realize that vision.
Who does your team need?
Let’s take a look at the top employees you’ll hire once you hit production. We will pay special attention to the “below the line” crew, those who work on the set day in and day out and are not the main actors, directors or producers (aka “below the line”).
Think of this list as the first people you want to target or the people you want to make sure you hire, no matter how large you are building to keep your budget down.
producer
We’ve discussed this role in depth, so hopefully you know the importance of a producer. This person will put your budget together so you can’t really take a step forward without them. They’ll also learn how to work with unions and locations, create schedules, and more. If you’re not using a very small staff, you’ll also have a UPM who will work with the producers and be the go-to person for things like payroll and accounting.
Now, if you are building a skeleton team (try having 10 people on your team), this role may not be feasible. But you can learn how to budget online through courses, templates, and other online resources.
You can also use your network to double-check your work. But if you’re shooting a feature film, this is definitely something you don’t want to rush, whether you’re hiring or playing the role yourself.
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assistant director
An assistant director is not a backup to the director, although you probably already know that. Their goal is to help the director’s vision become a reality by managing all the little things so they don’t have to touch the director and senior producers.
This person, like your producer, is critical to ensuring communication throughout the team. They will oversee the paperwork required by the producers, ensure the crew is where they need to be by running the set, and resolve issues as they arise.
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production designer
Your art department is responsible for everything you see on screen that doesn’t breathe (most of it). There is so much expertise in this area that even if you try to keep your team small, you may need more than one person (unless you want to overwhelm yourself and handle everything yourself), including building the set, collecting props, and decorating the set wait
Product designers design and design products exactly as their names suggest. They work with the director and camera team to give the film a specific look, and oversee all other personnel within the department.
photography director
This role (also called cinematographer, they are technically different roles but are used interchangeably) will work with the director and production designer to achieve the film’s specific look. They’ll know what lenses and cameras you need to achieve a certain look, and how much you can afford to spend within your budget.
On a very small crew, your DP may be your only cinematographer, but if you can afford a separate cinematographer, your DP will be able to focus on working with the director to create the look of the film, While the photographer focuses on the camera working from them.
foreman
Considering other people’s titles say exactly what they do, coaches probably have the least “obvious” title. A Gaffer oversees your electrical department and is primarily responsible for figuring out how to light your set. They can create daylight when shooting at night, use natural light for light reflection or diffusion, and come up with solutions to any lighting issues to achieve the director and team’s vision.
mixer
There are a lot of movies out there that may not have the great visuals that people love, but a movie with bad sound can ruin the experience for any viewer. An on-site mixer ensures that you get all the original audio files you need (dialogue, ambient noise, random sounds, wild lines, etc.) and that they are of the best possible quality for post-production.
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boom operator
If your sound is in the gutter, your mixer can’t do their job. The boom operator will work with the mixer to record powerful audio files, which will be a big help for the mixer in post-production.
They are also responsible for overseeing the placement of any other microphones used in the production.
fashion designer
Even if you don’t do the next one bridgetonyou still want someone to work with your production designer to create a cohesive look for the character and the movie.
Some fashion designers will make the clothes, but usually you’ll have them buy the clothes. They will develop relationships with clothing warehouses, stores or designers that they can tap into and know how to express character through what they wear.
FOOD
If there’s a character you definitely don’t want to forget about its crafting services. You have to provide food for your crew, often multiple times a day. What manufacturer wants to be distracted from running Costco? It’s better to find a crafty guy who knows what he’s doing to keep your crew fed and watered.
Take your scripts to the next level
You may be wondering why some positions are missing from the list, such as your grip, UPM, venue manager, stunt team, and more. That’s not to say that if a position isn’t listed then they aren’t important, because they absolutely are. However, depending on your budget, you may need to get creative.
When in doubt, discuss it with your producer and frontline team, they know the size of the production you are trying to make and the size of the team it will take to make it happen.
When you build this team, the most important thing to remember is that you will be working with them for a long time. Look for people who know what they are doing and are solution-oriented. That way, when things go wrong (and they do go wrong), you know your team will work together to get the job done, creating a team-oriented atmosphere that can boost morale on any production.
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