Welcome to filmmaking.net.

I deleted your other post and will quote it here. No
need to create two topics for what is, essentially,
one subject.

Okay, the first question:

You "HAVE" to have someone to operate the camera
(which can be you) and someone to hold the boom.
So you "HAVE" to have two people total. Some people
make a movie without any crew. The director operates
the camera and they don't use a boom at all - just
the on camera mic.

The more crew you have, the faster the day goes. When
you have one or two people for each needed job rather
then people covering several jobs, things move faster.
Of course having 25 people on a set who have no
experience and no specific jobs (just help when needed)
is going to be a mess.

My minimum crew is 17
DP/operator
1st AC
1st AD
script supervisor
gaffer
dolly grip/key grip
3 grip/electric
makeup/costumer
set dresser/props
sound mixer
boom op
craft services/caterer
3 PAs who each have specific tasks

Then depending on the needs of your movie you may
need more people.

This is the question from your redundant thread:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bababooey
I'm aware that a lot of student actors will work unpaid, as long as they are fed. Is this also common practice for members of the crew?

---

You can often find crew who will work for free.

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

It cannot be stressed enough; those 17 MUST know what they are doing (in other words, cannot be first-timers on their job).

Somebody with more experience, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it is more efficient to compromise on that number (eliminate some of them) if they were doing it for the first time, and only work with someone who had already done it before, than make up entire crew that is learning from each other. Theoretically, you could do it, if all of you are single, care-free (students or just started some regular paying jobs) and love the art and the process of moviemaking. The big problem of approaching the process from the angle of having fun doing it is when the production is is its 17th day of principal photography and everyone is already exhausted, grumpy, angry, tired and had enough of fun with it. This is where professionals are different: they get the job done without complaining, while crews of friends and classmates can easily fall apart.

In the end, with volunteers, the charisma of the director and his skills of persuasion can hold everyone together.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bababooey

Let me preface this by saying, this is my FIRST attempt at producing a film, and there's a lot that I'm learning as I go along.

I'm the director....that's all I'm certain of. We're gonna be shooting with one camera, so I'll need to shoot most scenes more than once. Aside from me and the camera man, what other crew members will I HAVE TO have to make this movie?

---

In short, you get the number of crew that it requires. No more and no less. How do you determine that? A few factors are involved. The first is simply, what does your project require? Is your project a simple one-room set with just two Actors or is this a 120 day Special Effects Extravaganza? It takes different resources to accomplish different kinds of projects, so let your script guide your decisions.

That's for starters. Having said that, it is important to note that there IS an optimum "Crew" that you should have. The moment you start cutting out people, it doesn't mean that those "responsibilities" that those specialists do just go away. It means that someone else is now doing their own job AND the job that someone else isn't doing because you decided to not have someone there doing it. For example, a full Camera Department has a DP, Operator, First AC, Second AC, and Loader. Cut out the Loader and now the Second AC is doubling up on his workload for the day. Cut out the Loader and Second AC and now the First AC is doing all three jobs. Cut out the ACs and the Operator so that there is just a DP/Cameraman and now that guy has to manage all the gear, load film, pull focus, collaborate with the Director, etc. Is it possible? Of course! BUT, there are always ramifications when you start compromising in terms of quality of work and efficiency. You may save money by not having the whole crew there, but because the few who are remaining are doing more work less efficiently, you (as the Director) may not get as many setups during the day as you want. Less setups means less shots and/or less takes. And that potentially means the final product that you want to create will not be all that you hoped it would be. And if you're attempting to make a film that shows off your skills and talent, you'll have a film that can't do that all because you chose to compromise on the number of crew you had helping you.

The question was posed elsewhere on the forum (here: http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8411&SearchTerms=crew )

I've cut and pasted my response to that question and I feel that it truly applies in this case as well.

quote:

---

It's folly to ever think that having the proper amount of crew as being "excessive." The fact is that there are duties and "things" that need to be accomplished for every setup for every movie made. Some setups require additional personal, like Stunts or Special Effects, but ALL setups require that SOMEONE do the necessary tasks, like all things camera and lighting and makeup and hair, etc.

Now, whether you have crewed properly and each job is staffed or if you have skimped and make one person do more than one job throughout the day, the fact is still that those tasks have to be done. NEVER is it more efficient to have one person do one or more jobs.

The question of money comes up. For example, why have a First AC and a Second AC if you can't afford both? Sure, maybe you don't have the money, but you don't get something for nothing. Now you've got one guy doing both jobs (or likely THREE jobs assuming you also don't have a Loader). So now this one person is splitting his time doing all the duties that an efficient full department performs. What this means is that instead of concentrating fully on his job, your Focus Puller will be off loading mags or dealing with equipment maintenance and organization when he should be at the camera working with the Operator and Dolly Grip, getting marks and prepping for the next shot. Will he do that prep like he's supposed to? Sure, but when he's able.

So, as they say, time is money. Because you've chosen to not hire a Second AC and Loader and the First AC has to do all of those jobs, your production day will slow down which, in very real terms, means that unless you plan to work 18 hour days, you will not likely get all the setups you'd like to and/or the setups you do get will have compromised quality. This means you lose shots that you'd like to get for production value (or just to tell the basic story) and/or you are forced to do fewer takes in order to get in all the shots you want to get that day, which could definitely force you to abandon a setup before you get that "perfect take."

Whatever the reason for not properly crewing up, there are repercussions in one way or another. Can ONE person shoot and produce a movie all by himself? Possibly, but it's not likely to be a very good feature film for a host of reasons. Could TWO people pull it off? Perhaps, but again, there are bound to be loads of compromises due to lack of resources and time. Could THREE or FOUR? Maybe... you could play this game all day until you reached the optimum number of crew for the system that has been developed for maximum efficiency over the past fifty+ years.

Trust me, with budgets as tight as they are on big features, the UPM isn't going to hire anyone "extraneous." It just isn't going to happen. What has happened over time is the realization that proper crewing pays off in terms of efficiency and quality. Less people and/or less qualified people make the days go longer (which costs in terms of Overtime) or in terms of shot quality and/or shot quantity. Compromise on the crew and you are compromising on the quality of the project, period.

For a full list of everyone you should have for each setup and a full description of what they actually DO all day long and how they all interact on a shot-by-shot basis, read "What I Really Want to Do: On Set in Hollywood." All of those jobs have to be done by SOMEBODY, whether you decide to do them all yourself or have one person per job. But if you're going to make movies, knowing what all of those duties are and why you NEED people there to specialize in those jobs is imperative.

---

Again, the book is called What I Really Want to Do: On Set in Hollywood and it describes what everyone on set is doing and you'll see why they are there and what could happen if they aren't.

Good luck!

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com
http://www.realfilmcareer.com