If you've never booked a crew before, the hardest part is knowing what to ask for. Ask for too little and the shoot day falls apart. Ask for too much and you pay for people standing around. Here's how to get it right.
Start with what you need at the end
Decide what you're walking away with before you think about people. A 30-second film for social? Twenty product stills? Three interviews cut into a two-minute piece? The finished thing decides the crew.
Who does what
- Producer. Plans the shoot, books the crew and locations, runs the budget and the day. On a small shoot this may be you.
- Director. Decides how the film looks and feels, and directs the people on camera.
- Director of photography or camera operator. Lights and shoots it.
- Sound recordist. Records clean audio. If anyone speaks on camera, you need one.
- Gaffer. Runs the lighting on bigger set-ups.
- Photographer. Shoots stills. Sometimes alongside the film crew, which saves a second day.
- Make-up artist and stylist. Make the people and the clothes look right on camera, and keep them looking the same all day.
- Editor. Turns the footage into the finished film.
A simple interview shoot can run with two or three people. A brand film with talent, several set-ups and stills might need eight or more. A good producer or director of photography will tell you what's realistic.
What to put in your brief
The clearer the brief, the more accurate the quote. Include:
- What you're making, and how many finished films or images you need.
- Where it will be shown: social, your website, TV, paid advertising.
- The shoot dates, or how flexible you are.
- The location, or whether you need one found.
- Who is on camera: staff, customers, models or actors.
- Your deadline for the finished work.
- Your budget, even as a range.
People are often nervous about sharing a budget. Share it. It lets the crew design something that fits, where a guess wastes everyone's time.
What moves the cost
- Days. Shoot days, plus prep, travel and edit days.
- People. Each role is a day rate. Experience costs more and usually saves time.
- Kit. Cameras, lenses, lighting and sound are charged on top of day rates.
- Locations and travel. Hire fees, permits, mileage and accommodation.
- Usage. For stills and for talent, where and how long the work is used affects the fee. Paid advertising costs more than a post on your own channels.
- Editing. More versions, subtitles and rounds of changes all add time.
Give yourself enough time
Good crew are booked weeks ahead. Two to four weeks' notice gives you a real choice of people. It can be done faster, but you'll be choosing from who is free.
Be a client crew want to work with again
- Confirm the booking in writing, with dates, rates and what's included.
- Send a call sheet the day before: where, when, who and parking.
- Feed people and stick to the hours you agreed.
- Pay on time. Word travels fast among crew.
Crews remember the clients who treat them well, and those clients get the first call back when they need someone at short notice.