Five Ways to Avoid Crew Abuse

From Patty Mooney - My Life in the Business Blog

Everyone knows the golden rule: "Do unto others what you would have others do unto you." But this little gem can be easily forgotten by the distracted producer who wants to cram two days of shooting into one day. I have worn various hats of a crew person (sound person, Technical Director, camera operator) and have experienced the fruits of compassionate producers and the vitriol of producers who expect far too much from the hapless crewmember. Here are my guidelines on how to do it right:

1. A fed crew is a happy crew. On most full-day shoots, the client/ producer provides lunch, or at least time for the crew to go out and scrounge up some food. Many producers make sure to provide snacks and beverages to crew members in the morning and afternoon. Savvy producers know that they will get far more out of a well-fed crew. We were recently called by a potential client to provide a crew at a local convention. When she mentioned that the crew "would have to work through lunch" we told her to go ahead and call someone else.
2. Do not plot out an overly zealous shoot. When you insist on covering every single booth at a convention like the San Diego Comic-Con which has several hundred booths, you had better re-think your plan. Prioritize what you cannot live without. If you still want to cover a hundred vendors, then give it two or three days. But don't expect a crew to set up a hundred different locations in a day. It's just not in the cards.
3. Line your ducks up in a row. In continuing with the San Diego Comic-Con example, make sure that the interviews you want are either all in one room and spaced well enough apart so that people are not starting to line up in the hallway; or, if you want to catch the interviewee at their booth, then plot out each and every one in a logical manner. Do not force the crew to go to Ballroom B on the northwest side of the building and then to the basement on the southeast side of the building, and then back up to the next location half a mile away... Try and remember that your crew is carrying heavy equipment (many times management will not allow mag-liners or rolling carts) and there is no excuse to exhaust a crew due to your poor planning.

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