Recruiting a skeleton crew

http://www.indiewire.com/article/the-5-people-filmmakers-need-for-a-tiny-skeleton-crew

What is a Skeleton crew?
A Skeleton crew is a film crew that has been cut down to the bare essential crew members that are needed to create a production. It is usually to save money for the rest of the production or to become less conspicuous when filming without permits.

The Director and Producer are not included in the skeleton crew as they are both parties that will be on set everyday.

The five essential roles that Kroll gives for including in your film production are:

• Director of Photography
• Make up/ hair
• Production Assistant
• Location Audio
• Gaffer/ grip

It is important to have a Director of Photography included within the crew. This is because they will be able to set up their equipment that is required to create the production and make it successful. Choosing to set up your own DP can be a big mistake if you are unsure about what you are doing; it can waste a lot of time. Many directors choose to set up DP on their own without hiring the proper individual(s) to do this however it can be a mistake which will lead to time being wasted, making the creation of the production longer. Blocking and setting up cameras is included in this role and can be done inefficiently which will ultimately make the film unsuccessful.

Make up/ hair is significant to have included in the skeleton crew as the individual in this role will ensure that the actors make up/ hair is done to the best of their ability. Many production company's do not used make up/ hair although this is a fatal mistake. Acquiring make up/ hair is important as well as an advantage in including in your crew as they will make the actors feel more in character, increasing the performance they give when being filmed in front of the camera. Including make up and hair in the crew will also give the actors a sense of respect and value in the production as it shows that the creators of this want them to look the part in front of the camera. Talent should not apply their own make up; although they are actors they are not professional make up artists. Many Talent individuals who apply their make up will not meet the requirements that the Director or Producer want. Many times before Talent has done their own make up and it has been in contrast with the mood/ scene of the production as well as be inconsistent.

Having a Production Assistant is important as it will keep the movement of creating the production running smoothly without facing any potential problems or hazards that will have a bad effect on the film being created. A PA will assist and ensure that everything is going positively and running how it should without any issues occurring. For example making sure that a make up artist moves their equipment when necessary or that an actor is ready to be filmed for a specific scene and that they are not prepared correctly. It is important for the Production Assistant to ensure that time is used as best as it can and that it is not wasted, otherwise the production could run over the time that it should of taken to create.

Location Audio is highly significant to include in your crew as the sound plays a crucial part in the production. If the sound of the production is not of a high standard it will not become a successful creation. Poor quality of sound is one of the biggest mistakes that can be made. It is said that it is better to have poor quality of footage rather than sound. Sound covers 50% or more of the production which means that it is essential to include a Location Audio within this. Although it is important to have a sound recordist that meets the requirements you want as well as the budget; it is also highly significant to have this individual fit into the production properly. You want to be able to hire someone who has some sort of knowledge about what they are doing and someone that has some sort of experience relating to your production and its factors.

Hiring a gaffer/ grip for your film is essential as it can save you a lot of time when on set. Even if this individual is working with practical lights, C-stands and flags; a skilled person in this department will bring the production to life. It is important as well as an advantage to hire someone in this department who is skilled, quick and knowledgeable. Although the Director of Photography is able to set up the equipment required such as the lights; it will be more time consuming and essentially more time that is wasted on set when the DP could of been doing their original role more efficiently. Not including a gaffer/grip can lead to mistakes such as missed shots or longer hours spent working on the production.