Creating a crew

Making a film is a monumental task and if you're smart you want to surround yourself with the best people that you can.  Sometimes money can get in the way and sometimes circumstances hinder the ability for you to choose your crew.

As a producer you don't really have to worry to much about the smaller details of who all your grips are going to be, you really only have to worry about your department heads, because it's up to these guys to bring on people who they know and trust and can work under them.

I've reached a point where I'm comfortable with the people I'm surrounding myself with and trust these people to bring other people into the fold because if I feel that my department heads are competent and hard workers then in turn they would want to bring on competent and hard workers because their name and image is on the line.  

This trust was not built overnight, but over a course of several films.  Some films that worked and others that have failed miserably.  Each of these films have cemented my thoughts on people I've worked with and I have made rules and guidelines about who I want to work with and under what conditions.

Of course I've made mistakes and some assumptions along the way about people and I've learned from those mistakes.  

I find one of the biggest mistakes that people tend to make starting out is making movies with their friends. Now before you sick the dogs on me, know that friends and friendship do have it's place in this world, but you have to be careful.  Once you move beyond, high school projects/just for fun/film school projects, movie making becomes a business and you are making a product to sell. Working with someone because of friendship or loyalty may very well end up ruining your film and your friendship.

Personally I keep people around that I know and trust.  I wouldn't say I'm "friends" with them, but I'm certainly more than acquaintances.  I was once reading an interview with Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller fame and he described the secret of their success as a business.  On stage they are the best of buds and have a great time, but when the lights go down and audience goes home they go their separate ways.  Basically they're work buddies.  That's how I feel about the film business.  

At the end of the day if you are a serious filmmaker then the movie comes first. I suggest before investing your money or someone elses moeny that you stand back take a moment a be objective as to who you bring into the fold.