In an article for indiewire in 2013, Noam Kroll, a Los Angeles-based filmmaker, suggested the five people whom are most needed for a skeleton film crew.
what is a skeleton film crew?
It is a crew which uses the minimum amount of people which can be used to operate and successfully produce a film it requires the least amount of people , this may be due to a short budget and would mean that only the most important and influential people would be needed for the crew. it also means because the film crew is stripped down to the bare essential crew members, it helps in making them less conspicuous when shooting without permits.
which two people does his skeleton crew not include and why?
the skeleton does not include these two people:
- Director
-Producer
He says they are taken as red. the fact that they are always considered to be so important is the mere fact that we don't include them, and here are the reasons why.
You can do the job that a director or a producer does, just by having a good eye. this would eat away at a lot of your budget if you included a director or a producer to your skeleton crew. you could really minimise your costs by knowing what and how the screenplay should be and how to direct in in the way it is supposed to be, also your actors will partially be doing the job for you.
The five essential roles Kroll believes must be filled in order for the film to stand a good chance of being successfully completed are:
production assistant:
The reason for this being important is that when there is a shortage of daylight left and you need another scene shot, you begin to run out of time and that's where your production assistant comes in. It isn't ideal to ask your make-up artist to help set up props or start moving gear to having a personal/production assistant is another effective way to manage time, usually production assistants are still learning and may be new to being on sets and in the industry so as well as it being a good way for them to learn it is also important for them to have a good attitude whilst on set, encouraging and helping everyone perform at their best, as well as themselves.
Location audio:
It has been said time and time again that 50% of your film is sound, arguably more. this is because usually in indie films, sound is the biggest set-back. the rule usually applies to be : Perfect sound coupled with poor visuals will always come across as more polished and professional looking than perfect visuals with bad sound.
psychology really does add to it when it comes to us judging and perceiving the movie that we watch, that is why good sound it critical to the overall success of your film.
Once again, it is important that you are not just looking for a sound recordist with the right gear or the right rate that will meet your budget, but you are looking for someone that fits in with your production. If you will be shooting for example guerilla style on the street for instance, you will want someone that has done this before, this will make a dramatic change. Someone that knows how to be discreet, hide the lavs and run the mixer out of his or her backpack.
Gaffer/ Grip:
Even if you only have a couple of flags, some C-stands and a couple of flags, a skilled Gaffer/Grip will make a dramatic change to your production. Filling this position with someone who is quick, knowledgeable and skilled, can save you a huge amount time on set. this is one of the smart moves to make when creating a skeleton crew.
Instead of the director/Producer acting as the Gaffer/Grip themselves in order to save more money and potentially have their slot filled with somebody else, it is arisky move even-though it can be done. this is because they will have to be physically setting up lighting and handling gear themselves, this would waste some time, possibly missing shots and working longer days.
Honorable mentions:
Script advisers (Honorable mentions) can save you tons of time when it comes to the production of your short film. This means that you wont have to stop at every pause, double-checking your scrip, dailies, over looking the whole department and staying consistent.
Having a talented Script Supervisor on set can also be a life saver, especially if your film takes place over the course of many days and you have a lot of continuity to keep track of – wardrobe, makeup, props, etc.
Make-up and hair:
A make-up artist is a unique role and requires someone who is skilled at the job, know what the characters are supposed to look like within the short film. the value of their role goes beyond the ability to make someone to better - or even worse. they can also work as a Pa and this can be another effective help in the production of your film.
A great makeup artist will not only do a top notch job creatively, but also be diligent about remembering and photographing specific looks for continuity purposes and ensuring that looks are consistent throughout your production.
Summary:
There is no exact formula to creating the perfect skeleton crew, but the key is to have all of your bases covered. No matter what, you will always need assistance in the camera, audio and makeup departments, and you are certainly best off getting dedicated crew members to tackle all of these tasks. Don’t forget to have a great PA (or two) on board, as they are the life blood of your project and will keep things running much more efficiently.
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