Hiring crew in a city you don't work in every week is mostly a communication problem. The people exist. What slows things down is a vague first message. Here's how to get a Bay Area crew booked quickly and running the way you expect.
Start with the shape of the day
Before you list roles, describe the day:
- What you're making and where it will live
- How many cameras, and whether it's sit-down, run-and-gun, or both
- How many locations, and whether there's a company move
- Call time and expected wrap
- Who from your team is flying in
That paragraph tells a crew coordinator more than a list of job titles. A two-camera interview and a two-camera event recap need different people even when the roles look the same on paper.
What to send
- Your dates, plus backup dates if you have them
- Locations, or at least the neighborhoods or cities
- The camera and format, if your client has specified one
- A draft schedule or call sheet, however rough
- Any client rules: confidentiality, dress code, badge access
Book in this order
- Camera: the DP if you aren't flying one in, then camera assistants. Good camera people book up first.
- Grip and electric: a gaffer and a key grip who will run the package. If you're renting our truck, the team can come with it.
- Sound: a production mixer. Bad audio can't be fixed in the edit the way an imperfect frame can.
- Production support: PAs, a coordinator, and anyone handling talent or client care.
Settle the terms before the day
Freelance crew usually quote a day rate for a set number of hours, often 10 or 12. Agree on the day length, how overtime is handled, and how crew will be paid and invoiced before anyone is on set. It keeps the end of a long day from turning into a negotiation.
Keep it under your name
On a white-label booking, the crew works as your team. They're on your call sheet and answer to your producer, and the client sees one production, not a patchwork of vendors. If you want more detail on how that works, read what white-label production support means.
Give it as much lead time as you can
Some weeks we can crew a shoot in a few days. Busy weeks fill fast, and holds go to whoever asks first. Even a tentative date with a rough scope is worth sending early.
Tell us the day and we'll crew it.
