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Through my brief journey over the past 7 years from a film student to a struggling assistant to an editing instructor to an advertising professional, I have had the fortune (misfortune in some cases) of having worked with a wide variety of filmmakers. Award winners, first-timers, born geniuses, born duffers, struggling actors directing to solely showcase their faces, students, film scholars with Phds, Union professionals…you name it, I’ve seen a good chunk of em. For almost 90% of these people, I worked for free. Why free? To get experience and supplement my knowledge acquired from film school. Sitting in a classroom is all great and well, but it is only through being involved in the creation of more movies will you really and truly learn more about the craft. The key word here is INVOLVED!

Let me clarify that this list is by no means an effort to sound cocky or mock guerilla filmmakers. Outside my advertising day job that pays my bills, I am a struggling guerilla filmmaker myself and I believe in low-budget filmmaking. But low-budget filmmaking only yields quality when certain parts of production are not taken for granted. Having been on both sides of the coin, as a filmmaker and as a crew member working for free in such productions, I’d like to share some pointers which will hopefully help guerilla filmmakers create a productive environment on their films and also advise struggling or budding crew personnel working without pay on signs to watch out for to ensure they are devoting their time to an experience that will benefit them. With the surge of interest in filmmaking as a career option, it has become very easy for filmmakers to to gain access to crews willing to work hard and diligently without pay. In this context, it is of utmost importance for filmmakers to ensure they don’t abuse that luxury.

1. INVOLVE

People work without monetary benefits to gain experience. By using their time, you as a filmmaker have a responsibility to pay them back by offering that experience. There is nothing worse than having to drive down to a production and not having anything to do. So make sure you get to know who is around you personally, so that you can delegate responsibility. Be fair, and if you are not convinced of their ability to do a job, let them know, and let them go. But never waste a hardworking, capable set of hands. Trust and delegate as long as you can see that they are willing to put in an effort to learn. Don’t recruit more crew than you need for a “just in case” scenario.

2. MIX IT UP

Specialized positions are important. But many people join guerilla productions as PAs (Production Assistants). PAs often are trying to learn the ropes and the discipline. Keep their interest levels fresh, prevent them from burning out. Let them know that if they are not enjoying what they are doing, and want to work on something else, that they can talk to you about it. Lend an ear, and let them assist in different departments. Reward the ones that work hard with greater responsibilities. Do not continuously have them do mundane tasks like moving stuff, making coffee runs etc. You can spot a smart PA from a mile away.

3. ORGANIZE

This is kind of a pretty wide open pointer. The basic intent here is to emphasize that Don’t jerk your crew around! Plan well, know what you want, and execute. Of course you want to be able to think instinctively, leave room for improvisation. But as an example, don’t have your crew spend 2 hours setting up a shot, and then ask them to change it because you were not sure. Plan well, plan ahead, and respect your crew’s time. Do not do 15 takes per shot for ridiculous reasons. It will only frustrate your crew and bore the hell out of them.

4. HUMILITY & RESPECT

The “free” crew respects a humble leader. One who does not believe he/she is more qualified than the rest of the crew. Filmmakers need to present themselves as people who are looking to and are open to learn from any and every crew member, regardless of whether it is the DP or the PA. The worst mistake filmmakers often make is to present it as if they are doing their crew a favor by letting them work on the film. Fuck no! It’s a trade off. They give you free labor, you give them experience. Know that well, and show respect. You will get respect in return, and a crew that will be willing to go the extra mile for your sake, simply because you respected what they are doing for you.

5. GOOD FOOD

Work hard in this department. You can try to save money in every department, but DO NOT try to be stingy with food. A well-fed crew is an efficient crew. Make sure there is always plenty of water, coffee, chai, soda for everyone throughout the day! Snacks like cookies, trail mix and other munchies and energy bars are also great to have. Always provide a full meal. In the US, it’s often tempting to order pizza, Taco Bell, etc because of how cheap it is. Yes it’s cheap and filling but its the worst kind of food to have on set for 2 reasons. First of all, it doesn’t go down well with the crew, because decent, healthy food at the same price is affordable with a little time spent researching and negotiating for it. Secondly, high carb food like pizza and mexican is heavy and makes the crew sleepy. It does not energize, it reduces efficiency. And for sure as hell avoid frozen leftovers!

6. HOURS

Do not overwork a crew that does not get paid overtime. Keep your shoot organized and avoid shooting in excess of 12 hours a day. After 6 hours max, provide a meal. Allow an hour break for lunch. If for some reason you cross the 12 hour mark, arrange for a second meal immediately. It does not have to be fancy. Always allow for a minimum 12 hour turnaround time between shoot days. Don’t wrap at 1 am and have a 6 am calltime for the next day’s shoot. Sometimes it may be necessary…true, but try to avoid it as much as possible. All you will end up with is a tired crew, leading to inefficiency, and perhaps injury on set for which you personally may end up being liable.

7. PROFESSIONALISM

Be cool, but be professional. Apart from being organized and cleanly structured, avoid simple mistakes like having your family visit the sets, or bringing your kids to the shoot. It is distracting to the crew, and can prove to be a nuisance often. Brief visits at the end of the days shoot can be gotten away with, but make sure that people who do not need to be there are not there for long. If you the filmmaker have kids, LEAVE THE KIDS WITH SOMEONE ELSE!. Have your husband/wife watch the kids, have your mother watch them, or hire a baby sitter. Bringing them to the set is grossly unprofessional behavior. Unless kids are acting in the film, they are a nuisance on set, who cannot obey instructions, and only increase the chances of on-set injury or equipment damage due to carelessness…something you working on a small budget just DO NOT NEED! And most importantly, despite the above warning, you still bring your kids to the shoot, give them something to do and keep them busy. DO NOT have one of your PA’s babysit them. If your PA’s wanted to babysit kids, they could be out there doing that making $8 an hour. They don’t need to do that for free on your set. And its also not a good idea to have your kids involved like holding the clap board, doing slates etc. It only slows things down and frustrates a crew that is trying to get a professional experience. (This warning stems from a very recent experience I witnessed, as does the next one that follows).

8. RESPECT SPACE & PROPERTY

In many guerilla productions, it is common to use locations belonging to those working on the production. A PA or a crew member will often generously offer his/her location for shooting to show their dedication towards the project or to earn some brownie points. There is nothing wrong with using these locations, but you have to take it up as a personal responsibility to respect that space and not take it for granted. Try to secure a permit. Obviously this is guerilla filmmaking so permits are not always possible. Make sure that you have a heart-to-heart talk with your crew member about his/her comfort level in using the location without a permit and do not pressurize them. DO NOT use their things! Some props here and there are fine, but once at the location do not make demands to nail things in the wall, move large pieces of furniture across the house etc. Work a plan out well in advance. Do not raid their refrigerator, and their water cooler to provide food and drinks to your crew. That’s just plain cheap! And for heaven’s sake have the decency to clean the apartment/house before you leave. Get some people to help you out and take the lead and clean up the mess you left behind….and there is always a mess.

9. TREAT EXTRAS & TALENT WITH CARE

When you call favors from friends and have your crew members call favors from their friends to come be extras/background talent in your film, treat their time with respect. Give them clear instructions on wardrobe/makeup and only ask them to arrive an hour before the time you have schedule to shoot the scene. Extras hanging around for longer with nothing to do will go crazy, most will leave, and those who are hanging around will distract the crew.

10. BE AVAILABLE

Remember that you are leading a team, and your crew looks up to you. Lead by example, and make yourself available. Put aside ego, put aside any air you have about being a director or producer, and don’t alienate yourself from those who are working on your team. Encourage people to ask you questions and to challenge your decisions. At the end of the day, talk to the crew members and personally ask each one how their experience was, and whether they had any suggestions to improve the way the set functioned. This is a valuable lesson I learnt from a director whom I recently assisted on a music video. The humility he showed and the value he placed on getting everyones opinion regardless of whether it was the vastly experienced DP or the completely inexperienced grip, won me over. He seeked them out, thanked them for their efforts, and asked for feedback. All this despite the fact that many on the team were actually getting paid for their work.

And yeah, be chilled out and have fun man! Place emphasis on process more than the final product.

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