Recruiting a skeleton crew

In an article for Indie-wire in 2013, Noam Kroll, a Los Angeles- based filmmaker suggested the five people needed most for a skeleton crew. 

 A Skeleton Crew is a film crew that is stripped down to the bare essential crew members, usually in order to save money in production, or to be less conspicuous when shooting without permits.

The skeleton crew that he chose did not include the Director or Producer as it is a given that both parties will be on set every day. 

The five essential crew members that Kroll believes must be apart of the skeleton crew to gain a good chance of the film being successful are: 

• director of photography 
• make up/ hair 
• Production assistant 
• Location and audio 
• Gaffer/ grip 

The director of photography is essential in terms of a skeleton crew because the DP sees your vision that you are tying to create. This means that you can do not have to spend unnecessary time on lighting and set up, but concentrate more on the acting itself. Also having a good DP means that the process can run smoother and faster on set due to them already knowing how you want scenes to be shown, therefore making the process of creating the film more efficient. 

Make up and hair is essential in terms of skeleton crew due to making the characters look how you want them to look at a high quality standard. It is important for the character to look and feel their best so they can enter the character they are acquired to be. Also having the right amount of make-up on is key for the character because they are judged on their professionalism, they will not be able to suit the scene applying their own make-up because at the end of the day they are not professional artists. 

A skeleton crew needs a production assistant due to them having the ability to keep things on the set running smooth. The PA will become extra important when you decide to have a break form the production, at the end of the day we are all humans and need a rest after hard work. The more passionate they are about the film that you are producing, the better they will help gain the best out of the scenes that you create. 

Location and audio is essential when filling in a skeleton crew due to sound being 50% of your film so it must be done to a high quality. Obtaining the perfect sound with your visuals makes it seem so much better however, having poor sound with your visuals will degrade the quality of the film by  along margin. Having perfect sound to suit your visuals is key to a successful film, all in all, the sound creator must feel the sounds more than you do to create the best possible job. 

Gaffer and grip are also key when filling in a skeleton crew because they can save a lot of time on set if you have a person which is skilled in gaffer and grip. Without the skills of gaffer and grip you will tend to miss shots an create longer days on set. All in all, they will save time and help you get the best of your shots in terms helping focus your ideas more clearly and portraying it in the shots.