As a film student, I’ve learned that getting what you want is not easy. We fight over the equipment at the equipment office, knowing that if we don’t go early they will not have a camera to shoot for the weekend. We have to work around rules and restrictions for where we want to shoot a scene, or who will be in our film. We have to fill out a ridiculous amount of paperwork in order to pursue our creative vision. But if there is one thing I have learned from my college experience as a film major, it is that community is of extreme importance in the film industry; if you can ensure anything, it would be best to ensure a good group of people to work with.
A film set is assembled from many people. You have the producer, the director, the director of photography, the cinematographer, the lighting technician, the sound operator, the script supervisor, the actors… to name a small fraction. In order to make a film set thrive, all of these people need to be able to work together. This can be extremely difficult, because chances are that one of the crew members has a problem with someone else. Film set chemistry is rare, but when you find the perfect crew to work with, magic can be made on screen. Therefore, community is vital.
However, do not fret if your film crew falls short of perfect. As I said before, getting a group of people that all like each other can be almost impossible, so sometimes you just have to suck it up. I have been on several sets where arguments have risen, and all goes haywire. A word to the wise: if you have something to say, remember that you still have several hours of work ahead of you that day… and if you still want to come out and say it, be respectful and understand that there are two sides to every story. It is nearly impossible to have a perfect set… but it is always nice to try.
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