Naive beginners question (cast/crew location)

[Liv]

I recently read a great book on indie filmmaking: from reel to deal. I feel like I've learned a lot, and understand the process of making an indie film so much more. Despite all of this, there was something I wasn't quite able to retain. I still have one question left that (for whatever reason) went unanswered

How do you work with crew members living in different areas?

I live near LA (6 hours away). The town I live in is relatively small, and doesn't have a big film community. This left me questioning; do indie filmmakers ever work with crew living outside their area in the first place? Do all indie crews consist of people living within an hour away from you? I'd hate to be limited by only being able to work with the people in my community

If you're making an indie film with, say, 20 cast and crew members, and all of them live anywhere from 2-8 hours away from you, how does that work? Does the cast and crew fly over for three weeks or so and stay in hotels? Can most indie films afford that?

I'm sorry if this seems like a silly question. Thanks!

 

[jax_rox]

Yes, and no.

It depends on your definition of 'indie' and 'low budget'.

Certainly there are indie films, and 'low budget' films that will cover travel, accomodation and per diem expenses for cast and/or crew when shooting abroad.

For those on the lowest of budgets, that's simply not an option as they cannot afford it. In a similar case to yours, it would perhaps be cheaper to put up yourself (or the Director) in LA for 6 weeks, than provide travel and accomodation for x amount of people for the same amount of time.

 

[Caidh Mor]

Really your workflow is going to change from project to project. I have some friends in Texas who try to find room in their budgets to fly me down whenever they're filming something. They know I know my stuff, they know I'll bust my butt...and they know that I'll work for cheap as long as it's for them.

Figure out where you want to/can afford to shoot your movie at. Figure out how to get the key roles (Director, Producer, Writer, Assistant Director, DP, principle actors, any mix of the above) filled by people who you are confident about working with, no matter where they're from. Beyond that, it's just a matter of setting up a cast and/or crew call in that area to fill out your openings.

 

[Sweetie]

Pretty much most of it has been answered above. I continually work with someone who lives about 2 hours away. It just depends on the projects and the people involved and the nature/budget of the project itself.

 

[directorik]

Not a silly question at all.

I live near LA (6 hours away). The town I live in is relatively small, and doesn't have a big film community. This left me questioning; do indie filmmakers ever work with crew living outside their area in the first place?

Yes. All the time.

There has to be an incentive. If you can't afford to pay cast and
crew then at least pay for gas and food. And it will necessary to
adjust your schedule. Think about it; someone who drives six
hours to get to your location has a six hour drive at the end of
the day. A four hour shoot day is sixteen hour day for that person.
For four hours of work. You double that to an eight hour day an
people traveling to you spend twenty hours. So clearly daily travel
isn't an option.

If you're making an indie film with, say, 20 cast and crew members, and all of them live anywhere from 2-8 hours away from you, how does that work? Does the cast and crew fly over for three weeks or so and stay in hotels? Can most indie films afford that?

“indie” does not necessarily mean there is no money. So yes, many
“indie” producers put travel, lodging, food and per diem in their budget.
Not most, but many.

Do all indie crews consist of people living within an hour away from you? I'd hate to be limited by only being able to work with the people in my community

How about this: YOU go to them. It's cheaper to lodge one person than
nineteen. You live six hours out of L.A. so you make the trip.

 

[Liv]

These are all great points. The reason I was asking, however, is because I have an idea for a short film I'd like to direct in the future (maybe in about a year, as I'll be graduating high school soon). I have a location in mind, but it's in my hometown (an old school campus). I suppose I could try to find a similar location in LA, but I've heard that securing these types of locations over there is quite expensive, and nearly impossible

This is all speculating far into the future, mind you. I'm by no means preparing to shoot this tomorrow. I understand that most first time filmmakers get their start by writing and directing a feature that can be shot for a couple thousand dollars in only one location. This is something I'd like to start planning now; while most of my classmates are planning which college they're going to, I'll be planning a low budget feature I can make straight out of graduation

If I lived anywhere else, I'd make peace that for my first film, getting cast and crew who work in LA would be impossible. But since I live so close to LA as is, it's an idea I thought I should at least entertain. Call it foolish hope I guess

Thanks again for all the advice (and any more to come)

 

[Sweetie]

The best advice I can give to you is to make what is in your budget. That means using what resources you have available to you. This does include people. If you were to go down the path of getting people to travel for you, do you have the relationships and favors owned to get this kind of support?

 

[directorik]

These are all great points. The reason I was asking, however, is because I have an idea for a short film I'd like to direct in the future (maybe in about a year, as I'll be graduating high school soon). I have a location in mind, but it's in my hometown (an old school campus). I suppose I could try to find a similar location in LA, but I've heard that securing these types of locations over there is quite expensive, and nearly impossible

In your case you must have cast and crew come to you. So you need to
budget for things that most no budget filmmakers don't have to deal
with. Clearly you can't expect people to drive four to six hours each day
so you will have to provide lodging and gas money.

I grew up 70 minutes from L.A. and I never considered asking people
to travel to Santa Barbara to work on my movies. I understand the
challenge of finding people to work with. I have one other person for
a while and we made a movie every weekend starting about age 15.
Little by little more people got involved as I became "that guy who
makes movies".

Maybe if you started making one short a month for the next year you
would find there are more people around willing to help out than you
think. In a year you might be able to make the short film you have in
mind with a local acts and crew.

But if you can't then you'll have to save up and budget for people to
travel to you to work on your movie.