Essential Crew

If you're out in the world and you're making a film traditionally on set, you must have a DP and you must have a sound person. I know so many people go, I'll just record the sound with my camera and use natural lighting. No, it's bad news. Later you will be sorry. Also…a makeup artist. I didn't do hire one on my first feature. I had the actors doing their own make up.

They did fine with their makeup, but it wasn't watched as we were shooting. And so there's definitely moments where they're very shiny and it doesn't look professional. The makeup artist does matter, a set designer does matter. All these people contribute to the value of the project and also to make your vision come to life, you really can't do without any of them.

Again, some people have multiple skills. I direct and I edit and I write and I produce. So I will do a lot of those throughout the film process. So you have to think about what are you really great at? Not you can just do and get away with and what do you really, really need help with. And that means every aspect of your film, again, producing, writing, directing, editing, your actors, your makeup artist, your costume designer, your set designer, your DP, your sound.

I may have said those repetitively, but they are so important. You can't just go willy nilly on that. You have to do it all the way. And if you're good at some of those jobs, that's great. Check off those boxes. But the rest have to be filled in. Honestly, they're all essential.