SF Bay Area Video Cameras and Crews

Crew Services

We provide experienced production crews that can scale to any shoot size or budget. The productions we crew range from small two-person documentary and ENG crews to large commercial, multi-camera, and green screen productions. We supply videographers, directors, producers, gaffers, grips, engineers, sound recordists, make-up artists, teleprompter operators, stylists, production assistants, and more. Studio B coordinates all the crew details for you.

EIGHT TIPS FOR HIRING THE RIGHT VIDEO PRODUCTION CREW

We know how stressful it can be to put together a great video production crew or set up especially when you’re flying in from out of town.

Here are eight helpful tips for assembling the right crew and creating a good vibe for a successful shoot.

1. Make sure the Director of Photography/Videographer is a good fit for the job.

Finding a director of photography is not as easy as typing ’videographer near me’ and selecting the first one.The Director of Photography (DP) or videographer is your best friend and is at the heart of the professional video production crew. Every DP offers professional videography services emphasizing his or her strengths, just as every video has its own particular production challenges that require specific skill sets. Paring the right professional videographer for the job is an essential ingredient for a successful professional video shoot. For example, some DPs are particularly good with creative lighting, hand-held camera work, documentary-style videos, or green-screen shooting. Some might have a vast knowledge of lenses and tech specs, while others are particularly good at working with and understanding corporate video production clients.

When interviewing potential Directors of Photographers, make sure to ask them what kinds of video productions they enjoy shooting most, and what style of shooting they consider their forte. Keep your budget in mind when asking their rate, but remember that you get what you pay for! More experienced and skilled videographers command higher rates for a good reason. Ask if the DP is avaiable for your shoot dates but don’t book them until you’ve seen their work, which leads us to the next tip.

2. Vet your crew online.

These days every director of photography or videographer should have their own work on a website. Every videographer has their specialty where it be corporate video production, event video production, or drone shots

These days every director of photography or videographer should have their own work on a website. Every videographer has their specialty where it be corporate video production, event video production, or drone shots

Looking at a DP’s work is not only a great way to see if the videographers have the chops to shoot your video, but also it can be a great place to see different video styles that you might want to incorporate. Other crew positions are no different— set designers, make-up artists, sound recordists, etc., usually have websites with their work and contact info. Check for an IMDB or LinkedIn page as well.

3. Ask for recommendations

Once you find the right Director of Photographer or commercial videographer now is your chance to ask for recommendations to fill the other open roles. Perhaps the DP has a favorite gaffer, Steadicam operator, or food stylist that they like to work with. And that gaffer probably has a preferred grip and might know a great local sound guy. As a DP in that situation, I can tell you that I wouldn’t recommend someone to whom I couldn’t vouch for his services. So if you know your DP is good, you can likely trust his recommendations.

4. Get estimates in writing that list crew and equipment.

When hiring a professional video production crew It’s important to agree on pricing up front, so that you know exactly what you’re getting and so that there won’t be any disagreements about freelancer’s rates after the shoot. Ask them to list if their day rate covers 8 or 10 hours and if lunch is on or off the clock. If your shoot needs to be union due to the location or circumstances, talk to the local union early to learn their working rules and to get any paperwork out of the way. Lastly, if you’re renting equipment from any crew members, a gear list will be helpful to make sure you’ve got all your needs covered.

5. Hire enough crew members to get the job done right.

Budgets are always tight, so it’s easy to fall into the trap of going too far in cutting costs. Perhaps you hire only two people when you need three or four to get the job done right. It all depends on the shoot, but rarely do you want one crew member wearing too many hats. For example, say your DP doesn’t have a gaffer or grip to help set up lights, and while he’s lighting the scene, he’s also worrying about recording audio. Either the quality of the final product or the speed of the shoot will suffer greatly, and you would have been better off hiring that sound recordist and grip from the beginning. Bottom line is, budget appropriately, and hire the right number of crew members for the job.

6. Communicate with the crew during pre-production.

Set up a phone call with your videographer to talk about your vision for the video. Talking to them will give you both a better sense of their style and will help to make sure you can work well together on set. Don’t hesitate to ask questions about what video equipment, locations, or extra crew you’ll need for your production. Keep the crew in the loop when you want to put them on hold and when you’re ready to confirm the booking. If possible, send them a script and example videos ahead of time to make sure you’re on the same page going into the shoot.

7. Create a call sheet.

Send out a call sheet to all of your crew members and talent, including address, call time, parking instructions, video shoot schedule, on-set contact, and any other relevant details. Other helpful additions include a weather forecast, the closest hospital to the set, lunch details/menu, project title, and invoicing instructions. It’s always a good idea to ask your crew to confirm they’ve received it, and make sure to send it out at least a day in advance of the shoot (not the morning of!).

8. Coffee, breakfast, and lunch

A well-fed video production crew stays happier and more productive, leading to a better product. Grab a to-go box from your favorite coffee place and start the day off right with a quick breakfast and meeting to go over the plan for the shoot. Check with the video crew so that you know if anyone has any specific food allergies or preferences.

Studio B Films provides professional video production services for SF Bay Area shoots. We pull video crews together for a wide variety of video shoots, from corporate video productions and executive interviews, to documentary productions, cooking shows, live events and a whole lot more.

Studio B Films provides professional video production services for SF Bay Area shoots. We pull video crews together for a wide variety of video shoots, from corporate video productions and executive interviews to documentary productions, cooking shows, live events, and a whole lot more.

If you don’t want to worry about all the nuances of hiring the perfect video crew the easiest solution is to have us do it for you. You can rest easy knowing your video production crew will deliver professional video production services that meet your expectations. We’ll cover all the logistics, crew hiring, payroll, gear prep and delivery, meals, and insurance. From multi-camera video production to green screen production, we do it all. Just let us know what you need, and we’ll handle the rest. Professional videography services is what we do, and we’re here to help.