Pre-Production
Hiring Department Heads
A director sets the vision, but department heads make it real. Your DP, production designer, 1st AD, and the rest of your key crew are the most important hires you'll make after casting. Learn to find them, evaluate them, and build a team that lifts your film.
What you'll learn
✓Who the key department heads are and which ones your film needs
✓Where to find crew, and how to judge reels, credits, and references
✓Interviewing, testing creative fit, and negotiating rates and deals
✓Deal memos, letting heads build their teams, and managing them on set
Pairs with this tool
Crew Hire
Find, post for, and organize crew in one place. Search department heads by role and reel, track candidates and references, and manage your hiring pipeline from first contact to signed deal memo.
Open Crew Hire →Course chapters
Module 1 — Foundations
I8 min
What a department head is, why they matter, and how the crew hierarchy works
What Is a Department Head?
II9 min
The key crew roles — DP, PD, 1st AD, sound, editor — and which ones you need
The Key Crew Roles
III8 min
Where crew comes from — networks, crew sites, referrals, film schools, and socials
Where to Find Crew
IV9 min
How to read a reel, credits, and portfolio to judge what a head can really do
Reels, Credits & Portfolios
Module 2 — Core Craft
V8 min
The interview or meeting — what to ask a head to reveal skill, taste, and temperament
The Interview & Meeting
VI8 min
Checking references and past collaborators — the step that prevents disasters
Checking References
VII9 min
Creative fit and chemistry — especially the director–DP relationship at the film's core
Chemistry & Creative Fit
VIII9 min
Crew rates, day vs. weekly deals, kit fees, and negotiating fairly on a budget
Rates, Deals & Negotiating
Module 3 — Putting It to Work
IX8 min
Deal memos and paperwork — putting the hire in writing so nothing goes sideways
Deal Memos & Paperwork
X8 min
Let each head build their own team — the delegation that makes a crew run itself
Letting Heads Build Their Teams
XI9 min
Leading your department heads on set — trust, communication, and the chain of command
Managing Heads on Set
XII9 min
The classic crew-hiring mistakes indie filmmakers make — and how to avoid every one
Hiring Mistakes to Avoid